Exploring Italy- Venice to Rome

A perfect day in Capri, especially in the summer, starts with a boat ride around the island. With a circumference of only 10 miles, you can make the full loop around in a 3 hour cruise and still have time to stop and enjoy the highlights along the way. We opted for a private boat charter and were more than happy that we had as we watched dozens of boats pass by, many of them crowded with travelers. Our skipper, Maximo, asked if we needed to stop at the Blue Grotto, saying the wait could be up to an hour. We decided instead to enjoy our time in less popular spots and have more time for swimming. Maximo took us past the coral cave, white grotto, natural arch and Punta Carena Lighthouse.

The highlight was definitely our swim stop, emerald green water deep enough to jump off the front of the boat. Maximo maneuvered us past a sea of boats to a quieter spot where we could swim without worry of other boat traffic. Mid swim an ice cream boat came by (think ice cream truck on the water) and I bought a lemon sorbet kept ice cold inside a frozen lemon- delicious!

The twins enjoyed relaxing on the front of the boat and dancing to tunes on the blue tooth speaker provided. I loved the water and reluctantly climbed back onboard when Maximo said we'd need to depart shortly if we wanted to make the full circumnavigation of the island. He proceeded to point out other highlights including ancient Roman ruins, his favorite beach, the town of Anacapri and more.

We probably could have stayed onboard all day! The boat tours are typically sold in 2-4 hour increments and 3 hours was about perfect if you want to allow time to see other highlights on the island and still make it back to the ferry. Still, I could also imagine skipping the rest of the island all together and just staying onboard. Samantha said it was one of the highlights of our whole trip!

After our fantastic cruise, we battled back through the heat to catch a local minibus up to the town of AnaCapri. After waiting a bit for the bus, we were already done with the heat and immediately dipped into the nearest restaurant for some lunch, water and air conditioning!

From there we felt refreshed to take the Monte Solaro chairlift to the highest point on the island for panoramic views in all directions. The chairlift itself is an experience- single chairs for one person that feel less secure than your typical Yo-Yo amusement ride, but somehow the charm outweighed our safety concerns. Once we reached the top, the view was definitely worth both the price and the sketchy chair ride. We looked down on the dots of boats lined up to see the Blue Grotto and admired Capri from above.

After the chair lift, we decided the bus schedule might push us a bit late for the ferry and opted instead for one of the scenic convertible taxis. Yes, they are expensive, but Samantha said the ride down from Anacapri to the port was even better than the chairlift- an experience in itself!

It's easy to get overwhelmed by the heat and crowds in Capri during the summer so here's a few tips to learn from our experiences and mistakes:

1. Take the earliest ferry you can manage comfortably to allow yourself plenty of time- though it's a small island things are spread out and you will find the time goes quickly. 
2. Pre book a boat tour of at least 3 hours. There's nothing like seeing Capri from the water, especially in the hot summer months!
3. Prepare for lines for the public buses, though they are less busy if a ferry hasn't recently arrived (if you plan a boat tour first, you can avoid the worst of the crowds). Consider an open air taxi for a treat