THE ISLAND BEYOND THE CAVE
Capri Beyond the Blue Grotto: What Else to See
The Blue Grotto gets the headlines, but Capri is a whole island of clifftop towns, a mountain chairlift and legendary rock stacks worth exploring beyond it.
See Capri boat tours on GetYourGuide ↗Anacapri, the quieter twin town
Most visitors land at Marina Grande and head straight for Capri town, but the island actually has two towns. Anacapri sits higher up the slopes, reached by a winding road or a bus, and moves at a noticeably slower pace than the boutique-lined streets below. It's home to Villa San Michele, the former home of Swedish physician and writer Axel Munthe, built over the ruins of a Roman villa and surrounded by gardens with sweeping views back down over the Bay of Naples — a good half-day away from the crowds around the port and the Piazzetta.
A chairlift to the island's highest point
From Anacapri, a single-seat chairlift climbs to the summit of Monte Solaro, the highest point on Capri, gliding slowly over vineyards, rock and scrub on the way up. The ride itself takes a little over ten minutes, and the summit opens onto views across the entire island, the Sorrentine Peninsula and, on a clear day, toward the Amalfi Coast. There's a small café at the top for a coffee or a cold drink before the ride back down. It's a low-effort way to see the shape of the whole island at once — the same coastline the boat tours trace at sea level, seen instead from directly above.
The Faraglioni, Capri's other icon
Just off the island's south-eastern coast stand the Faraglioni, three dramatic limestone stacks rising straight out of the sea, which rank alongside the Blue Grotto as Capri's most photographed sight. Boats can pass through the channel of the middle stack, and local legend holds that a rare blue lizard, found only here, lives on the rocks of one of them. They can be seen from viewpoints in Capri town as well as from the water, and swimming near their base — where boats allow it — is one of the clearest, most striking spots around the island.
The Piazzetta, Capri's tiny stage
Capri town's social centre is absurdly small for its reputation — the Piazzetta is a compact square, really just a widened junction, ringed by cafés with prime people-watching seats and a clocktower overlooking it all. Since the mid-20th century it's drawn writers, film stars and the wealthy simply to sit, be seen and watch the island's evening promenade pass by, a role it still plays today. It's not a sight in the traditional sense so much as a piece of living Capri culture — worth an espresso or a slow drink even if you never buy anything else on the island.
Gardens and a former monastery
Two quieter stops sit within easy walking distance of Capri town's centre. The Giardini di Augusto are terraced gardens clinging to the cliffside, ending at a viewpoint over the switchback road down to Marina Piccola and, often, the Faraglioni in the distance. Nearby, the Certosa di San Giacomo is a 14th-century Carthusian monastery, its cloisters and church now open to visitors and occasionally hosting exhibitions. Both are free or low-cost, far less crowded than the main boat harbours, and offer some of the best still photographs of the island's cliffs and coastline.
More things to do nearby
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