Capri is an island in the Gulf of Naples, reached by hydrofoil or ferry from Naples or Sorrento. It suits travelers who like big views, short walks and a day on the water. From Sorrento the crossing takes twenty-five minutes, so the island fits easily into a stay on the coast.
Getting around has one catch: for most of the year, cars can’t be landed on the island, except those of Capri residents. The Blue Grotto is also tight, since it can be entered only in small rowing boats and the visit lasts a few minutes. Plan around boats, buses, the funicular and your own feet.
At a glance
- Getting there: hydrofoil or ferry from Naples or Sorrento
- Crossing from Sorrento: twenty-five minutes
- Main port: Marina Grande
- Towns: Capri Town and Anacapri
- Highest point: Monte Solaro, 13 minutes by chairlift
- Funicular, Marina Grande to Capri Town: €2.40
- Climate: January highs of 57°F (14°C), July highs of 89°F (32°C)
Where is Capri and what is it like?
Capri sits in the Gulf of Naples, and Naples is the big city on the mainland side. Most visitors land at Marina Grande, the major ferry port. From the top of Monte Solaro, the island’s highest point, you can see the Gulf of Naples with Vesuvius in the background, the Gulf of Salerno, the plain of Anacapri and the island of Ischia.
The island has two towns. Capri Town is full of shops, cafes and hotels, and it sits on cliffs above Marina Grande. Anacapri is the second town, quieter, on a hilltop west of Capri Town. Its name comes from the Greek for ‘above Capri’. On the south side, Marina Piccola is a small harbor and beach area. Off the southern coast, the Faraglioni rise out of the sea as three monumental rock formations.
Monte Solaro shows two faces. Its east and southeast sides are deeply eroded and drop sheer to the sea, while a broad side slopes down toward Anacapri. More than 850 plant species grow on the mountain.
What is there to do in Capri?
Monte Solaro by chairlift
The chairlift leaves from the main square of Anacapri and climbs to the summit of Monte Solaro. The line is about 1,930 feet (589 meters) above sea level at the top, and the ride covers about 1,936 feet (590 meters). It was inaugurated in 1952 and has 158 chairs.
At the top you get a 360° panorama of the island. The bar La Canzone del Cielo, a solarium and American bar opened in the fifties, sits up there too. It’s a natural place to stop and look at Vesuvius and Ischia.
The ride takes 10 to 13 minutes each way. Up and down costs between €10 and €15, and a one-way ticket costs €11.
The Blue Grotto
The Blue Grotto can be entered only with small rowing boats, and the visit lasts a few minutes. It’s treated as a museum, and the ticket is paid on site.
Entry runs from €13 to €20. A combined entrance ticket bought at the floating ticket office is around €20, and one ticket price is €18 per person. Transport from Marina Grande and back costs €25 per person.
Because the stop is short and the costs add up, the grotto works best as one part of a boat day around the island. A boat trip around Capri is described as one of the true highlights of a stay.
Gardens of Augustus, Villa Lysis and the Flora Caprense garden
The Gardens of Augustus are 6 minutes on foot from the Piazzetta. They overlook the sea and give a view of the bay of Marina Piccola, Via Krupp and the Faraglioni. Two stairlifts connect the levels, so people with motor disabilities can visit.
Villa Lysis is 45 minutes on foot from the Piazzetta. Both sites can only be reached on foot, so wear suitable footwear. Count the walk back in your plan.
The Giardini della Flora Caprense were created in the 1950s by a group of botany enthusiasts, among them the German botanist Augustin Rainer. They’re a few steps from the center of Capri, on foot or by taxi or minibus up to the top of Monte Tiberio. Entry is paid.
Boat trip to the Faraglioni and the south coast
The Faraglioni are three rock formations just off the southern coast. A boat is the way to see them from the water, and a sunset boat trip is especially memorable. Water taxis can be booked in advance or at the kiosk at Marina Grande.
On land, the Certosa di San Giacomo stands in the southeast of the island, a short distance from the Faraglioni. Marina Piccola, the small harbor and beach area on the south side, is the other waterside stop.
