Capri Island and Grottos Small Group Boat Cruise

Marina Grande and your boat

The cruise starts at Marina Grande, the busy main port of Capri where ferries arrive from Naples and Sorrento. Your small boat is a traditional-style Capri boat, low enough to move close to the cliffs and slip into openings that large vessels cannot reach. With a maximum of twelve guests, everyone has a good view and can hear the crew.

Many visitors search for a Capri boat tour and wonder how long they need. Two hours is enough to circle the island and see the main sights from the water, which makes this cruise a good complement to a walk on land or a visit to the town.

The sea grottos: Marvellous, White and Green

Capri's limestone coast is full of caves cut by the sea. The Marvellous Grotto is known for its bright, glittering rock; the White Grotto takes its name from the pale limestone that lines it; and the Green Grotto, with its emerald light, is one of the most photogenic caves on the island.

Your skipper takes the boat carefully into the openings when the sea allows, and the crew explain how the caves formed and the legends attached to them. Please remember that the Blue Grotto is a separate visit and is not part of this cruise.

The natural arch, Casa Malaparte and the Faraglioni

Beyond the caves the cruise passes the Natural Arch, a rock bridge left by a collapsed cave, and Casa Malaparte, a striking red modernist house built in the 1930s on a rock over the sea for the writer Curzio Malaparte. Its position is remarkable, and it can only be seen properly from the water.

The highlight is the Faraglioni, three rock stacks more than a hundred metres high that stand just off the south-east coast and are the symbol of Capri. A Faraglioni boat trip shows their full height and, when conditions allow, the boat may pass through the arch of the middle stack. If the sea is calm the skipper may pause for a swim, so bring swimwear.

Planning your cruise and the best time to visit Capri

Because this cruise is short, it fits easily into a day on Capri: do it in the morning for calmer water, then spend the afternoon in Anacapri or the town. The best time to visit Capri is late spring or early autumn, when the sea is pleasant and the crowds are lighter, and the booking panel shows the departure times available.

Bring a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen, as there is little shade on the water, and a light layer for the breeze. Snorkelling equipment is not included, so bring your own if you want to swim and look at the fish.