The Guide To Capri: Where To Eat, Sleep And Sunbathe On The Mystical Island

The mystical, magical island of Capri has bewitched visitors for centuries. Located off the Bay of Naples, the island sits like a generous dollop of volcanic rock in the Tyrrhenian Sea. Small, steep, and cliff-laden, the landscape allows visitors to feel as though they’re suspended between two blue ethers – a sparkling sea of cobalt and an endless sky. As for the terrain, it’s blanketed with Mediterranean shrubs, blooming Broom flowers, Bougainvillea, and lemon trees. The citrus has become something of a motif of the island; lemon stands, lemon granitas, limoncello, and lemon-printed fashions abound on Capri.

The island’s allure is well-documented and somewhat subversive. In Homer’s Odyssey, the nearby waters were inhabited by the Sirens, who beckoned sailors to their deaths. The second Roman emperor, Tiberius Caesar Augustus, is remembered for fleeing Rome for Capri, where he built palaces and infrastructure but also shirked his responsibilities and infamously took up wildly hedonistic and grotesque pursuits. And in Jean-Luc Godard’s Contempt, Brigette Bardot’s character, departing Capri’s architectural marvel Casa Malaparte (more on this below), meets an untimely fate.

But on your visit, you’re more likely to experience la dolce vita. References to this are just as plentiful. Think of Jackie Kennedy Onassis on the island wearing, yes, capris. Then there’s the Capri-rich oeuvre of Slim Aarons; his photo of the sunbathing beauties stacked poolside in the Le Corbusier-inspired Punta Tragara comes to mind. And for the fashion set, there’s model Bianca Balti in a white bikini, bobbing in a boat near the arched Faraglioni rock formations in Dolce andamp; Gabbana’s memorable commercials for the fragrance Light Blue. No matter what image you have in your mind’s eye, Capri is one of the few destinations where reality exceeds expectations.

On the island, layers of history are embedded within the craggy limestone rock foundations. Roman ruins, 19th-century holiday homes, Medieval stone foot baths, and modern-day megayachts all dazzlingly co-exist together; the island’s natural beauty is amplified by the effortless sprezzatura of the habitués. Here, you feel as though you’re sampling a taste of a bygone jet-set holiday – Mr.Ripley was nearby in Positano, after all. The dress code is as understated as a white linen button-up. The cuisine is perfectly simplistic – fish filets with a squeeze of lemon. And the moments are unrushed. As you whiz around the island in an open-air taxi with a canvas canopy, you’ll feel transported in more ways than one. A day spent bobbing in the sea, so salty it’ll leave crystals on your skin, melds into a viewing of the sunset, which will ignite the sky and give you the impression that, off in the distance, Ischia is simmering.

A journey to Capri likely starts in Naples, where about an hour-long boat ride will take you to one of two ports, Marina Grande (serving ferries) and Marina Piccola (serving yachts and boats). There are also two main towns on the island: Capri and Anacapri. Note that the narrow, serpentine streets of “downtown” Capri don’t accommodate cars, so you’ll have to plan ahead to get your luggage to your destination. Your hotel will be able to facilitate a port-to-hotel transfer and if you’re staying somewhere without a concierge, the city operates a luggage porter system. All these and more tips for Capri, are below.

Where to stay

Within a few moments spent on Capri, you’ll learn it’s all about the views – some of the best to be found are at Hotel Luna. Family-operated, the hotel, which is about a 10-minute walk from Capri’s Piazzetta, is perched on a bluff that offers awe-inspiring views of the Faraglioni rock formations. Most rooms, which are outfitted with glossy painted tiles evocative of Capri, offer a sea vista, and there is also a rooftop restaurant, the Capri Rooftop Lounge Bar, which picks up after the sun sets. Family-friendly, the hotel’s second greatest attraction is its pool – Olympic-sized with sea and garden views. Spend the day poolside where you can have a proper alfresco lunch at the hotel’s second restaurant.

Located in Anacapri, Jumeirah Capri Palace can be found at the base of Mount Solaro. It’s one of the island’s more impressive hotels, equipped with a serious spa and three Michelin stars. The approach to the hotel features a vine-covered walkway and once you arrive, you’ll find yourself on a terrace offering views of nearby Ischia. Rooms are done up in a very Capri color scheme of blue and white – milky ceramic tiles feature blue motifs, and blanched white linen upholstery adds a crispness. Don’t miss the celebrated L’Olivo restaurant and the bar, which is home to a video installation by the artist Fabrizio Plessi that glows in a color inspired by the island’s famed Blue Grotto. Off-site, the Jumeirah Capri Palace also operates Il Riccio, which is the world’s only Michelin-starred beach club (more on that below).

If heaven is a place on earth, it’s Caesar Augustus. Located in Anacapri, the hotel is about as good as it gets. Built in 1850, the property was originally known as Villa Bitter, the holiday home of a German gentleman. Today, the Victorian villa vibes remain; guests will feel more like a guest of a stately home than a hotel. With 49 beautiful bedrooms and 6 suites, the Caesar Augustus’s allure lies in its situation – on a cliff that gives the impression of being suspended over the sea. Painted a lovely pale yellow, the villa is known for its white and yellow-striped awnings and a terrace lined with classical sculptures perched atop a balustrade rail. Keeping watch is a statue of Caesar Augustus (not his stepson Tiberius); a photo here is almost required.