We are going to Capri in July (I know, but it is the only month we can get away); we will be coming from Positano and I wonder if anyone has taken the ferry over first thing in the morning, seen the town, etc. and then done a private boat rental in the afternoon. The full day boat rental seems kind of excessive but we don't want to take a crowded tour boat to see the Blue Grotto, etc. Any advice would be much appreciated.

Thank you in advance,

Mary in D.C.

We took a bus up to Anacapri and another bus to where you get a boat to the Blue Grotto. At the a blue grotto you transfer to a rowboat. So unless you really want to sail around, you still need to transfer to the rowboat.

There are many tour boats in Capri that will take you around the island with or without the Blue Grotto. The first four days we were there the sea was too rough to go out in the boats. We finally went out on our last day. It was nice but not our favorite part of our stay on Capri.

You should check the ferry schedules to determine exactly how much time you'll have on Capri. Then figure out your sightseeing priorities and where the grotto falls on the list. It's not a quick stop however you do it, and there's much about it that's out of your control. How many boats are waiting, how rough the water is, whether it's sunny and bright enough for the full 'blue' effect... I've heard from people who were there in high season summer who said the wait to enter the grotto was almost an hour.

We enjoyed the chairlift ride to Monte Solaro (and hike/walk down) much more.

An alternative to the Blue Grotto would be seeing the Green (Smeraldo) Grotto near Conca dei Marini. Best time would be mid-day when the sun is highest... obviously on a bright, sunny day.