Private Capri Boat Tour from Positano, Sorrento or Naples

The crossing from Positano to Capri

How do you get to Capri from Positano? Public ferries run in season, but they follow fixed timetables and land you in the busy port. On this private Capri boat tour your skipper meets you at the Positano marina at about 10:00 and heads west along the coast, a crossing of roughly an hour depending on the sea, with stops wherever you want photographs.

The route passes the Li Galli islands, a small private archipelago shaped like a dolphin, and then the cliffs of Punta Campanella, the tip of the Sorrento peninsula and the heart of a protected marine area. On calm days the skipper may stop in the Bay of Ieranto, a wild green cove with turquoise water. Then Capri rises ahead, its limestone walls dropping almost vertically into the sea.

The Faraglioni and the south coast

The Faraglioni are Capri's emblem: three limestone stacks rising from the sea off the south-east of the island. The middle one is pierced by a natural tunnel wide enough for a small boat, and passing beneath it is the classic moment of any Capri day trip from Positano. The outer stack is the only known habitat of a rare blue lizard.

Along the south coast the boat glides past Marina Piccola and the Green Grotto, where sunlight turns the water a deep emerald, and the White Grotto with its pale limestone formations. Your skipper slows down for photos, explains the stories behind each cave and finds the calmest spot for your first swim of the day, often in a cove that can only be reached from the sea.

The Blue Grotto

The Blue Grotto on the island's north-west coast is the most famous sea cave in the Mediterranean. Sunlight enters through an underwater opening and lights the inside with an intense silver-blue glow. Visitors transfer from larger boats to small rowing boats and lie back to pass through the low entrance, barely a metre high, before the cave opens into a wide chamber.

Is the Blue Grotto worth visiting? On a calm day it is magical, but the queue of boats can be long in summer and the cave closes when the sea is rough. Blue Grotto opening hours are generally from morning to late afternoon in season, always weather permitting. Your skipper takes you close to the entrance; the entry itself is paid on the spot and is optional.

Lighthouse, cliffs and the north coast

Continuing round the island, the boat passes Punta Carena, the lighthouse on Capri's south-west tip, where the rocks are popular for swimming, and the steep cliffs of Anacapri on the western side. To the east, the cliffs beneath the ruins of an imperial Roman villa drop more than three hundred metres to the sea, a reminder that Capri was a retreat for the rulers of ancient Rome.

The north coast looks towards the Bay of Naples and Vesuvius, with the old Roman baths near Marina Grande. Here your skipper can let you ashore if you would like to take the funicular up to the little square of Capri town; the landing fee is paid locally. Otherwise you stay on board for another swim and a snack before the cruise back.

Swimming, snorkelling and the return to Positano

For many guests the best part of the day is simply jumping into the clearest water of the coast. The boat carries snorkelling masks and beach towels, and your skipper chooses sheltered spots according to the wind, where you can see fish, sea urchins and the colours of the rocky seabed. Soft drinks, water and snacks keep everyone going between stops.

The best time to visit Capri by boat is from May to early October, when the sea is warm and calm; June and September are perfect, with fewer boats than in August. In the afternoon you cruise back along the coast to Positano, arriving about seven hours after departure, often with the village glowing in the late light.