isabel

hi from the Amalfi Coast. I don't usually write while I'm on vacation but I was just emailing home about my day and really needed to share this with fodorites. So here is what I wrote about our trip to the blue grotto and Capri (we are staying in Sorrento):

IT WAS AMAZING! - and to think we almost didn't do it cause it was "too touristy". Crap, I am never not doing something again because it's too touristy. It was sooooo cool.

We took an "excursion" the hotel was running (they do it daily) to Capri. At 30€ it was only ten more than just taking the ferry round trip and they included a boat tour around the island. We had considered doing that anyway and knew you could do a one hour trip for 14€ once you got there so this really was a good deal. But turned out to be a really really good deal as the boat tour was over two hours, included everything - even the green grotto - I didn't even know there was a green grotto - and also stopped at the blue grotto. Since we were right there and most of the people on our boat (there were about 30) were doing it we said what the hell, we are this close. So 4 people at a time get out of the “big boat” and into a rowboat and he rows you into the grotto. You have to lie down in the boat as the opening is only a few inches above the sides of the rowboat. The water all around Capri is pretty darn turquoise but inside the grotto it really is iridescent. It positively glows! And the rower sang O Sole Mia while explaining that the grotto was some Roman emperor (can’t remember which one)’s private swimming hole. I got it on video. And the photos came out too which was amazing considering how dark it was and that we, which includes the cameras, got splashed going in. I am so glad we did it.

zoecat

I too enjoyed the blue grotto and I am happy I visited. I took the bus down from Anacapri and when I arrived, I was the only person there. My rower was very nice (and handsome- an added bonus!) and we stayed inside the grotto for a good 20 minutes. I wanted to jump in and swim around but he wouldn't let me. Thank you for sharing your wonderful experience!

JAX9000

Yes. it's great.. but the boatmen are really annoying, pushing for tips and pretending to sing... mine even mix the lyrics and made some derrogatory comments about another person, assuming we couldn't understand him... they managed to destroy the whole experience.

Weadles

I'm glad you enjoyed it! We did, too. Our rower let our kids swim in the grotto for nearly 20 minutes, and when they plunged in, their body color turned iridescent, which was quite amazing. We had a great time there, although lying down in that tiny boat to navigate through the tinier entrance made me way too claustrophobic!

nanaof7

We will be in Sorrento in October and wonder what hotel you were staying in so that we might contact it and perhaps join in on one of the tours. Did you have any free time to browse around Capri and Anacapri?

isabel

Nanaof7 - we are staying at the Ulisse
Delux Hostel (www.ulissedeluxe.com/, E-mail: [email protected]). I really like this hotel and will write a full review when I get home as part of my trip report - but I can tell you I will definitly stay here on any future trip to the amalfi coast. They also have boat trips to Positano and Amalfi but we did those on our own. The trip to Capri gave us almost 6 hours there - we were picked up at the hotel at 8:30 and driven to the boat, which left at 9 and got to Capri around 9:30 and we had till 15:45 - enough time to see both Anacapri and capri and walk down from the villa san michele in anacapri. Then we had the two hour boat tour and half hour trip back to Sorrento - and a driver picked us up. All for 30 euro - what a deal.

weadles - we didn't swim in the grotto but the rower told me to put my hand in the water to see it glow. It was very cool.

And there was no pushing for tips or anything. Totally enjoyable experience. I guess it depends on what day you go.

bogger

Anyone aware of a good deal to Capri out of Positano? Four of us will be there mid Sept. and would like to see the Blue Grotto if it'll work out. Also any "not to miss" suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

isabel

bogger- I don't know of any specific deals where transport to the island that also includes the blue grotto from Positano. But you can certainly take the ferry to the island, then once there you can take one of the tours around the island (most seemed to be one hour and cost 14€, there were guys at the marina hawking the boat tours). Alternately once on the island you can take a bus to just above the blue grotto and walk down the stairs to get on one of the rowboats from there.

shoppegirl

Thanks for this passionate post, isabel! We are planning a trip to Rome/Sorrento next summer and I would really love to visit the blue grotto - touristy or not!

While we are on Capri, I would also really love to experience the chairlift on Mount Solaro. (We will be traveling with our 3 teenagers). Can anyone tell me if visiting both the blue grotto and the chairlift on the same day is doable?

thanks!
kelly

Paul1950

I also enjoyed the entire Blue Grotto experience. Including watching the entire operation of getting us tourists into and back out of the rowboats!

TDudette

Crap, I am never not doing something again because it's too touristy.
_________

Hear, hear! Glad it was fun. Here's to touristy things!

kleeblatt

In my early 20's, my girlfriend and I went on a boat tour through the grotto. We were the only tourists and our guide starting flirting and tried to kiss us. Yuck.

I remember more of manouvering away from the guide than the grotto itself.

Jenn_

Hi Isabel

Your experience sounded fantastic! I'm doing some research for an upcoming trip (May 2011) and I was curious to know which package you chose from the Ulisse Deluxe Hostel. When I checked out their site it seems as if the trip to Capri does not include a visit the Blue Grotto at all.

Thanks!
Jenn

isabel

Hi Jenn - We didn't book it online. When we got there they had some signs at the reception desk talking about excursions and one was to Capri. I just looked at the one on their website and it's totally different. The one we went on was just the boat ride over, free time, then the boat tour around the island, including stopping at the blue grotto, and back to Sorrento. It didn't include the bus up to Anacapri (which we did on our own) or Villa San Michelle (which we also did on our own). It was only 30€ per person. We had about five hours free on Capri during which we went up to Anacapri and then walked down, then took the funicular up to Capri town.

Here is the link to my trip report when I talk about it in more detail http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...rful-weeks.cfm

Perhaps you could email them and ask. If for some reason they aren't doing that one anymore (I think it's just the website doesn't mention it) you could always take a ferry over and then do one of the boat tours once you get there. At the harbor there were numerous guys with signs advertising boat tours to the blue grotto for about 14€.

Jenn_

Thanks for your advice, Isabel. I'll look into it.

Just one more thing though - did you feel like you saw enough of Capri as a day trip or did you find that you would have enjoyed staying there for a night? I'm debating making Capri a day trip from either Sorrento/ Ischia or spending a night on Capri. Thoughts?

Thanks!
Jenn

isabel

Jenn - Yes I felt a day trip was plenty. The views were certainly stunning, and the blue grotto was just so cool. But overall I liked Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast towns of Amalfi, Atrani, etc better. Just more my style. Very glad I went, but very glad we stayed where we did and spent time doing the other day trips. Have a great trip.