Italy: The Isle of Capri

Day trip to Capri Town

When leaving the Amalfi Coast, we decided to take a day trip to the Island of Capri before heading to Rome. I had heard it was absolutely breathtaking and have wanted to see it since my last backpacking trip, so I was pretty excited to finally make it there. Josh had been awhile back with his friend Nate but was excited to see it again with me.

We had our packs strapped on and hiked from Casa Palomba bright and early to the Maiori marina. We got on the daily ferry from Maiori to Capri.  It took about two hours to get there but the ride in itself felt like an excursion and was incredibly picturesque. The boat stayed fairly close to all the towns and stopped at Amalfi and Positano along the way to pickup other passengers. We were able to score a seat on the top deck and got a great breeze and view, I loved it! You could see Mt. Vesuvius in the distance, Sorrento, and Naples.

Passing through Positano

Capri is a very rocky, sheer island, and upon arriving I was wondering where the towns were, but they are actually pretty high up on the island.  Luckily you can take a tram to Capri town from the marina.

We got off the boat and dropped off our bags at a storage place for the day, then headed up the tram. From the top it was an incredible view, with a deep blue, crystal clear water, and had a great breeze.  The town was cute and well kept, but it was also extremely high end. I don’t think I have ever seen so many high-class boutiques, restaurants, hotels, and shopping stores in such a small space. It was also insanely crowded with tourist flooding the narrow streets, making it hard to get around, and tough to snap a picture because 10-15 others were snapping one right in front of you. We walked all through the streets and enjoyed the chaos at first, but it started to get old after a bit, especially because neither of us are big shoppers and we are living on a budget. Since gelato cures all, we got some delicious Nutella gelato to cool us off, and enjoyed the views.

After an overpriced and fairly average lunch, we decided it was time to get away from Louis Vuitton and Gucci and find somewhere to swim. We found a rocky beach near the marina and relaxed on the rocks for the rest of the afternoon until we left. We sat watching the boats come in and out and took turns swimming in the clear blue water.  It was much better hanging out there than in the crowded streets of the town.

All in all I’m glad we visited Capri. It was beautiful, but we were also spoiled by the relaxed feel of Maiori in the days prior. Comparing the two, Capri felt like a very congested, overpriced and touristy destination. Not necessarily the best place for a budget traveler to go, nor one who doesn’t care what name brand her purse is (I don’t even have a purse on this trip). I’m glad we saw it, but I don’t think we will be back.

Swimming at the rocky beach in Capri