A glimpse of Capri, the isle extraordinaire

Sun, 03/09/2008 12:43 PM  |  Travel

Pull on your Capri pants and let's head to this Italian resort island, located off the Sorrentine Peninsula on the south of the Gulf of Naples.

Yes, this gorgeous island lent its name to those pants, which were first popular there in the late 1950s and early 1960s.

Why did I decide to go to this island? A high panoramic promenade lined with splashy white villas, the limestone masses that stand out of the sea (the Fragalioni rocks), the famous Blue Grotto (Grotta Azzurra), the ruins of imperial Roman villas, and the fact that Hollywood A-listers frequent this spot!

A little history for you: Capri was a favored resort of the Roman emperors. Most notoriously, legend has it that the Emperor Tiberius had his villa on the island, the location supposedly of debauched orgies. (This info was enough to get me stoked).

Capri is in the region of Campania, the province of Naples (Napoli in Italian). Don't let the fact that it is part of Naples, infamous as one of Italy's filthiest cities with a high crime rate, throw you.

In the latter half of the 19th century, Capri became a popular resort for European artists, scribes and celebrities. Central Capri is dotted with luxury boutiques and ridiculously expensive restaurants -- though its modest village architecture is still preserved.

I took a ferry from Naples to get here in about an hour, docking at Marina Grande. I was greeted by an enthralling view of rows of colorful buildings on green hills.

Capri is well served by a public transportation system that reaches all areas accessible by road. It is worth remembering that much of the island is dedicated to pedestrian areas. You can definitely cruise the center of Capri on foot.

If you head for the center, like I did, take the funicular railway. It is a train that slides through lemon groves, linking Marina Grande to La Piazzetta in minutes.

The Piazzetta is basically the center of the island. All those arriving in Capri have to pass through the narrow passages left between the tables outside the various bars and restaurants.

Here are the town's newsagents, the tourist office and, up a narrow stairway clinging to the clock tower, a public telephone with internet connection.

Minutes from the Piazzetta, on the south side of Capri, lies the bay of Marina Piccolo. Here you will find the legendary Scoglio delle Sirene, which divides the inlet into two distinct bays: Marina di Pennauro (to the left) and Marina di Mulo (to the right).

The bay is now part of a fashionable area with a number of bathing establishments. During the summer, boats sail back and forth carrying passengers between the small wharf of the Scoglio delle Sirene and the Faraglioni rocks.

The view of these rocks is commonly found on postcards across Italy. The Faraglioni are three blocks of rock that have survived coastal landslides, erosion by the sea and all manner of atmospheric corrosion.

The first, which is still attached to the land, is called Stella. The second, separated from the first block by a stretch of sea, is called Faraglione di Mezzo. And the third is Faraglioni di Fuori (or the head stretching into the sea).

There are guided tours and excursions to the caves or Grotta Azzurra -- which unfortunately I had no time to take.

--Tony Hotland

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