One day on Capri...
 

We will be staying in Praiano in late March, and want to make a day trip to Capri. We would appreciate any suggestions for how best to get around on Capri, absolute must-see spots, good cafes, etc. Grazie!

Hi Maria,

I asked questions here before I visited Capri in Sept and got a lot of very good advice. Do a search for "Capri Activities" and it should come up.

My favorite thing was the boat tour around the island. In March, your choices may depend on the weather.

Be sure to make a reservation in advance for the earliest boat or you may find your "day trip" awfully short!

Buon viaggio!

Even in late March we would need a reservation? How far in advance should we do that? We will also be going out to Capri for the day in late March. We are staying in Sorrento and had figured that we could wait until we got there to plan which day to go out to Capri so that we can take advantage of weather. If we decide the day before would that be enough time to get a resevration on the boat over? We are definitley looking forward to the boat trip around the island once we get over there. Do we need reservations for that also? I'll check out "Capri Activities" as you suggested. Always good info on this board!

Dear Maria,
If you've never been to Capri the Blue grotto may be worth your efforts( it's on AnaCapri) or you could spend the day strolling around window shopping and having lunch.It's a very relaxed vibe.I don't think you need to worry about reservations in late March, but do keep in mind it's still low season and many shops and business may still be closed, for that reason I would consider calling ahead, but not because of crowds.For more info on Capri check out www.caprionline.com
If you want to stay the night I highly recommend La Mamela hotel.
la Dolce Capri!
Fluffy
p.s. feel free to email me directly for more info. on Capri @ [email protected]

We went as a day trip (based in Sorrento) in early March several years ago. We just woke up, decided to go, caught a boat over and had a good time. Most of the stores were closed, but we did get on the last boat tour to see the Blue Grotto, which was incredible.

Maria - Don't miss the chairlift ride up Monte Solaro for amazing views of the Bay of Naples.

Steve

Steve, great suggestion! I did that for the first time this last September and was terrified going up the mountainside with my 5 year old thrust on my lap in an open chair! The whole jumping on and jumping off thing with her in my arms was scary. For some reason I thought it would be in those more "sophisticated" enclosed contraptions and not quite so open!? Anyway, it was both exhilarating and scary, but certainly worth it!

Further to that suggestion Maria, make sure you go to Capri early in the morning so you can walk around the piazzetta, out to Emperor Tiberius' villa remains, take a boat around the island (10 euros) to see the Faraglioni Rocks, Arco Naturale, and also a stop at the beautiful Blue Grotto. Then, once back in the Capri marina, hop on the orange bus going over to Anacapri. That is where you can ride those funiculars up the side of Monte Solaro that Steve is referring to, as well as see the Axel Gunthe house with its splendid views overlooking the Mediterranean. Late March will be wonderful - very few tourists and terrific, cool (slightly windy) weather. Buon viaggio!

Just a point of clarification - it's the Axel Munthe house/villa, not Axel Munthe. Those typos can get away from you.

KC

They do have a way of getting away from you. Meant to say Axel Munthe and not Axel Gunthe.

Oh well, it's still early for me - at least at my age.

KC

kc, thanks for the correction, I meant "Munthe", but accidentally typed Gunthe!

You can make a reservations for the boat to Capri the day before. They actually don't want and won't take res before then. Have your hotel make it for you. I would still try to make reservations because even though the crowds will be less, the frequency of boats to Capri will probably also be less.

You don't need advance res for the tour around the island. However, there are several companies with various sizes of boats, so take your pick.

I found the Axel Munthe house itself disappointing, but the gardens and views were wonderful.

Also, walk away from the main piazza in Anacapri and visit Chiesa de San Michele. It has a beautiful, hand painted tile floor, a mural of the garden of Eden I believe.