The dreamland that’s the Capri Island

A dreamer’s paradise –amidst villas, historical monuments, museums and the deep blue sea, is what the Capri Island is really about.

Location

Spread over an area of 10.4 square kilometers in the Tyrrhenian Sea in Italy, is Campania region’s largest city- the Capri Island in Naples province.

Weather

Summers are the peak tourist seasons here.  Nevertheless, there are some events and attractions going all throughout the year.

How to reach Capri Island

The Island of Capri is well connected with important domestic and international destinations through the Capodichino Airport, Naples. Important airlines like the British Airways serve here. There are plenty of bus services as well as taxis that take you to Piazza Municipo or the Beverello Harbour from the airport.

Beverello Harbour, is where hydrofoils and jetfoils land for the island. Another port here is the Calata Porta di Massa Harbour.

Attractions in Capri Island

The pretty Tragara road leads to Belvedere and the Faraglioni. The place is a reminiscent of the Greek colonial era.

The 589 meters high Monte Solaro gives magnificent views of the Capri Island, the Bay of Naples, the Bay of Salerno and Ischia. Climb up the mountain or use a chairlift. On your way down, there’s Cetrella hermitage dating back to the 14th century – founded by Carthusian monks. Another site here is the house of Scottish writer Compton Mackenzie, restored recently as a centre of study of local flora and fauna.

The Punta Carena and Faro in the Island’s west, the lighthouse built centuries ago is Italy’s second largest lighthouse after the Genoa’s lighthouse.

The Casa Rosa, a house built between 1876 and 1898 by the American Colonel JC Mackowen, today hosts painting exhibitions that depict the island in the 19th and the 20th century. Villa Lusis is another cultural center originally built as a residence in 1905.

At the outskirts of Anacapri is The Capri Philosophy Park.  Founded in 2000 by Swedish professor Gunnar Adler and his wife, it has small tablets with quotes by 60 western philosophers. Another attraction here is 327 meters above the sea level – the villa San Michele, whose ruins such as a Cosmati style table are now found in its garden.

At Punta Masullo is Villa Malaparte, built by architect Adalberto Libera. At Mount Tibero is another significant Villa over 7000 square kilometers – Villa Jovis, dating back to First century AD. The villa’s centre was used to house cisterns designed to collect rainwater. Many of the findings of the villa are preserved at the Archaeological Museum of Naples, the St. Stefano Church and St. Salvatore church.

The Augustus Gardens is near Via Krupp. Close-by is the Carthusian cemetery founded by Count Giacomo Arucci in 1371. The Charterhouse of St Giacomo, again an Arucci find, houses large Roman Age statues recovered form Blue Grotta in 1964, canvasses by German painter Wilhelm Diefenbach and a communal library. The ruins of Villa Damecuta are another of the 12 imperial villas in the island of Capri.

Cave La Groutta Azzurra or the Blue Grotto is another must-see site here. Small rowing boats take you through the cave’s narrow opening. At the bottom are the statues of pagan gods belonging to the Roman times. The Arco Naturale, the Pizzolungo, the Matermania Grotto and the Arsenal Grotto behind the Augustus Gardens are other caves worth exploring.

Of the significant towers and forts built in Island’s defense, are forts of Pino, Orrico and Campetiello were built by the English in 1806, the Mesola Fort, Damecuta fort and the La Guardia towers.

Walk down the La Migliera route, amidst ruins of imperial buildings, built in the Roman times to link Capodimonte to Migliera belvedere and with ruins of imperial buildings around.

What you should also enjoy here is the calmness of the Mediterranean Sea that surrounds the Capri Island.