Capri Day Cruise from Vico Equense, Castellammare or Pompeii

From Pompeii and Vico Equense across the Bay of Naples

The day starts on the stretch of coast that links Pompeii, Castellammare di Stabia and Vico Equense, at the foot of the Sorrento peninsula. Castellammare stands on the site of ancient Stabiae, whose Roman villas were buried with Pompeii in the eruption of 79 AD, while Vico Equense is a quieter seaside town on cliffs above the water. On the pickup options you are collected in the area and transferred to the port by coach in about fifteen minutes.

The crossing to Capri takes about forty minutes. Looking back you see the great cone of Vesuvius, which last erupted in 1944, rising above the towns of the bay, and to your left the green ridges of the Sorrento coast running out towards Punta Campanella. For travellers staying near Pompeii, this is one of the easiest ways to plan a Capri day trip from Pompeii without first travelling to Naples or Sorrento.

The Faraglioni rocks of Capri

The Faraglioni are the three limestone stacks that rise from the sea off the south-east tip of Capri and have become the symbol of the island. The one nearest the shore is joined to the land, the middle one is pierced by a natural tunnel wide enough for small boats, and the outer one is the habitat of a rare blue lizard found nowhere else. Some of them stand more than one hundred metres high.

On the boat tour around the island, the tour leader explains their story and the legends attached to them, and the boat passes beneath the arch of the middle stack when the sea allows. It is the classic Capri photo, and seeing the Faraglioni from the water gives a sense of scale that you cannot get from the viewpoints above.

Grottoes, Marina Piccola and the Punta Carena lighthouse

The coast of Capri is riddled with limestone caves. On this cruise you pass the White Grotto, named after the pale deposits on its walls, and the Green Grotto, where the light reflected through the water paints the rock emerald green. The boat follows the south side to Marina Piccola, a small bay of pebble beaches and bathing platforms beneath the cliffs, and continues to the Punta Carena lighthouse on the south-west tip, built in the nineteenth century and still one of the most important lights in Italy.

On the swim options the boat stops at Marina Piccola for about thirty minutes so you can jump into the clear water. Without the swim stop, you enjoy the same tour of the coast from on board. Either way, it is the best way to understand how to see Capri's coastline in a short time.

Capri town, the Piazzetta and the Gardens of Augustus

After the boat tour you land at Marina Grande, the main harbour, and have about five and a half hours of free time. From the port the funicular railway climbs to Capri town in a few minutes, arriving next to the Piazzetta, the small square with its clock tower and café tables that is the social heart of the island. Narrow lanes lined with white houses and boutiques lead from here in every direction.

A ten-minute walk away are the Gardens of Augustus, terraces of flowers and pines named after the Roman emperor who loved the island. From the balconies you look straight down onto the Faraglioni and Marina Piccola, with a zigzag footpath winding down the cliff. The tour leader gives you a map and tips so you can plan the hours on the island in the way that suits you best.

Anacapri and Monte Solaro

Higher up, on the western part of the island, lies Anacapri, a calmer village of whitewashed houses, small churches and lemon gardens, reached by local bus or taxi from the port. Its historic centre is pleasant for a slow lunch and a walk away from the crowds of Capri town.

From Anacapri a single-seat chairlift rises to the top of Monte Solaro, at 589 metres the highest point of the island, in about a quarter of an hour. The panorama takes in the Faraglioni, the Bay of Naples, Vesuvius and on clear days the Amalfi coast. The chairlift and local transport are paid separately on the day; with over five hours of free time, there is enough time to combine Capri town and Anacapri if you plan well.