Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
DON'T MISS
GROTTA AZZURRA
Glowing in an ethereal blue light, the bewitching
Grotta Azzurra
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
(Blue Grotto; grotto ad-
mission €12.50, return boat trip €13.50; 9am-1hr before sunset) is Capri's most famous single attraction.
Long known to local fishers, the legendary sea cave was rediscovered by two Germans - writer Augustus
Kopisch and painter Ernst Fries - in 1826. Subsequent research, however, revealed that Emperor Tiberius had
built a quay in the cave around AD 30, complete with a nymphaeum. Remarkably, you can still see the carved
Roman landing stage towards the rear of the grotto.
Measuring 54m by 30m and rising to a height of 15m, the grotto is said to have sunk by up to 20m in prehistor-
ic times, blocking every opening except the 1.3m-high entrance. And this is the key to the magical blue light.
Sunlight enters through a small underwater aperture and is refracted through the water; this, combined with the
reflection of the light off the white sandy sea floor, produces the vivid blue effect to which the cave owes its
name.
The easiest way to visit it is to take a boat tour from Marina Grande. A return trip will cost €26, comprising a
return motorboat to the cave, the rowing boat into the cave itself and admission fee; allow a good hour.
The grotto is closed if the sea is too choppy, and swimming in the cave is forbidden, although you can swim
outside the entrance - get a bus to Grotta Azzurra, take the stairs down to the right and dive off the small concrete
platform. When visiting, keep in mind that the singing 'captains' are included in the price, so don't feel any oblig-
ation if they push for a tip.
Sercomar
( 081 837 87 81;
www.capriseaservice.com
;
Via Colombo 64, Marina Grande; Apr-Oct; )
Marina
Grande is the hub of Capri's thriving water-sports business and this outfit is a solid choice
for diving fans. Dives start from €100 for a single dive (maximum of three people) to
€150 for an individual dive. A four-session beginner's course will set you back €350.
DIVING
Banana Sport
( 081 837 51 88; Marina Grande; 2hours/day rental €120/220; May-Oct)
Located on the Marina
Grande waterfront, Banana Sport hires out five-person motorised dinghies, allowing you
to explore the island's more secluded coves and grottoes.
BOATING
Sleeping
Capri's accommodation is top-heavy, with plenty of four- and five-star hotels and fewer
budget options. This said, the recent financial downturn has seen many hotels lower their
prices in the past couple of years, making the island a little less prohibitive than it used to