If you want views, take the chairlift and the Gardens of Augustus. If you want the water, book the boat trip and the grotto. Anyone with limited mobility will find the Gardens of Augustus easiest, thanks to the stairlifts, and Villa Lysis a long walk. Travelers who plan to drive will be disappointed, because cars can’t be landed for most of the year.
Where to stay in Capri
Capri Town is the busy base, with shops, cafes and hotels, and the funicular from Marina Grande brings you right to it. Anacapri is quieter and sits on a hilltop west of Capri Town, close to the chairlift square. Marina Grande puts you at the ferry port, which helps on arrival and departure days.
A private driver can be booked through your hotel, which is handy for luggage and for reaching the island’s upper parts. Water taxis are a second option from Marina Grande.
How do you get to Capri and get around?
The Alibus goes to central Naples with three stops: Piazza Garibaldi, Calata di Massa and the maritime station near Molo Beverello. The ticket costs €5, paid to the driver. A taxi from the airport to the port has a fixed fare of about €20. NLG also runs a transfer bus between Capodichino airport and Beverello pier.
From Naples railway station, a taxi to Molo Beverello has a fixed fare of around €12. Metro line 1 to Piazza Municipio is the alternative. Naples has two ports for Capri: Molo Beverello for hydrofoils, and Calata di Massa for fast ships and ferries.
Sorrento is the other main departure point. Both hydrofoils and ferries leave from its port at Marina Piccola, in summer about every half hour, and the trip lasts twenty-five minutes. In summer, boats also run from Positano, Amalfi, Salerno and Ischia. The hydrofoils from Positano, Amalfi and Salerno operate from April to the end of October.
On the island, the funicular links Marina Grande with the center of Capri Town in about 4 to 5 minutes. It runs roughly every 15 minutes, carries up to 900 people per hour and costs €2.40.
Public buses connect Marina Grande, Capri Town, Anacapri and Marina Piccola in a loop. Beyond that, you walk.
When should you go to Capri?
May through July is the warm stretch. May has highs of 76°F (24°C) and about four rainy days. June reaches 84°F (29°C), and July 89°F (32°C) with one rainy day.
Winter is cooler and wetter. January highs are 57°F (14°C), with nine rainy days. Travelers who dislike heat should aim for May or June instead of July.
What to know before visiting Capri
According to the U.S. State Department, U.S. citizens can stay in Italy for 90 days without a tourist or business visa.
- Passports must be valid for at least 3 months beyond your planned date of departure from the Schengen area. A 6-month validity is recommended, and passports must have 2 blank pages for the entry stamp.
- You will need proof of sufficient funds and a return plane ticket.
- Italy sets a currency limit of 10,000 euros, or the equivalent, on entry and on exit.
- There are no vaccination requirements to enter Italy.
- To live or stay in Italy longer than 90 days, you must apply for a visa from an Italian Embassy or Consulate, then obtain a permit of stay (permesso di soggiorno).
Booking Capri for November: what to know
For a November trip, the hydrofoils from Positano, Amalfi and Salerno have stopped for the season, so plan on crossing from Naples or Sorrento.
Sources
- ncei.noaa.gov (https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/products/wmo-climate-normals), checked 2026-10-30
- capriseggiovia.it (http://www.capriseggiovia.it/impianto.html), checked 2026-10-30
- amalficoastandmore.com (https://amalficoastandmore.com/how-to-get-around-capri/), checked 2026-10-30
- atc-capri.it (https://www.atc-capri.it/info/come-arrivare-a-capri), checked 2026-10-30
- travel.state.gov (https://travel.state.gov/en/international-travel/travel-advisories/italy.html), checked 2026-10-30
- blog.italotreno.com (https://blog.italotreno.com/idee-di-viaggio/visitare-grotta-azzurra-guida-meraviglia-naturale-capri/), checked 2026-10-30
- blog.italotreno.com (https://blog.italotreno.com/en/travel-ideas/capri-travel-guide-attractions-and-things-to-do/), checked 2026-10-30
- conssanfrancisco.esteri.it (https://conssanfrancisco.esteri.it/en/servizi-consolari-e-visti/servizi-per-il-cittadino-straniero/visti/instructions-for-visas/), checked 2026-10-25