Capri has had a lot of practice being a beautiful island resort. It was the favourite retreat for Roman Emperors Augustus and Tiberius among others. Tiberius built several villas including Villa Jovis, one of the best preserved Roman villas in Italy. He lived on the island for the last ten years of his life, until 37AD.
We arrived by fast ferry from Naples on a lovely spring day. It is a 40 minute trip from the Volo Beverello wharf in the port of Naples.
The Funiculare is under repair so we took one of the tiny buses from Marina Grande that hurtle along the narrow street up to Piazzetta, the little square in the main centre of Capri.
After checking into our hotel we set off on foot to see the island. Some of the streets are impossibly narrow, but shops manage to squeeze themselves in.
Walking a little further along we passed a cactus garden. I’m not usually a fan, but this one could change my mind.
A cloud covered Anacapri for most of our visit, but it still looked dramatic.
It was also a little hazy looking down to Marina Piccola.
We stopped for lunch at a gorgeous restaurant with a view of Marina Piccola.
After lunch we walked past more beautiful hotels, gardens and shops.
Wisteria put on a good show along the way.
We took another minuscule bus up to Anacapri, the highest part of the island. This area is more quiet than the lower town. The mist meant that there were no good photos to be had from the top.
We wandered into the historical part of Anacapri and came upon the Red House. It looks old but it was built relatively recently, in 1876, by General John MacKowan from New Orleans. The house is an unusual mix of architectural styles. It is now a museum, but it wasn’t open.
A little further on is the much older Chiesa S Sofia dating from 1510. It has an interesting roof, with a newer addition in the form of a clock tower added in 1920.
There is a lovely piazza in front of the church.
Back in Capri the lights came on and people came out to shop and eat.
As you can see, there are some seriously narrow streets on Capri. Service vehicles have been designed especially for these streets.
The street cleaner is special too.
Capri is a gorgeous place, with much more to see than I had imagined. We will return to stay longer.