L'ISOLA DI CAPRI
- Hannah McDonald
- Jul 2, 2017
- 4 min read
Updated: Jun 10, 2022
Joey and Dad outshone us this morning by waking up nice and early for a run. A few hours later, we were packed and ready for our day at Capri, none of us knowing what to expect.
We walked down to the dock in the village where we boarded a boat. On a few waves, the boat caught air, sending our stomachs into our throats. Luckily, the four of us did okay and didn't get seasick. I'm not sure I can say the same for the rest of the passengers. On the ride over, the guide on the boat mentioned the madness of Capri. It could take up to two hours to get into Capri from the port on the public bus just because there are so many people in line. The guide informed us that the island has a population of 12,000 people, plus an additional 15,000 tourists each day. As a result, we chose to stick with the guide and use his bus service rather than explore on our own.
Approaching the island, we realized just how tall it is. The island drops off in cliffs, not sandy beaches. That wasn't what we expected, but it is unique and beautiful.
Getting off the boat, we realized the guide wasn't kidding. There were people everywhere and we hadn't even arrived in the town of Capri yet. The bus took us up the hill where we were dropped off in Capri. The streets were packed. I found that there is a ton of shopping and restaurants but not much else. The guide brought us down into Capri's garden. It was pretty, but the view was even prettier. You could see Capri's famous three rocks, which people were piling in for pictures. You could also see over into the island's fishing port. There's a path that winds up, and, apparently, some people choose to walk it. However, it looked gated off to me, and I think they would be crazy.
Leaving the garden, Dad stopped at a gelato shop for some sorbetto before continuing on. We proceeded to explore the pedestrian streets of Capri, which is mostly filled with stores. There weren't just regular stores though. It was very high end. If you're a shopper, this is a prime place.
Winding back out, through people, we returned to the bus meeting point and drove up to Anacapri. It's much less busy up there, but there's still a lot of people. Our guide, who lives in Anacapri, took us to a "local" spot for lunch. We aren't sure how local it really is though because it seems packed with tourists. Nonetheless, the food was good. I bet you can't guess what I got. Okay, maybe you can. It was gnocchi. Joey had a veggie pizza though that I tried and it was delicious. Perhaps I'll consider branching out some more. We ate with another women in the group who had been speaking Italian. She doesn't know much English, and we don't know any Italian. That was going to make for a charades filled lunch. However, at one point it came up that she is from Argentina, so she speaks fluent Spanish. That made conversation much easier because we just switched to Spanish. I found her a little bit difficult to understand though. Dad suggests that it might be because of the Spanish-Portuguese mix that is spoken in Argentina. Either way, it was much easier than attempting English or Italian.
After lunch, Mom, Dad, Joey, and I took the chairlift up to the island's highest point, which the guide recommended. It was a chilly ride with the wind, but the views were jaw dropping. You could see down over Capri, the famous three rocks, and back to the mainland. Short on time though, we couldn't linger too long. The chairlift ride back down was chilly as well, but you could see the city and water all the way down.
After we got off the chairlift, we rushed down to the bus where everyone was waiting. The guide left us here because he lives in Anacapri, but the bus driver brought us back down to port. With a little bit of time remaining, we went to check out the beach. It is pebbles as well, but there are some small waves on the shore. The water, just like here, is crystal clear. From one of the lookout points we could see to the bottom of the ocean. Joey and I put our feet in the waves long enough to get a good splash before running back up the busy, pebbled beach. I think this is probably one of just a couple beaches on the island.
Boat approaching the port, we lined up to hop on. Mom needed her prime seat, which she got. The boat ride back is longer because we go around the island first, allowing us to see many of the views. The huge cliffs that abruptly end the island are magnificent. Many people had boats anchored around the island and were just hanging out, which seems very pleasant. There were also many yachts, some normal sized and some huge. That was incredible in itself. Approaching the island's three rocks, I took a million pictures trying to get the perfect one. Little did I know, we were actually going through the opening in one of the rocks. On the way through, the boat hit a huge wave, sending water flying. I got a good splash, and the camera lens got a small bath. The people in the front definitely got pretty wet though. There was a cool experience. The boat continued up the island a little before turning back around toward the mainland. I looked out the window, admiring the glistening water and huge yachts. Dad then pointed out one boat with a helicopter on the back. At first I thought, "no way, a huge yacht with a helicopter? This is crazy. Which famous person did we not run into?" But, I think it was an official boat of some sort, which would make more sense. Capri might be a little too touristy now for celebrities to roam around.
Back in our small little village, Mom and Dad finished out the day with sorbet while Joey and I had some pineapple. From there, we had a relaxing evening for our early morning, hike wake-up call tomorrow.
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