Capri vs Ischia: Which Is Right for Your Trip?

Capri suits a trip built around sights and swimming from small coves and rocky platforms, while Ischia is the island to pick if you want to arrive by ferry from Naples or Pozzuoli, with your car if you bring one.

At a glance

• For beaches: small coves, rocky platforms and bathing establishments (Capri)
• For sights: Blue Grotto, Villa Jovis, Villa Lysis, Gardens of Augustus (Capri)
• For arriving with a car: ferries from Calata Porta di Massa in Naples take cars to Ischia
• Ferry to Ischia from Naples: about 60 minutes
• Ferry link between the two: in summer, hydrofoils and ferries to Capri also leave from Ischia

Should you choose Capri or Ischia?

Capri suits travelers who want to see things. The Blue Grotto at Anacapri, the Gardens of Augustus a few steps from the Piazzetta, and Villa Lysis on its clifftop are all on the island. Swimming happens from coves and platforms with scenic access to the sea, such as Marina Piccola.

Ferries run from Naples and Pozzuoli, and the first departures leave at about 4:30 a.m. That gives you a long day on the island or an early start home.

Combining the two works in summer, when hydrofoils and ferries to Capri also leave from Ischia. The central hours of the day can coincide with greater crowds on Capri, so plan the sights you most want to see for the early or late part of the day.

• Choose Capri if: you want the Blue Grotto, the villas and the Faraglioni views; you like swimming from small coves and rocky platforms; you can leave from Sorrento, where the crossing takes twenty-five minutes
• Choose Ischia if: you want to bring a car, since cars can be embarked at Calata Porta di Massa; you prefer to leave from Pozzuoli, with a crossing of 45 to 60 minutes; you want ferries from about 4:30 a.m. to about 9:55 p.m.

Which has better beaches, Capri or Ischia?

For a beach trip, Capri means small coves, rocky platforms and bathing establishments. It isn’t an island of long sandy beaches. Marina Piccola is one of the best-known places for swimming and sunbathing, and it looks out to the Faraglioni. Punta Carena, with its lighthouse, is loved for its long hours of sunlight.

The Blue Grotto is not a beach. Swimming into the cave isn’t allowed during visiting hours.

What is there to see in Capri and Ischia?

Capri has a full list of named sights. The Blue Grotto is a sea cave on the northwest coast, reached from Anacapri. Villa Lysis, also called Villa Fersen, was built in 1905 in Liberty style on a cliff over the sea. Villa Jovis stands on Viale A. Mauri, and the Charterhouse of St. Giacomo is a 14th-century monastery. The Gardens of Augustus look toward Marina Piccola, Via Krupp and the Faraglioni. The island tour by boat also passes the White Grotto and the Punta Carena lighthouse.

For Ischia, the practical side comes first on a first trip: it can only be reached by sea, from three ports, by ferry or hydrofoil. Check the departure port when you book, since Naples alone has separate piers for hydrofoils at Beverello and for ferries at Calata Porta di Massa.

Can you visit both Capri and Ischia on one trip?

In summer, hydrofoils and ferries to Capri also depart from Ischia. For most of the year, cars cannot be landed on Capri except those of residents, while ferries from Calata Porta di Massa take cars to Ischia.

• Naples (Calata Porta di Massa) to Ischia: about 60 minutes · Caremar and Medmar ferries · for travelers with a car
• Pozzuoli to Ischia: 45 to 60 minutes · Caremar, Medmar and Gestour · for a shorter crossing
• Sorrento to Capri: twenty-five minutes · about every half hour in summer · hydrofoils and ferries
• Naples (Beverello) to Capri: hydrofoils · for travelers on foot

When is the best time to visit Capri or Ischia?

Capri is mild from spring through summer. May brings highs of 76°F (24°C) and about four rainy days. June reaches 84°F (29°C) with little rain. July is the hottest of these months at 89°F (32°C), and rainfall is light.

Winter is cooler and wetter: January has highs of 57°F (14°C) and nine rainy days.