Sights in Capri
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Giardini di Augusto
Get away from the Capri crowds by heading southwest of the monastery where, at the end of Via Matteotti, you have the unexpected green oasis of the colourful Giardini di Augusto. Founded by the Emperor Augustus, you should spend a few minutes contemplating the breathtaking view from here: gaze ahead to the Isole Faraglioni and the three dramatic limestone pinnacles that rise vertically out of the sea. Measuring 109m, 81m and 104m respectively, the stacks are home to a rare blue lizard that was once thought to be unique to the Faraglioni but has since been found on the Sicilian coast. While sadly beyond the capacity of even the most sophisticated camera lens, a photo from …
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Villa San Michele di Axel Munthe
The former home of self-aggrandising Swedish doctor Axel Munthe, San Michele di Axel Munthe should be included on every visitor’s itinerary. Built on the ruined site of a Roman villa, the gardens make a beautiful setting for a tranquil stroll with pathways flanked by immaculate flowerbeds. There are also superb views from here, plus some fine photo props in the form of Roman sculptures. If you are here between July and September, you may be able to catch one of the classical concerts that take place in the gardens. Check the Axel Munthe Foundation website for the current program and reservation information.
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Villa Jovis
East of the town centre, a comfortable 2km walk along Via Tiberio, Villa Jovis is sure to capture your imagination. Standing 354m above sea level, this was the largest and most sumptuous of the island’s 12 Roman villas and was Tiberius’ main Capri residence. Although not in great shape today, it is still very impressive size wise and wandering around will give you a good idea of the scale on which Tiberius liked to live. This vast pleasure complex famously pandered to the emperor’s saucy desires, and included imperial quarters and extensive bathing areas set in dense gardens and woodland.
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Seggiovia del Monte Solaro
A fast and painless way to reach Capri’s highest peak, the Seggiovia del Monte Solaro chairlift whisks you to the mountain peak in a tranquil beautiful ride of just 12 minutes. The views from the top are outstanding – on a clear day you can see the entire Bay of Naples, the Amalfi Coast and the islands of Ischia and Procida. If all that camera clicking has worked up an appetite, there’s a cafeteria here that serves snacks, drinks and ice creams.
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Piazza Umberto I
With its whitewashed stone buildings and tiny, car-free streets, Capri Town seems more film set than real life. In summer its toy-town streets swell with curious, camera-wielding day-trippers and gangs of the glossy rich. Central to the action is Piazza Umberto I (aka the Piazzetta), the showy, open-air salon where tanned tourists pay eye-watering prices to sip at one of four squareside cafés.
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Chiesa di San Michele
If you appreciate the colour, intricate patterns and historical tradition of antique majolica tiles, consider a speedy visit to the Chiesa di San Michele, where Adam and Eve are vividly depicted, along with a bizarre animal menagerie, including a unicorn, bull, several goats and an elephant, in a glorious octagonal 18th-century majolica-tiled floor.
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Chiesa di Santo Stefano
The 17th-century Chiesa di Santo Stefano has a well-preserved marble floor (taken from Villa Jovis) and a statue of San Costanzo, Capri’s patron saint. Beside the northern chapel is a reliquary with a saintly bone that reputedly saved Capri from the plague in the 19th century.
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Certosa di San Giacomo
To the east of the Piazzetta, Via Vittorio Emanuele and its continuation, Via Serena, lead down to the picturesque Certosa di San Giacomo, a 14th-century monastery with two cloisters and some fine 17th-century frescoes in the chapel.
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Giardini di Augusto
The colourful Giardini di Augusto was founded by the Emperor Augustus. The view from the gardens is breathtaking, looking over to the Isole Faraglioni, three limestone pinnacles that rise vertically out of the sea.
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Monte Solaro
From Piazza Vittoria, the seggiovia carries you to the summit of Monte Solaro, Capri's highest point. The views from the top are outstanding - on a clear day you can see the entire Bay of Naples and the islands of Ischia and Procida.
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Faro
Rising above Punta Carena, Capri's rugged southwesterly point, is the Faro, Italy's second-tallest and most powerful lighthouse. From Anacapri a bus runs to the Faro every 20 minutes in summer and every 40 minutes in winter.
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Isole Faraglioni
The view from the Giardini di Augusto gardens is breathtaking, looking over to the Isole Faraglioni, three limestone pinnacles that rise vertically out of the sea.
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Salto di Tiberio
The stairway behind the Villa Jovis leads to the 330m-high Salto di Tiberio, a sheer cliff from where Tiberius had out-of-favour subjects hurled into the sea.
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Museo Cerio
Museo Cerio harbours a library of books and journals about the island (mostly in Italian) and a collection of locally found fossils.
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Arco Naturale
A 1.5km walk from the Villa Jovis, down Via Tiberio and Via Matermània, is the Arco Naturale, a huge rock arch formed by the pounding sea.
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Grotta Azzurra
Capri’s single most famous attraction is the Grotta Azzurra, a stunning sea cave illuminated by an other-worldly blue light.
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