Things to do in Capri
The island's essentials, ranked and mapped — so a single day covers the Piazzetta, the gardens, the summit and the sea.
Top things to do in Capri
Things to do in Capri: a first-timer's map
Capri packs an improbable amount into a small island, and it splits into two towns at two different altitudes. Capri town, above Marina Grande, is the glamorous one — designer windows, the famous Piazzetta, and clifftop gardens. Anacapri, higher and quieter, is where you'll find the chairlift, Villa San Michele and a more local pace. Here's how to spend a day without wasting it in queues.
Start with the water — a boat tour in the calm morning — then come ashore for the town in the afternoon. That order keeps you ahead of both the funicular queue and the midday heat.
The essentials, ranked
- The Piazzetta — the tiny café-ringed square that is Capri's living room. Come for the morning coffee scene or the evening passeggiata; skip the overpriced midday crush.
- Giardini di Augusto & Via Krupp — terraced gardens with the postcard view down to the Faraglioni and the hairpin Via Krupp path. A euro to enter, worth ten.
- Monte Solaro chairlift — a silent 13-minute ride to the island's 589 m summit and a 360° view over the whole Bay of Naples.
- Villa San Michele — Axel Munthe's villa in Anacapri, with columns, sculpture and one of the best terraces on the island.
- Marina Piccola — the sunny south-side swimming bay beneath the Faraglioni; the place to end a hot afternoon.
- The Blue Grotto — go early and only if the sea is calm.
Capri vs Positano — a common question
They're often compared and easily combined. Capri is an island of dramatic rock, sea caves and glamour; Positano is a vertical village of pastel houses on the mainland. Many boat tours link the two, and a day on the water is the best way to compare them side by side.