45 Best Sights in Capri, Ischia, and Procida, Italy

This is the island's largest town and the usual point of debarkation. It's no workaday port, however, but rather a lively resort with plenty of hotels, restaurants, the island's best shopping area, and low, flat-roof houses on terraced hillsides overlooking the water. Its narrow streets and villas and gardens are framed by pines.

Reopened in 2016 after 14 years, the small crescent-shaped island of Vivara, a terminal segment of a volcanic cone and Carlo III's 18th-century hunting lodge, is today a living museum of natural history with unsullied Mediterranean maquis vegetation. Visitors cross a causeway to a Napoleonic-era fort near the entrance gateway, then follow the path winding up to a cluster of abandoned settlements at the highest point of the island (357 feet above sea level). The main cultural interest lies in the island's rich archaeological finds dating to prehistoric times, especially the Bronze Age, as testified to by a wealth of Mycenaean pottery fragments. It's at its best in springtime, with most of its plants in flower and lots of birds on the move. Admire the dense maquis on either side, growing unchecked for over 50 years, with characteristic plant species like tree heather, strawberry tree, and rockrose, the latter of which sports delicate pink flowers in spring. Although you'll hear birds—especially the blackcap—don't expect to see any of these skulking warblers, except perhaps around the clearing at the center of the island. At migration times, watch for two of the Mediterranean's more exotic-looking summer visitors: the hoopoe, a bird that looks more in keeping with the African savanna, and the bee-eater, with a splash of unusually vivid colors. The only way to visit the island is by taking a guided tour booked in advance through the comune.

Rather than visiting public beaches, many sun worshippers opt to enjoy the island's fabled stabilimenti balneari (private bathing lidos), some of which offer real relaxation and unbelievable views. One of the most famous is La Fontelina. At the foot of the Faraglioni rocks, the lido has a magical setting. There's no beach here, so the lido isn't suitable for children, and booking in advance is essential. You can get to La Fontelina by using a rocky path that begins at the end of Via Tragara; others prefer to take a ferry (€6) from the more accessible Marina Piccola during the afternoon. The excellent but pricey restaurant is open for lunch only. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; showers; toilets. Best for: snorkeling; swimming.

The English writer and Capriophile Norman Douglas called this square, officially known as Piazza Umberto I, "the small theater of the world." The rendezvous point for international crowds, this "salone" became famous as the late-night place to spot heavenly bodies—of the Hollywood variety, that is: Frank Sinatra, Rita Hayworth, Julie Christie, Julia Roberts, and Mariah Carey are just a few of the celebs who have made La Piazzetta the place where the rich and famous come to watch other rich and famous folk. These days, if the high flyers bother to make an appearance, they're likely to show up at 8 in the evening for an aperitivo and some peppery tarallucchi bread sticks, with a possible return visit for a late-night limoncello.

In any event, the square is never less than picturesque and has been a natural crossroads and meeting point since Roman times. The religious complex of Santo Stefano was built around the square in the 17th century, but the clock tower and Municipio, or town hall (once the archbishop's palace) are the only remnants of its cathedral. Capri's version of Big Ben—the charming bell tower, or Torre dell'Orologio—is perched over the ancient gateway.

The Lido del Faro, set amid rocks with a natural basin as a seawater swimming pool, is open from April to October during daylight hours. The sun usually beats down on this westerly headland all day while on summer nights the restaurant provides a unique setting for enjoying the freshest fish. The lido is easily accessible by bus from Anacapri. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; showers; toilets. Best for: snorkeling; swimming.

Although Capri is not noted for fine beaches, Marina Piccola is generally considered to have the best beach on the island. It's certainly the most historic: Homer believed this to be the legendary spot where the Sirens nearly snared Odysseus. Expect to pay about €16 per person for the use of showers, lockers, and a sun chair/sun bed or search for a spot on the pebble-covered free beach and just lay out your towel. It's definitely worth investing in snorkeling gear, as the sea is rich in marine life, and visibility is often excellent. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; showers; toilets. Best for: snorkeling; swimming.

The inland town of Fontana is the base for excursions to the top of this long-dormant volcano that dominates the island landscape. You can reach its 2,589-foot peak in less than 1½ hours of relatively easy walking.

Former mayor of Capri Town, designer of the island's most ravishing turn-of-the-20th-century villas, author of delightfully arcane books, and even paleontologist par excellence, Edwin Cerio was Capri's leading genius and eccentric. His most notorious work was a Capri guidebook that all but urged tourists to stay away. His most beautiful work was the Villa Solitaria—once home to famed novelist Compton Mackenzie and set over the sea on the Via Pizzo Lungo path. He also set up this small but interesting museum, which conserves finds from the island. Room 1 displays Pleistocene fossils of pygmy elephant, rhino, and hippopotamus, which all grazed here 200,000–300,000 years ago, when the climate and terrain were very different. Although much of the island's important archaeological finds have been shipped off to Naples, Room 4 displays a scantily labeled collection of vases, mosaics, and stuccowork from the Greek and Roman periods. The terrace gives unrivaled views of the piazzetta and the bay, and was where Clark Gable took breakfast in Vittorio De Sica's 1960 film It Started In Naples.

