Capri Travel Guide

I’m always a little sad when I hear travelers talk about spending just one day on the Italian island of Capri. Like Venice, this glittering island in the Bay of Naples is one of the country’s most popular destinations. And its proximity to the mainland lends itself to “hit it and quit it” day-tripping.

While a day may allow you to snap some photos of Capri’s ample beauty, it’s not enough time to discover this island’s special charm, character, and history. This is, after all, the island that has wooed Roman emperors, including Tiberius, who allegedly carried out all sorts of debauchery at his hilltop Villa Jovis, which remains one of the Capri’s top attractions. Writers, poets, artists, scandalous lovers, and attention-seeking glitterati have all passed through here, contemplated and canoodled on narrow whitewashed lanes, swam in the cerulean sea, and rode in tiny boats into the ethereal Blue Grotto. But they didn’t do it in a day.

For a more thoughtful, immersive multi-day trip to Capri, I drew on my own visits to this dazzling island, and I asked Capri travel experts to share their favorite places to stay, dine, and experience the island with Travel + Leisure. So slow down, dive in, stop to smell the abundant flowers, and maybe wax just a little poetic on this inspiring jewel of an island.

Best Hotels & Resorts

J.K. Place Capri

“If there were such a thing as a 7-star hotel ranking, J.K. Place Capri would have it,” Toni DeBella, a travel writer and Capri expert told T+L. “Its sophisticated yet relaxed atmosphere immediately put me at ease — like I was visiting a friend’s home, albeit a very beautiful and chic home.” She recommended a leisurely aperitivo on the terrace overlooking Capri’s only sand beach.

Hotel La Palma

Hotel La Palma, Capri’s oldest hotel, reopened in 2023 and is one of T+L’s It List Hotels for 2024. And, according to Laura Thayer, an Amalfi Coast-based writer and historian with Ciao Amalfi, this property ”created a new definition of luxury on the island.” She gushed over the “calm and a subdued Mediterranean style that simply envelops you,” as well as the stellar dining experience at Gennaro’s, the hotel’s restaurant led by chef Gennaro Esposito, who is behind the two-Michelin-starred Torre del Saracino.

Grand Hotel Quisisana

The grand dame of Capri hotels has what T+L A-List Travel Advisor Jim Strong called “the best position on the island.” A see-and-be-seen patio bar, parklike grounds, and a sea-view pool are among the many assets here. But, according to Strong, Grand Hotel Quisisana’s “hidden gem” is its three-bedroom villa with a private pool and butler service.

La Floridiana

This family-run hotel with normal people prices was the first place I ever stayed on Capri and remains a sentimental favorite. Set away from the busiest part of Capri town, it’s a majolica-tiled oasis that harkens back to the island’s pre-Instagram golden age.

Best Things to Do

Pull up a (lounge) chair at a beach club.

Beaches are prized real estate during the Capri summer, so plan ahead by booking an umbrella and chaise lounge at a beach club. Hotel La Palma’s Da Gioia at Marina Piccola is one of Thayer’s favorites and Strong likes the family setting and unpretentious service at Bagno di Tiberio, which is a short distance from Marina Grande.

Ride the scenic chairlift.

The single-seater, open-air seggiovia, or chairlift, whisks non-acrophobic people from the center of Anacapri up to Monte Salario. Along the way, it offers views that are nothing short of jaw-dropping. Many riders choose to walk back down to town, but the ride back is just as stunning.

Splash out on a private boat ride.

Skip the cattle car boat tours of the island and the traffic jam at the Blue Grotto and opt for a private or semi-private day or half-day out with a boat and captain. Make sure there are stops for swimming and snorkeling, and that the prosecco and snacks are included. We recently booked through Get Your Guide, but there are scores of independent operators — ask your hotel to set you up.

Take a walk on the wild side.

“Spending time immersed in Capri’s natural beauty is a must,” Thayer said. “The walk to reach Villa Lysis, once the opulent and eccentric home of the French writer Jacques d’Adelswärd Fersen, takes you through a quiet part of the island, past little vegetable gardens and under soaring pine trees to one of the island’s most scenic spots. It’s another reason to plan a longer stay on Capri.”

Walk to the best view on the island.

“The walk along the kilometer-long bougainvillea-bordered Via Tragara is a must-do on the island,” DeBella said. “It ends at the Belvedere di Tragara, where the views of the Faraglioni are impossibly beautiful. Along the way, you’ll catch glimpses of lavish villas and luxury hotels.”

Best Shopping 

Y’AM Capri

“Capri and fashion go hand in hand,” Thayer said, “and Capri-born designer Valeria De Gregorio captures the vibrancy and elegance of the island in her designs for Y’AM Capri. Don’t miss her colorful boutique not far from the Piazzetta.”

