Getting Around Capri Town and Beyond
Capri Town sits at the top of the island’s eastern ridge, reachable by funicular from the Marina Grande in about four minutes. From there, the famous Piazzetta opens up as the social center of the island. It is small, almost impossibly so, ringed by café tables and the clock tower of the Church of Santo Stefano. Most visitors spend a morning here over an espresso, watching the foot traffic before heading out to explore.
The streets branching off the Piazzetta lead to the Gardens of Augustus, which offer some of the most dramatic views on the island, looking straight down to the Faraglioni rocks and the coastline of Marina Piccola below. From the gardens, Via Krupp zigzags down the cliff face toward the sea. The path has opened and closed over the years due to rockfall concerns, so it is worth checking its status locally before planning your route.
For lunch, skip the restaurants immediately surrounding the Piazzetta, where prices tend to reflect the location more than the food. A short walk toward Via Le Botteghe or Viale Matteotti will bring you to smaller trattorias where locals actually eat. Linguine alle vongole and totani con patate are staples worth ordering.
Why a Boat Tour Changes Everything
The coastline around Capri is where the island truly reveals itself, and it is simply not accessible on foot. The Blue Grotto is the obvious draw, but it is one of many sea caves, arches, and hidden coves that wrap around the island. The White Grotto, Green Grotto, and Grotta dei Santi each have their own character, and most visitors who stick to land never see any of them.
A private boat tour in Capri gives you the flexibility to stop where the crowds are not, anchor in a quiet cove for a swim, and time your visit to the Blue Grotto for early morning when the light inside is at its best and the queue of rowboats is shortest. On a group tour, that kind of timing is impossible.
If you are coming from the mainland, you have good options. Visitors based in Sorrento can book a private boat tour to Capri from Sorrento, which combines the crossing with a full circumnavigation of the island. Those coming from further south along the Amalfi Coast can look at a luxury yacht tour departing from Salerno, which makes the most of the scenic coastal passage before reaching the island.
Practical Tips for Visiting in 2026
Capri gets crowded fast. Day-trippers from Naples and the mainland ferries arrive in force between 10am and noon, and the Piazzetta and main shopping streets fill up quickly. Getting an early start, ideally on the water before 9am, puts you ahead of the rush in a meaningful way.
Wear comfortable shoes. Despite its glamorous reputation, Capri Town involves a lot of walking on uneven stone paths and steps. Sandals work for the Piazzetta; anything involving the coastal paths or the chairlift up to Monte Solaro from Anacapri calls for something with more grip.
Book any boat tour or water experience well in advance during July and August. Availability in peak season disappears weeks out, and showing up at Marina Grande hoping to find a private charter on the day is rarely a successful strategy.