Finally….Our day in Capri! This is one day I would definitely plan in advance, especially if you are just going on a day trip. We took the first ferry available from Minori (9:05 am) to the island and booked the last ferry back (6:30 pm). Along the Amalfi coast there are countless ferries to choose from, we used Ferry Hopper (https://www.ferryhopper.com/) and booked it about 2 months before-hand. We traveled on the Alicost which was a perfect size boat and served food a drink! (for a fee of course). The cost was €28 each way per person.
We were concerned a bit before we left the mainland, as the winds were whipping and our umbrella on our patio actually flipped over. We had heard some horror stories about the ferries running in rough seas, but when we went to the ticket booth to ask if the ferries would be running, they literally laughed at us and said “this is no wind!” Ok…. noted!
The ride across the Tyrrhenian Sea was beautiful! The boat hugged the coastline for much of the journey, so the views were spectacular! The entire ride was about 1.5 hours. I recommend getting to the dock a bit early so you can be one of the first on the boat. Head immediately upstairs to the top and sit on the right side for the best views. If you are going in the summer, be sure to have a hat, as it can get scorching in the Italian sun!
PRECIOUS CRUISES
We knew we had about 8 hours on the island so we did have a plan. We decided to book a boat tour around the island through Precious Cruises https://www.capriprecious.com/. We booked the 3 hour cruise at a cost of €630, which ended up being about €57 per person. We thought it was so well worth it! Our cruise was scheduled for 11:00 am, but apparently our boat Captain Michelle, was stopped by the Coast Guard, which apparently this happens often. We didn’t head out until about 11:45, but Michelle made up for it and kept us out an extra half hour. It screwed us up a bit with our time schedule, but in the end worked out just fine!
Michelle brought us to all of the hotspots around the island. He pointed out and gave a great history lesson of all the landmarks we passed. We were able to see the Heart Grotto, Green Grotto, Faraglioni, the Natural Arch, the White Grotto, the Coral Grotto, Tiberius‘s Leap and the Statue of the Scugnizzo. We were given the option to also go to the Blue Grotto, however, we had heard that the line was about an hour and a half with a cost of €18 per person to take a rowboat into the cave for five minutes. It is undeniably beautiful, but we decided it wasn’t worth the wait. I’m sure if we had more time we would have considered it.
SWIMMING IN CAPRI
One of the best parts of our boat ride was the opportunities to anchor and swim in the ocean! We spent about a half an hour each at Cala Ventroso (https://wanderlog.com/place/details/10233816/cala-ventroso) and Marina Piccola Bay (https://www.capri.net/en/e/marina-piccola). The water was amazing and a ton of other boats were anchored so there were lots of people swimming and frolicking around. Our specific boat tour offered towels, noodles to use and water and soft drinks. We could have opted for lunch, but we chose to bring our own subs from our little deli in Minori and the boat had a huge cooler to store them in.
ANACAPRI
Once we got off our tour, we headed to Capri center to catch a ride up to Anacapri. We took a bus which was a crowded sweaty mess and about 110 degrees. Not to mention the bus stopped for anyone and everyone and packed us in like sardines. Believe people when they tell you not to take the damn bus! Spend the extra money on an open air taxi… They are everywhere! The ride up to Anacapri was about 10 minutes.
MONTE SOLARO CHAIR LIFT
The bus dropped us in the center and it was a 5 minute walk to do the Monte Solaro Chair Lift (https://www.capriseggiovia.it/). Okay, so I was so leery about going on the Chairlift. I am scared of heights and went back and forth about whether I could do it without passing out. When my 11 year old niece got her ticket, I said screw it! The ride to the top and back was €14 and worth every dime! We purchased right there on the spot, so no need to do it beforehand. I kept thinking that I would possibly miss the chair as it was going around and fall off, but the men at the bottom made sure that you got on swiftly and easily. The entire ride up was AMAZING. A little squeaky as it went over the wheels attached to the large poles, and I must admit, I closed my eyes a couple times. When we reached the top, there were a bunch of different locations to take pictures of the views from the top of the island. It was absolutely breathtaking and probably the most beautiful views I saw during our entire trip. They had a great little cafe at the top La Canzone Del Cielo, and we all enjoyed some gelato (and beer for some) before jumping back onto the chairlift and heading back down. I had the Pistachio which was really good and they are known for their Lemon cake! The total time we took was about 1 hour.
Once we got back to Anacapri, we ventured to Piazza Vittoria, which was a 5 minute walk from the chairlift. Aside from the shops and boutiques, this is a great place for a little people watching! We spent about an hour hereThe prices were definitely a little bit more expensive than merchandise on the “mainland”, but there were a few shops not to be missed in Anacapri! A shop not to miss is Capri Bells (https://www.capribell.it/). They were beautiful and make a perfect gift. They are also known to be good luck (legend below!) We also went to Capri Glam (https://www.instagram.com/capri_glam/) and got aTON of souvenirs for great prices! I got a beautiful makeup bag with lemon all over it for 10 euros. I also got some gifts and other souvenirs: ornaments, a wallet, key chains, mapenes and a few other items I really did not need, but bought anyway! And what a small world… we got to chatting with the owner who asked where we were from and when we told him New Haven area in CT, he shared that he lived on Wooster Street for a few years (across from the famous Pepe’s Pizzeria) and actually spent a few Christmas Eves with friends in the area!
We then took the opener taxi back down to Capri and enjoyed the beautiful views as we sped (they do drive like New Yorkers!) back down to the docks! We made sure to give ourselves about a 1/2 hour before our ferry was to depart as we needed to be sure that we were not stranded on the island! The last ferry to Minori was at 3 o’clock, so we decided to take the one to Amalfi.
MAIORI FOR DINNER
We arrived back in Amalfi around 8 pm and hopped on a bus to Maiori to go to dinner. The ride was just as adventurous as the day before….it’s amazing how skilled the bus drivers of the Amalfi coast are! We chose to have dinner in Maiori and visit the restaurant of a relative of a close family friend of someone in our party (you know, someone’s brother’s, uncle’s, god sister’s cousin… all kidding aside, it was much closer than that and the cousin’s across the world were able to face time). Maiori is just around the bend from Minori on the Amalfi Coast highway. It is a beautiful little town with a festive boardwalk and lots of great little restaurants and cafés! We dined at Ristorante Lavela (http://www.ristorantelavela.it/). The atmosphere was so inviting. It was directly across from the water and had floor to ceiling windows that were open, so there was a beautiful breeze coming in. The service was good, as was the food. The Spaghetti alle Vongole was so tasty! The clams were cutest and the size of a dime. The fresh seafood dishes are highly recommended! We skipped dessert tonight, but were brought a bottle of Limoncello to share. When we were finally done, it was around 11 o’clock and we asked where we could catch a bus back to Minori. The lady literally laughed out loud and said “Not far. You walk.” So that’s what we did…. single file along a skinny little strip of land, up around the bend. I must say the walk was beautiful and as we turned the corner and could see Minori, there were fireworks exploding just along the other edge of town. I must say I am so glad we missed the bus!
FUN FACT
The legend of the Capri Bells: Local legend is that a shepherd lost his only sheep, and to find it again he followed the sound of a tinkling bell to the edge of a cliff. Saint Michael appeared to him there, and gave him a small bell which would protect him from harm… not sure if he ever got his sheep though!
My Italian Adventures 