Housed in the Palazzo dell'Orologio, the town's Museo del Mare Ischia is dedicated to the daily life of fishermen. Ship models, archaeological finds, nautical instruments, and the stray modern art show make up the small holdings.

The easily distinguishable and now abandoned Palazzo d'Avalos—sometimes called Palazzo Reale or Il Castello—was the 17th-century residence of Innico d'Avalos, cardinal and mayor of Procida. The building was then used as a prison from the 1830s until 1988. Guided tours can be booked through the comune.

Frustrated by Capri's ongoing commercial overdevelopment, Swedish professor Gunnar Adler-Karlsson acquired the land around the Belvedere di Migliara with the intention of maintaining an ecologically pure area. Covering 11,000 square meters (36,000 square feet), paths lead through rich Mediterranean maquis with more than 60 ceramic panels lining the way with quotes from great thinkers from Aristotle to Einstein. Allegedly the first of its kind in the world, just feet away from one of the most gorgeous views in the world, this park is devoted to peace and reflection. A complete guide, called "Meditation Upon Western Wisdom," is available from the adjacent Da Gelsomino restaurant.

The "three sons of Capri" can be best seen from the famous lookout point at Punta di Tragara at the end of gorgeous Via Tragara. At this point, a path—marked by a plaque honoring the poet Pablo Neruda, who loved this particular walk—leads down hundreds of steps to the water and the feet of I Faraglioni, and perhaps to a delightful lunch at one of the two lidos at the rock base: Da Luigi, a household name in the Bay of Naples, or La Fontelina, an exclusive sun-drenched retreat nearby. After lunch, habitués then hire a little boat to ferry them back to nearby Marina Piccola and the bus back to town. Near the start of the Neruda path turn left to find the most gorgeous seaside walk in Capri—the Via Pizzolungo. Another place to drink in the view of I Faraglioni, which is most romantic at sunset, is the Punta Del Cannone, a hilltop belvedere reached beyond the Certosa di San Giacomo and the Giardini di Augusto.

The renovated 16th-century ex-convent of Santa Margherita Nuova is perched precariously at the top of a cliff facing the small bay of Corricella; a breathtaking view is guaranteed.

One of the best excursions from Anacapri is to the ruins of the Roman Villa di Damecuta. Sited strategically on a ridge with views sweeping across the Bay of Naples toward Procida and Ischia, the villa would have had its main access point at the landing stage right by the Grotta Azzurra at Gradola. This was probably one of the villas mentioned by Tacitus in his Annals as having been built by Tiberius: "Here on Capreae, in twelve spacious, separately named villas, Tiberius settled." Like Villa Jovis to the east, Villa di Damecuta was extensively plundered over the centuries prior to its proper excavation in 1937. Below the medieval tower (Torre Damecuta), there are two rooms (domus and cubiculum) that are thought to have been Tiberius's secret summer refuge. Affinities with Villa Jovis may be seen in the ambulatio (walkway) complete with seats and a stunning backdrop. To reach Villa Damecuta, get the bus from Anacapri to Grotta Azzurra and ask the driver to let you off at the proper stop. Alternatively, you can walk down from the center of Anacapri—from behind the Santa Sofia church take the well-marked network of virtually traffic-free little alleyways running parallel to the main road (about 30 minutes).

Nicknamed the Casa Come Me (House Like Myself) and perched out on the rocky Punta Massullo, this villa is considered by some historians to be a great monument of 20th-century architecture. Built low to be part of the ageless landscape, the red-hue villa was designed in Rationalist style by the Roman architect Adalberto Libera in the late 1930s for its owner Curzio Malaparte (author of the novel La Pelle, which recounts various World War II experiences in Naples). Unfortunately, the aesthetic concerns of the villa are inextricably entailed with political ones: Curzio Malaparte was a full-blown fascist, and the only reason why this house was allowed to be built along this otherwise unsullied stretch of coast was by special fiat from none other than Mussolini. Malaparte was unhappy with the design and made a number of alterations during the construction phase, including the famous trapezoidal staircase that seems to grow out of the roof. The villa is private, but if you want to see it up close, it was featured as a suitably striking backdrop for Brigitte Bardot in Jean-Luc Godard's underrated film Contempt (1963).