Capri Island: playground of the rich and famous

This is the kind of place that could make you fall in love with the Mediterranean – the famous Capri Island.  Never heard of Capri? Well, neither had I until we went there – about an hour boat ride from Naples, Italy.

We went early – on an 8:35 a.m. jet-boat ferry – and ran smack into the cruise ship passengers who had arrived in Naples overnight. The ferry landing and boat was packed. The Ferry arrived in the town of Capri, built out along the rugged but beautiful  coastline. Shops and cafes beckon the crowds of arriving tourists, but we jump into one of the local taxis – convertibles modified so four passengers can sit in the open air – with our guide and head out straightaway toward our first destination, the Blue Grotto.

We drive up the mountain road toward the island’s second and smaller town, Anacapri. Literally that translates into “above Capri.” This is a road that has carried celebrities of all sorts for many, many years. The ancient Romans were known to frequent the island, and in more recent times JFK and Jacquie Onassis were here, along with movie stars, politicians, sports stars, and many others. Celebs who like their privacy can find it in the exclusivity of a 4,000-Euro per night hotel suite. We’re told that many celebs choose to stay on private yachts just offshore and come in to town in the evenings after the tourists have departed.

The one-lane road that winds to the top of the island is known as the “mommia mia” road for the cries people make when rounding its tight turns along steep mountain cliffs. And the scenic views over the Mediterranean, with its deep hues of blue and turquoise, were stunning. Just offshore a group of sailing yachts were undergoing crew trials in advance of the Rolex Cup yacht race that would kick off in a few days. Just below us, the craggy shoreline and tree-covered hills contrasted beautifully with the deep blue water of the Med.

A few minutes later, after many “mamma mia’s” along the way (these modified convertibles really help capture the grandeur of the mountain roads and exquisite views), we pulled up to a small parking area on the other side of the island and followed a well-used stone stairway down to the water. Here we boarded a brightly-colored, but tiny, rowboat for a water-borne ride in to the Blue Grotto. The Grotto is a cave accessible only at low tide when the receding Mediterranean reveals a small opening just large enough for these compact boats to enter.

We’re fortunate: on this day the timing is right, the incoming waves are small, and the Grotto is open.

We clamber awkwardly down into the small boat, which rises and falls on the incoming swells. The swarthy Italian man who serves as captain and rower of the vessel rattles on about the Grotto and its beauty as he pilots us to an anchored platform about 30 feet away in the lee of the cliff, where he buys our tickets to enter the Grotto. A few minutes later we are lined up among two dozen other tiny boats and making our way in to the cave entrance, barely three feet high. A chain rigged through the cave mouth provides the leverage to pull each boat through the tiny opening once the oars can no longer be used. Ducking one’s head is mandatory for this portion of the journey.

Inside, the Grotto is pitch dark, save for the turquoise blue light emanating from the water itself. Sunlight reflecting into the cave creates the strange and beautiful blue hues. Thus the name, Blue Grotto.

Along the way, the pilots sing like opera stars while moving us about the dark cavern. We hurriedly shoot photographs and work to get selfies shot – in the dark – before our brief time in the cavern comes to an end. I use a GoPro to shoot photos and the flashlight on my iPhone to illuminate my family while capturing the blue background. I manage to do it all without dropping any devices into the water, where they would sink some 150 meters before striking bottom.

And then, after just a few minutes, our pilot pulls us back through the tiny opening and we are again greeted by the beautiful waters of the Med and its colorful shoreline. The entire trips lasts only about 10 minutes.

Cable lift to the top of Capri Island

Capri actually has a long history as a Roman resort, with its gorgeous Mediterranean views. But getting to the top of the island was quite a challenge, so someone in the Anacapri town eventually installed a cable lift – essentially a ski lift with individual chairs riding high above the countryside. The whole point of that is to take in the breathtaking views from high atop the mountain island, and on the ride up and down. On the lift you also escape the hustle and bustle of the cars, buses and tourists moving about constantly. It is quiet and peaceful – a wonderful, calm interlude after a morning of “mamma mias” along the narrow roads and crowded walkways.

At the top of the mountain where the lift ends, the views cover most of the island – and set against the deep blue water of the Med, they are absolutely stunning.

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