Capri

1. ~9:00aCoffee on the Piazzetta

   An espresso and a sfogliatella at a café in the Piazzetta — the tiny, theatrical square that is the social heart of Capri.

2. ~10:00aCapri town's lanes & belvederes

   The whitewashed maze behind the square — designer boutiques, bougainvillea-draped alleys, and lookout terraces over the sea.

3. ~11:30aGardens of Augustus & Via Krupp

   The terraced Giardini di Augusto for the postcard view of the Faraglioni rocks and the switchbacking Via Krupp path carved into the cliff below.

4. ~1:00pA Caprese lunch

   An insalata Caprese where it was born — local mozzarella, sweet tomatoes, and basil with island olive oil, plus ravioli capresi, on a sea-view terrace.

5. ~3:30pDown to the Faraglioni & a swim

   A walk or boat down to the Faraglioni rocks — a swim in the clear water beneath them, and the boat that threads through the natural arch in the middle stack.

6. ~7:00pSunset apéritivo

   A terrace bar for a Capri spritz at golden hour, the cliffs and sea glowing as the island shifts into evening.

7. 8:30pDinner under the lemon treesAnchor table

   A romantic island dinner — fresh seafood and Caprese classics in one of Capri's celebrated settings. The marquee meal; book ahead.

Capri rewards early starts — the Piazzetta, the lanes, and the Gardens of Augustus are magical before the midday ferries arrive, and most day-trippers leave by late afternoon, returning the island to a slower, glamorous calm.

1. ~9:00aThe Blue Grotto

   Early to the Grotta Azzurra — a small rowboat slips through a low sea-cave mouth into a chamber where the water glows an electric, otherworldly blue.

2. ~10:30aA boat tour around the island

   A circuit of Capri's spectacular coast by boat — the Faraglioni arch, the Green and White grottoes, sea caves, and cliffs you can only see from the water.

3. ~1:00pLunch at Marina Piccola

   A seafood lunch right on the water at Marina Piccola, the Faraglioni in view and the sea lapping below the terrace.

4. ~3:00pA swim at Marina Piccola

   An afternoon swim from the little beach or rocks, the clear water and the Faraglioni making it one of the island's prettiest spots to cool off.

5. ~7:30pDinner in town

   Back up to Capri town for a relaxed dinner — fresh pasta and island wine in the whitewashed lanes, the day-trippers long gone.

Do the Blue Grotto early and only when the sea is calm — it closes in swell and queues build fast. A boat circuit of the island is the day's highlight; a private gozzo with swim stops is the most magical (and most luxurious) way to see the coast.

1. ~9:30aChairlift up Monte Solaro

   A single-seat chairlift drifts up to Capri's highest point for a 360-degree view over the whole island, the Faraglioni, and the Bay of Naples.

2. ~11:30aVilla San Michele

   The exquisite clifftop villa and garden of Swedish doctor Axel Munthe — Roman antiquities, white loggias, and a sphinx-guarded terrace with one of the great Mediterranean views.

3. ~1:00pLunch in Anacapri

   A relaxed lunch in quieter Anacapri — island pasta, garden vegetables, and local wine away from the Capri-town bustle.

4. ~3:00pChurch of San Michele's majolica floor

   A small baroque church hiding an astonishing 18th-century majolica-tile floor — a hand-painted Garden of Eden you view from a walkway around the walls.

5. ~7:30pA final island dinner

   A last Caprese dinner with a view — seafood, limoncello, and the lights of the bay, seeing the island stay out.

Anacapri is the island's quieter, higher half — the Monte Solaro chairlift gives Capri's best view, and Villa San Michele its most serene. Staying overnight (versus day-tripping) is the secret: the island empties and softens beautifully each evening.