BelTib

Our 3-week Italian vacation is fast approaching! The kids (boys ages 11 and 14) are excited and the parents are anxiously optimistic. Our trip planning is coming to a close and we are ready to go thanks to the information gleaned from countless posts read on this forum. However, at the risk of sounding "over-planned" I have one last question.

During our four-day stay in Positano, we will have access to a private boat for an entire day. I'm sure we could ask the captain, if he speaks English, what he recommends, but I would love to hear your ideas about how to best take advantage of this luxury.

I have images of picnic lunch on a deserted beach followed by site-seeing?

Please help fill in the blanks.

ira

topping

Cicerone

I would go to Capri for the day, stopping at the Sirenuese islands just off Positano on the way, and possibly the Emerald Grotto, which is south of Positano so it not really on the way to Capri.

Do a circuit around Capri, passing through the middle of the Faraglioni rocks. Swim through the Spumaniti cave just near the Faraglioni , and stop to snorkel off the beaches nearby. You could have a picnic on one of these beaches, or head to land for a restaurant lunch. Take 2-3 hours to explore the island on foot (there are some excellent walks); have the captain drop you at the port at Marina Grande and go up into Capri town, or up to Ana Capri for lunch. Go to the Blue Grotto toward the end of the day or around lunchtime, in hopes of avoiding the tourist masses. (Or go first thing if you arrive early enough, the captain should know.) Head back to Positano as the sun is setting over Capri, a gorgeous site.

I would say be ready to go from Positano between 8 - 9 am. Depending on the size of the boat, the trip non-stop to Capri will take between 40 minutes and an hour. I have hired boats a couple of times for this trip, and it is my favorite way to really see the coast.

For recommended walks, get the Sunflower walking guide to Capri & the Amalfi coast, which also has great walks in the Positano area. They are rated by difficulty and time, so you won't take a trail that is too difficult or will take too long. I heard about these books on this site, and have used them in other parts of Europe. Their website is http://www.sunflowerbooks.co.uk/walking_titles.htm.

Some recommendations for lunch would be:

DA GELSOMINA
Via Migliera 72, Anacapri, Italy
Phone: 081/8371499
http://www.dagelsomina.com/en/3.html

This is in Ana Capri, so from Marina Grande, take a bus or taxi. It is a little walk, about 20 minutes, from the center of Ana Capri, I believe they will also send a car to collect you from Ana Capri. It has incredible views and food. If you are really ambitious you can walk all the way back down to Marina Grande in about an hour (a LOT of steps).

LE GROTTELLE
Via Arco Naturale 13, Anacapri, Italy
Phone: 081/8375719

This is walkable from Capri Town. You may also be able to access it from the boat. Casual and inexpensive, very good food.

ADD'O RICCIO
Via Grotta Azzurra 11
80071 Anacapri, Italy
39-081-837-1380

On a cliff above the Blue Grotto.

LA FONTELINA
I Faraglioni, at end of Via Tragara,
Capri Town, Italy
Phone: 081/8370845

This may be a bit dressy for the kids, but is a great restaurant. They can be reached by boat from Marian Grande; but you should also be able to access it directly from your boat.

LA SAVARDINA DA EDUARDO
Via Lo Capo
Tel 081 837 63 00
Closed Wednesdays
http://www.lasavardina.com

Walkable from the Piazza in Capri town. Is thought to be the best restaurant on the island. It is a 40 minute walk up a narrow path, that is lined with homes and villas. The views were incredible. The food is just wonderful.

BelTib

Cicerone: Thank you so much for your great response. Originally I thought we would take a hydrofoil to Capri on another day, but it sounds like there would be plenty of coves/beaches to explore by focusing just on Capri (and we wouldn't have to worry about meeting a ferry schedule). I love the idea docking at a place like La Fontelina for lunch. The pictures I saw of the outside dining area didn't look too fancy, but Le Grottelle might be a good backup.

Thanks again for your help.

europhile

Capri is an excellent choice for a day on the boat. Another option would be to follow the lead of the Sirenuse and the Miramare/Palazzo Murat. They provide a complimentary boat tour to guests, and travel from Positano down the coast toward Amalfi. We did it last fall on the Miramare/Murat boat (the hotels are under the same ownership and guests share the boat). We stopped along the way at pretty coves for swimming and to munch on fruit and wine, and passed several other towns where we could have pulled in and walked around, if time had permitted. We were cruising very near the Sirenuse boat, which was taking the same route. Another time during that trip, by car, we stopped in several of the coastal towns and really enjoyed exploring the squares and stopping for gellato or coffee. It was a fun way to spend the day, and allowed a glimpse of several different spots. It would also have been great by water, I think. If you want to be more water-oriented with the kids, and not so town-oriented, Capri may be a better choice, but a cruise along the coastline was fun for us.

aneckc

Any chance someone who is not staying at the Sirenuse or the Palazzo Murat can join their boat tour, for a price of course? It sounds wonderful. Alternatively, can we catch another boat tour of the Amalfi Coast? How about the tour of the Emerald Grotto? Would it give a nice view of the area? Thaks for your input.

WanderingTexan

We hired a boat with crew for a day last time we were in Positano. It was a great way to visit Capri.