Things to do in Capri
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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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Giardini di Augusto
Get away from the Capri crowds by heading southwest from the Certosa di San Giacomo monastery where, at the end of Via G Matteotti, you'll come across 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 pinnacles 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 a picture of the lizards from here is…
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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 site of the ruins 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 reduced to ruins, 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.
Spectacular but hardly practical, the villa’s location posed major headaches for Tiberius’ architects. The main problem was how…
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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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La Parissienne
First opened in 1906 (yes, that is not a misprint!), and best known for introducing Capri pants in the 1960s, famously worn by Jacqueline Onassis, who bought them from here – La Parissienne can run you up a made-to-measure pair within a day. Apparently Clark Gable was another Hollywood star who favoured the fashions here, particularly the Bermuda shorts, which (believe it or not) were considered quite raffish in their day.
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Piazza Umberto I
Located beneath the clock tower and framed by see-and-be-seen cafes, this showy, open-air salon is central to your Capri experience, especially in the evening when the main activity in these parts is dressing up and hanging out. Be prepared for the cost of these front row seats – the moment you sit down for a drink, you’re going to pay handsomely for the grandstand views (around €6 for a coffee and €16 for a couple of glasses of white wine).
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Le Arcate
This is the restaurant that the locals recommend – and frequent. An unpretentious place with hanging baskets of ivy, sunny yellow tablecloths and well-aged terracotta tiles, it specialises in delicious primi (first courses) and pizzas. A real show stopper is the risotto con polpa di granchio, rughetta e scaglie di parmigiano (risotto with crab meat, rocket and shavings of Parmesan).
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Chiesa di San Michele
If you appreciate the colour, intricate patterns and historical tradition of antique majolica tiles, check out this stunning church. The glorious octagonal 18th-century majolica-tiled floor vividly depicts Adam and Eve along with a bizarre animal menagerie, including a unicorn, bull, several goats and an elephant.
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La Cisterna
Named after and housed in a 2000-year-old Roman cistern, this unpretentious trattoria is a perennial favourite. Owned by the larger-than-life Salvatore, whose memorable picture adorns the bottles of house wine, it’s good for traditional dishes like pasta with beans, veal cutlets and wood-fired pizzas.
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Chiesa di Santo Stefano
Overlooking Piazza Umberto I, this baroque 17th-century church boasts a well-preserved marble floor (taken from Villa Jovis) and a statue of San Costanzo, Capri’s patron saint. Note the pair of languidly reclining patricians in the chapel to the south of the main altar, who seem to mirror some of the mildly debauched folk in the cafes outside. 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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Lo Sfizietto
Lo Sfizietto uses only organic ingredients with choices that include cremolate with 60% fresh fruit, semifreddi (a decadent cross between mousse and ice cream), and some unusual combinations like its namesake, sfizietto (caramel with pine nuts).
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Trattoria Il Solitario
This is the nearest you will get to being invited in to someone’s home. Tables are set in a small backyard with lemon trees and children’s toys in the corner, and the whole ambience is one of unhurried holiday time.
The unremarkable menu lists the usual island fare – pasta and seafood, grilled meat and pizzas – but the helpings are large and the quality high. The pizzas include a vast pizza bianche choice, which is handy if you’re tiring of tomatoes.
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Le Grottelle
This is a great place to impress your partner. Not so much for the food, which is decent enough – think simple pasta dishes followed by grilled fish, chicken or rabbit – but for its atmospheric setting. About 150m from the Arco Naturale, it’s got two dining areas, one set in a cave, the other, more appealing, on a terrace perched above a wooded hillside that slopes dramatically down to the sea.
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La Pergola
The vine-shaded terrace and sea views provide a wonderful setting for La Pergola’s delicious, innovative food. Here, Capri classics mix it with more modern dishes such as paccheri con cozze, patate e peperoncino (large pasta rings with mussels, potatoes and chilli).
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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 top of the mountain 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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Limoncello di Capri
Don’t be put off by the gaudy yellow display; this historic shop stocks some of the island’s best limoncello. In fact, it was here that the drink was first concocted (or at least that is the claim…). Apparently, the grandmother of current owner Vivica made the tot as an after-dinner treat for the guests in her small guesthouse.
Nowadays, the shop produces some 70,000 bottles each year, as well as lemon and orange chocolates (recommended), lemon marmalade and lemon honey. They also sell a tasty lemon sorbet (€2) which is 2% alcohol.
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La Rondinella
La Rondinella has a relaxed, rural feel and remains one of Anacapri’s most consistently good restaurants; apparently Graham Greene had a favourite corner table here. The menu features a number of Italian classics such as saltimbocca alla Romana (veal slices with ham and sage).
For something different, try chef Michele’s linguine alla ciammura, a delicious pasta dish with a creamy white sauce of anchovies, garlic and parsley. Top it all off with a slice of torta di mandorle (chocolate and almond tart).
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Certosa di San Giacomo
This picturesque monastery is generally considered to be the finest remaining example of Caprese architecture and today houses a school, library, temporary exhibition space and a museum with some evocative 17th-century paintings. Be sure to look at the two cloisters which have a real sense of faded glory (the smaller dates to the 14th century, the larger to the 16th century).
The history is a harrowing one: it became the stronghold of the island's powerful Carthusian fraternity and was viciously attacked during Saracen pirate raids in the 16th century. A century later, monks retreated here to avoid the plague and were rewarded by an irate public (who they should have been…
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Verginiello
Offering reliable, earthy food and grandstand views over Marina Grande, this bustling restaurant is as near to a budget diner as you’ll find in Capri Town. Of the pastas, the spaghetti alle cozze (spaghetti with mussels) is worth trying.
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Banana Sport
Located on the eastern edge of the waterfront, Banana Sport hires out five-person motorised dinghies for €75 for two hours or €175 for the day, allowing you to explore the island’s more secluded coves and grottoes. You can also visit the popular swimming spot Bagno di Tiberio,a small inlet west of Marina Grande. It’s said that Tiberius once swam here, although he wouldn’t have had to pay €8.50 to access the private beach as you will.
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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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Underground
Up in Anacapri, Underground attracts a mixed crowd with its funk and house nights and festive beach parties. Near Underground, Caffè Michelangelo (Via G Orlandi 138, Anacapri) is a laid-back café good for people-watching.
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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. The rocks nearby are a great place to swim in the summer with lots of rocks to dive (safely) from and clear turquoise water.
If this sounds like something you’d take the plunge and do, then hop on the bus that runs from the centre of Anacapri every 20 minutes to the faro in summer (if you are a real chill seeker, it runs every 40 minutes in winter).
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Bagno di Tiberio
Bagno di Tiberio is a popular swimming spot west of Marina Grande where Tiberius once swam, although he wouldn't have had to pay to access the private beach as you will.
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