Worth getting out of bed for
Highlights the best Capri has to offer, from art and culture to fun-packed activities; we've even found the most inspiring place to enjoy the views from.
- Viewpoint
- The highest spot is Mount Solaro at 1,932 feet. You can walk it, or take a (slightly scary and swaying) chairlift for €5 return, from Piazza della Vittoria in Anacapri.
- Arts and culture
- The Museo del Centro Caprense Ignazio Cerio (www.centrocaprense.it) has everything you need to know about the island's pre-history and early inhabitants. Villa Jovis (www.villajovis.it) is the ruin of one of three remaining palaces built by Emperor Tiberius. Visit Certosa di San Giacomo, a Carthusian monastery dating from the 14th century, for free. For a great view as well as Egyptian, Roman and Etruscan artefacts, go to the Villa San Michele, created by Swede Axel Munthe in 1889.
- Something for nothing
- The trekking is a real surprise here: a few minutes from the tourist centres will take you along paths bordered by wild flowers nodding out to sea. It's also an easy walk from Anacapri to the island's main tourist attraction, the Blue Grotto, and you'll have the satisfaction of avoiding the traffic jams. Pick up walking maps and routes from the tourist office at 59 Via G Orlandi (+39 081 837 1524).
- Shopping
- Like Milan in miniature. Designer boutiques are crammed into the tiny main shopping streets, Via Vittorio Emanuele and Via Camerelle: Gucci, Fendi, Prada, Cavalli. Trip into Canfora (www.canforacapri.com) for adorable handmade Capri sandals, as worn by Grace Kelly and Naomi Campbell. Carthusia Profumi (+39 081 837 0368; www.carthusia.com) has been distilling perfume since 1948, to recipes first created by monks in the 14th century.
- And...
- You should get out to sea, because many of Capri's coves aren't accessible by foot or car. Head to the Marina Grande or Marina Piccola, and pick up a hire boat with or without a guide. Sercomar Renting Boats (www.caprisub.com) offers various flash options to hire by the day or week.
Diary
- 27 April–1 May Rolex Capri Sailing Week is an annual event that turns Capri into a yachtie equivalent of Monaco at Grand Prix. July Sant'Antonio and San Constantino, patron saints of Anacapri and Capri Town, are celebrated with street processions, stalls and services. December–January The Capri Hollywood Film Festival (www.caprihollywood.com) is paparazzi heaven. Recalling the island's Fifties heyday, it might see you bumping shoulders with Anthony Minghella, Helen Mirren or Faye Dunaway.
