Capri Town

The island’s main town is a maze of shops and restaurants, many of which exhibit typical Mediterranean architecture. Its narrow streets and stairways are crossed by buttresses that support the charming whitewashed buildings. Capri Town is home to about 7,300 people.

Piazza Umberto I

If Capri Town is the heart of the island, then its main square, La Piazzetta, is its pulse. Outdoor cafés surround this social epicentre where celebrities rub elbows with eccentrics and other interesting characters. No visit to Capri is complete without having had a coffee or aperitivo at one of the piazza’s bars.

Church of San Stefano

Built by a master builder from Amalfi in 1683, this 17th c. baroque-style church is situated above Piazza Umberto I on the site of a former cathedral. Only the clock tower, which was the campanile of the earlier cathedral, remains.

Anacapri Town

Now considered the island’s second urban centre, Anacapri began its development in the 16th century as an agricultural, forestry and pastoral centre. It has always been less accessible than Capri Town due to its altitude (275 metres/902 feet above sea level), and its distance from both island ports. Today, Anacapri is home to about 6,000 people.

Church of San Michele

This baroque church in Anacapri Town was built between 1698 and 1719. The church is famous for its extraordinary floor of majolica tiles depicting the expulsion of Adam and Eve.

Marina Piccola

On the island’s south side is Marina Piccola (“little harbour”), at the base of Monte Solaro. In contrast to the chaos of the main port of Marina Grande, this docking area receives little traffic, so visitors can relax on the small pebble beaches. Look for the famous Siren’s Rock dedicated to the spot where mythical enchantresses seduced local fishermen, according to Roman legend.

Torre Damecuta

One of the many villas of the Roman Emperor Tiberius, the Torre Damecuta offers one of the island’s most incredible views. Still remaining beneath the medieval tower are the ruins of a smaller Roman residence and an alcove tucked into a cavern, which explains the roots of the villa’s name: domus means residence and cuta means cavern. The villa was covered in ash and abandoned following the Mount Vesuvius eruption in 79 AD.

Villa Jovis and Palazzo di Tiberio

Villa Jovis was the largest and perhaps most important of the 12 residences belonging to emperor Tiberius on Capri; from here he governed the Roman Empire during his final years (27-37 AD). Dominating the rocky spur of Monte Tiberio, the remaining walls and foundations give a good indication of the Imperial Palace’s former grandeur.

To the villa’s eastern side, on the summit of Monte Tiberio, is a tiny church, Santa Maria del Soccorso, from which there are spectacular views: Golfo di Napoli, the islands of Ischia and Procida, Mount Vesuvius, the Li Galli rocks (just off Positano) and part of the Golfo di Salemo. Nearby is the faro (lighthouse), once part of a messaging system of semaphores (signals) to Rome. Also noteworthy is the sheer cliff known as Salto di Tiberio; Tiberius is said to have hurled enemies and lovers he had grown tired off of this very cliff.

The Faraglioni

Just opposite Punta Tragara (a landing point used during Roman times) are three enormous rocks. Erosion has separated these limestone pinnacles from the island, thereby creating accessible caves, grottoes and fascinating natural archways. Two rare animals live on these isolated rocks: a blue-stomached lizard (Lacerta caerulea faraglionensis) and a “guffawing” seagull.

Arco Naturale

This dramatic, massive limestone archway evolved from centuries of marine erosion and dates to the Paleolithic age. It was originally a large grotto that penetrated the mountain.

Via dei Fortini

“The Pathway of the Forts” is a spectacular trail cut into the cliffs of Capri. A staircase magically appears as if carved into the rocky masses scattered off as far as the eyes can see.

With crystal clear turquoise waters to one side and rocky promontories on the other, the now-abandoned fortresses along the path were originally built for protection from Saracen raids and were later rebuilt by the British during the Napoleonic Wars of the early 1800s. This ‘undiscovered’ side of Capri affords you breathtaking views of the sea and the occasional odd goat along the trail for company.