Client questions: Capri

I’ve been working on a few Amalfi Coast itineraries that include Capri, and have received some good questions from clients. Since I’m working on autumn 2013 departures as well as a few summer 2014 trips, writing a blog post about advice I’m giving my clients anyway is easy. If you like Client Questions, let me know in the comments and I am happy to publish more of them.

Some of the itineraries I’m working on include overnights on Capri and some travelers are just visiting on day trips so I took a few questions from each.

Can you recommend a sandy beach on Capri?

Capri is known for its rocky seaside scenery, but does have some pretty sandy beaches. Two beaches on Capri (link in Italian) have earned the Blue Flag designation for 2013, a prestigious award given to beaches that comply with 32 criteria related to quality, safety and the environment. One of those is the beach at Gradola (the other is the main port of Marina Grande). It’s in Anacapri, on the other side of the island, but if you want to see the Grotta Azzurra, you’ll be heading there anyway.

Can you recommend a lunch spot on Capri?

After spending the morning at Gradola beach, you should eat at the wonderful restaurant that is right there – fittingly called Gradola.  And Capri has some nice hiking trails that start nearby.

We want to visit Pompeii but we’re not sure whether we should do it as a day trip from Capri or from the town of Amalfi. What’s your advice?

The best base for visiting Pompeii is Sorrento, though Naples works well too. Doing a day trip while you’re based on Capri or in Amalfi town is possible, but it’s a time/money tradeoff.

From the town of Amalfi, you could hire a driver and get to Pompeii in about an hour, for a cost of about 80 EUR. Though note: if you ask the driver to take you round trip, he will sit and wait for you while you visit Pompeii which will (at least) triple or quadruple his quote, so just book him one way. Or, you could take public transportation to Pompeii from Amalfi: start with the 80 minute bus ride to Sorrento, then take the Circumvesuviana train from Sorrento to Pompeii – another 25 minutes or so. It’s easy and straightforward, so I would actually recommend using public transportation on the way back to Amalfi. For the way there, it’s better to get there early to avoid crowds and the heat, which is why getting a driver is a good option.

From Capri, the hydrofoil is only a 20 minute ride to Sorrento and then you could take the Circumvesuviana train to Pompeii. But bear in mind that the Sorrento-Capri hydrofoil tickets cost about $20 per person each way, so this isn’t a cheap option.  You should also allow about 20 minutes to get from the boat dock to the train station in Sorrento (a walk that starts with a long flight of stairs) so by the time you factor in hotel to boat; boat to Sorrento; boat dock to train; train to Pompeii, this isn’t a fast option either.

In summary, my advice would be to visit Pompeii while you’re based in Amalfi. Let’s book a driver for the way there and you can use public transportation for the way back, stopping in Sorrento for a gelato.

“Via Krupp” by Dennis Jarvis licensed under (CC BY-SA 2.0)

What’s the best way to get from Capri to Anacapri?

You could take the bus, which is easy. Or you could walk the Phoenician Steps – pictured above – a historically important path of 800 steps with spectacular views.

Are there direct boats from the town of Amalfi to Capri or do I have to go via Sorrento?

Yes in high season there are direct boats between Capri and Naples, Sorrento, Amalfi, Positano, Castellammare, and Salerno. You can check all the Capri boat schedules here.

We want to spend the day on Capri and take the boat back after dinner. What time is the last boat?

Sorry, the ferries don’t depart Capri that late. Italian dinner time starts at 7.30 pm at the earliest and that is right around the time the last scheduled boats depart from Capri. If you want to have dinner on the island you need to stay overnight or we can have a private boat take you back.

Gradola photo from Capri.net; Phoenician Steps by Dennis Jarvis