What is Capri known for?

Roman emperor who moved permanently to Capri in AD 27 and ruled the empire from twelve villas across the island until his death in AD 37. Three limestone stacks off the southern coast, the central Mezzo pierced by a tunnel, the visual emblem of the island. Piazza Umberto I, the small social center of Capri town, where café tables and the clock tower frame island life since 1907.

Campania · Napoli

Capri

The 142-meter Tyrrhenian island town where Tiberius governed Rome for a decade from twelve villas above limestone cliffs.

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Nearest hub

6,804

Population

May–Sep

Best time to visit

Why come

Capri sitsabove the Marina Grande harbor on the eastern half of the four-square-kilometer island that bears its name, divided between two communes. The town wraps around the Piazzetta, formally Piazza Umberto I, the social center of the island since the funicular replaced the donkey path in 1907. Tiberius ruled the Roman Empire from here for the last ten years of his life, from twelve villas that Tacitus counted; the ruins of Villa Jovis still stand on the northeastern cape. The Faraglioni, three limestone stacks off the southern coast, rise to 109 meters; the middle one has an arched tunnel through it. Capri is overwhelmed by day-trippers from June through September. After the last ferry leaves at six in the evening the island returns to its six thousand residents, and the Belvedere of Tragara becomes quiet again.

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Gallery

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Known for

Villa Jovis
Ruins of Tiberius's imperial villa on Monte Tiberio at 334 meters, the largest of his twelve Capri villas, abandoned after AD 37.
Piazzetta (Piazza Umberto I)
Small square at the heart of Capri town, social hub of the island since 1907 when the funicular replaced the donkey path.
Belvedere di Tragara
Panoramic terrace at the end of Via Tragara, looking down on the three Faraglioni stacks rising from the southern sea.
Faraglioni
Three limestone sea stacks, Stella, Mezzo and Scopolo, the central one pierced by an arched tunnel rowable by small boat.
Giardini di Augusto
Terraced gardens above the Marina Piccola, with the best lookout over the Faraglioni and the switchback Via Krupp below.
Grotta Azzurra
Sea cave on the northwestern coast where light entering underwater turns the interior an electric blue, reached by rowboat.

When to visit

Best months · May–Sep

Best
Hot or crowded
Quiet
Mostly closed

May and early June are the best weeks: the gardens are in bloom, the sea is warm enough to swim, and the day-tripper volume hasn't peaked. July and August are saturated with ferry traffic and tour groups; the Piazzetta is unwalkable between ten and four. September and early October return the island to a calmer pace with water still swimmable. November through March many hotels close and the ferry schedule shrinks to a handful of crossings a day. The light on the Faraglioni in October is the best of the year. After the last evening boat leaves Marina Grande, the town belongs to its residents again.