The Story Behind the Travel Photo: Sailing to Capri
- Feb 25
- 5 min read
It sounds so adventurous: the Isle of Capri. It sounds like a deserted island in the middle of nowhere. It sounds like an uninhabited place known only to a privileged few.
Well, not quite. In fact, it was nothing like that at all. But it was fun, educational, touristy and yeah, somewhat adventurous.
We were staying in Praiano, on the Amalfi Coast in Italy. For us, the best way to get to Capri was to take a ferry from Positano which meant catching the bus from Praiano. We got the info from the tabacchi: the local tobacco, bus stop, convenience store. We needed to make sure we caught a bus that would get us to Positano in time for the ferry. Early was good, just in time was not...
The bus lets you off at what is the top road and then you go down, down, down to the main area of Positano. It really gives new meaning to the phrase "downtown." And if you're wondering what happens when you have to go back up? You can pay a person with Vespa or get some exercise. There are a few roads that do lead down the steep streets but it is almost pedestrian.
Once you're at the bottom, we figured out the timetable for the ferry, got to the dock and bought our round trip tickets, which did not include the tour to the Blue Grotto. That we would get once we got to Capri.
The trip currently takes between 30 and 60 minutes but I remember it being about 45 minutes. I am sure the boats have been updated since we went, so this makes sense. We chose the highest speed ferry for a few reasons: to get there quickly to maximize our time in Capri, to get back quickly so that we could have dinner in Positano and to spend less time on the trip itself because some members of our group were not too crazy about being on the boat (although we were about to get on another one for the Blue Grotto tour). Go figure.
The high speed boat was smooth, though. The weather was great, not too hot, not to cool, enough to wear long sleeves to shed our jackets and to enjoy the breeze up on the deck of the ferry. As with all round trip self-arranged excursions, the first thing you want to do is look at the timetable to determine which ferry you need to take back. We looked at the Blue Grotto tours, figured out we could take the tour, walk a little around Capri and get back to Positano for dinner. Since we left mid-morning, we plenty of time. It was going to be a great day in Capri.
Like many spots that want to cater to visitors, we saw the usual souvenir shops, touristy cafes and vendors as soon as we got off the ferry. We looked at all of the ones offering tours to the Grotto and looked at the boat first before we decided which to choose. Not all vendors are going to be crooks: they want to stay in good standing with the local authorities and they want you to recommend them to others. We selected one and we were on our way.
The boat took us around the side of the island that leads to the Grotta Azzura (Blue Grotto). It's literally a cave that reflects blue water. It's not the only blue grotto in the world but it's one of the most famous. You can look up all of the scientific reasons why the water is blue but I am sure the first thing people want to know if you can swim in it and the answer is no. It is a cave, subject to the whims of weather, including rough waters. Getting knocked up about around the cave, which probably has a very hard rock bottom, not sand, is. not only foolhardy, it can be life threatening. How do I fathom this? Well, apparently, way back in the Roman days, the water was much lower and it was used for swimming as well as a space for some statues. Some of these sculptures and/or their bases are in museums now. So, leave your swim suit in your bag and search out the real beaches around Capri. By the ways, those may have rocky or pebbly bottoms, so wear your water shoes.
Anyway, when your tour boat gets to the cave, you have to transfer to a rowboat. The entrance to the cave is very low, so low that you have to lay down in the rowboat as they are rowing you in. And yes, oh my goodness, they do sing "O Sole Mio" as the row you around once and then exit quickly. Honestly, there isn't much more to see and there is usually a long line of other sightseers waiting their turn. Keep your camera ready because there are no seconds in rowing you around the cave. The day we were there, the water was very rocky, making it hard to get a great photo with my regular camera. I tried to shift to my phone, but we were almost on our way out. Oh well, I think i need to go back!
What about the rest of the tour? Actually, it's quite nice. There may be some snacks and beverages for sale or it may be part of the tour. Most of the boats did not have a restroom, but that was a while ago, so some of the boats may be different and it was probably also the tour we chose. The tour guide was nice, knowledgeable as was the captain.
Along with the Grotto, look for the famous Faraglioni Rocks, large formations that literally rise up out of the sea. Made of limestone, you can actually sail right underneath and the boat can go slow enough that you can get photos before, during and after, unlike the rush through the Grotto.
There is also a cool looking lighthouse, Il Faro di Punta Carena or the Punta Carena Lighthouse. Going back to the 1860's, the distinctive color makes it visible during the day as well as the night and yeah, it still works. If you're on land, you can get to it via a road. However, you can't climb it, although the view from the bottom is probably spectacular. We didn't get to it by land, but yup, it's on our list for next time.
And the island? Well, Capri is technically part of Naples and it has towns: Capri and Anacapri (kind of convenient). Once you get to the island, you can get around by bus, taxi or plain old walking, which is what we did. It's a nice place to just relax for the day, you probably can spend the night if you want to, but we were able to walk around, climb one of its steep hills to one of the main streets, see the lighthouse, the rocks and the grotto. There are a couple of other main sites but those were the main ones. The next time I go, I would probably go to the Grotto again to get better photos, and then really try to see some of the island. It rises high enough to need a lighthouse, so the view must be nice. We saw of the view, but I know there are other spots to visit.
I know that every article ends with me wanting to go back. And when I go abroad, I do visit somewhere new more often than I return to places already explored. But this is one to return to, to explore more, to experience. to enjoy.
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