Fiore Capri

A purchase here, from made-to-order sandals to signature bags or a stretch silk dress is an investment, for sure, but one that pays dividends. “Fiore Capri has unique offerings that compliment your stay on Capri,” Strong said, “and style that translates to any beach destination.”

Chantecler

There are some amazing jewelry designs here, including little baubles like La Campanella, the signature bell-shaped, gem-studded symbol of Capri. Strong calls Chantecler a “candy box of assorted (jeweled) chocolates. You’ll be hard-pressed not to find something that puts a sparkle in your eye.”

Best Restaurants

Pulalli

“As far as locations go, it doesn’t get more iconic than dining under Capri’s belltower in the Piazzetta,” Thayer said. “Pulalli is a delightfully hidden in plain sight setting with a bird’s-eye view over the buzzing square below and a menu that’s as far from ‘touristy’ as one can get.” She’s a fan of the seared octopus with grass pea hummus, sumac, and Capri-grown microgreens, paired with a crisp Capri white wine or their classic limoncello spritz.

Giardino di Capri

Though not a restaurant per se, Anacapri cooking school Giardino di Capri offers private tasting and dinners, as well as gelato, sorbet, and limoncello-making workshops, cheese and wine tasting, picnic baskets, and more. DeBella told T+L that chef Gianluca Michelangelo and his wife Holly, along with their two children, “are a delight to know.”

Pescheria Le Bottega

As an alternative to pricey Capri dining, DeBella ducks into this Carpi-town hole-in-the-wall for fresh seafood to dine in or take away. “My favorite is a paper cone, or coppetta, of deep-fried seafood and vegetables to enjoy while window-shopping,” DeBella said.

Da Paolino

For a special evening, head down to this enchanting fine-dining restaurant in Marina Grande. “There’s a magical setting under a lemon arbor, with to-die-for food served in traditional Italian style,” Strong told T+L.

Due Pini

With tables set on a series of open-air terraces overlooking Anacapri’s pretty Piazza Vittoria, this long-established restaurant serves traditional island dishes, with a focus on seafood and ingredients sourced from their own garden and the broader Campania region. 

Best Time to Visit

Summer is the peak season in Capri when beaches, narrow lanes, buses, and funiculars swell with crowds. But as DeBelle points out, most hotels and businesses on the island are open from about mid-April to around mid-October, so the window of opportunity to visit is quite short. “I personally prefer visiting in early April, when the weather is mild and crowds are sparse,” DeBelle said.

Late April is Thayer’s favorite time slot “when trees and flowers are in bloom and the air is even sweeter.” DeBella also likes fall, with a caveat: “If a storm blows through, it can cause choppy conditions which could suspend ferry service to the mainland. If that happens, you could be stuck on the island for days.”

How to Get There

Unless you’re arriving by helicopter, there’s one way to get to Capri: by sea. There are daily, frequent ferries to and from Naples and Sorrento to Marina Grande, the island’s main port. Season service (April-October) is offered from Salerno, Ischia, Amalfi town, Positano, and other towns on the Amalfi Coast. Play it safe, and book your ferry crossing well in advance. Capri.net also has a whole page of private transfer options. You can expect to pay around €30 (about $32) per person for a ferry and about €800 (roughly $870) and up for a private group transfer.

Neighborhoods to Know

Capri Town: The larger of the two main towns on the island, Capri and its principal piazza, the Piazzetta, are many visitors’ first point of reference. There’s a concentration of hotels, restaurants, shops, and tourists here, all among a snug network of pretty, pedestrian-only pathways. The walks up to Villa Jovis, to the Belvedere di Tragara and the Giardini di Augusto terraced botanical gardens all start here.

Anacapri: Smaller, and, once upon a time quieter Anacapri is reached by bus or taxi from Capri. Despite a flurry of newish hotels and restaurants in the last decade or so, Anacapri still has a more laid-back vibe and slightly more local feel than its more populous, glamorous sister town of Capri.

Marina Grande: The island’s small port town has a smattering of hotels and restaurants, and the island’s only sand beach. Boats depart from here for island tours, including to the famous Blue Grotto and other smaller grottoes and coves. 

How to Get Around

Funicular: From Marina Grande, Capri’s famous funicular carries guests up to the Piazetta of Capri town. The cost is only €2.40 (about $2.50) and it runs roughly every 15 minutes from 6:30 am to 11 pm. Note: during peak season, the wait to go up to town can be busy.

Bus: Capri’s cute little mini-buses connect Marina Grande to Capri town and Anacapri, and Capri to Marina Piccola and Anacapri. For the latter, stand in the back of the bus for some cheap thrills. Bus tickets are also €2.40, and lines can be similarly dense.

Taxi: Cabs wait at the port and in both towns and cost about €20 (about $22) for a ride to most parts of the island. Non-residents are not allowed to bring cars to Capri, so skip the rental car. Scooter rentals are available and are a fun way to get around the island.