Capri, Ischia & Ponza
Capri would be my next stop after the Amalfi coast. Now this is the glamorous island that comes with Italy’s finest people watching, men and woman dressed head to toe in the brightest coloured clothes or the tiniest swimwear and all with the most golden tanned skin you have ever seen. You can go to Capri for the day, or a few hours but so much fun staying a few days if you have time.
In Capri you can spend your days lazing by the beach or pool, or walking the streets exploring this beautiful town or shopping the many expensive shops it has to offer.
Capri, despite the sophistication has so much natural beauty with caves and rock formations surrounded by the most beautiful ocean, it is hard not to fall in love. At some stage you will have to get a glimpse of the impressive Faraglioni (the rock formation you seen in lots of fashion campaigns and magazine around the world).
If you have time you should hire a classic boat for a few hours, they come with your very own Captain and drinks. This is the best way to see the island and its natural beauty including the Faraglioni. The boat will take you all over the island exploring different caves and untouched areas. They will take you to the most famous attraction of Capri ‘the blue grotto’ (if you want to pay extra you can go inside via a row boat and jump into that incredible blue water for a swim). If you want to visit the Blue Grotto be prepared to wait, as it can be very busy in tourist season. The boat trip usually lasts a few hours and you can generally negotiate the price and length of the trip (I have never found it too expensive). The Captains will usually be on the boats or sitting on the dock at the ports waiting for customers but if you prefer you can organise the trip in advance with your villa or hotel. This little boat trip is well worth the money and you won’t be disappointed with the views you get of Capri.
By night the town comes alive with people sitting in the main square for an aperitif and restaurants filling up for a taste of the delicious fresh food. Locals and tourists usually have an Aperol Spritz in hand (the famous orange drink you will see everyone with in Italy). It is quite bitter and too much for me but most people love them. I am the strange one- even my two year old asks for some every time someone has one. I love a little Bellini or two and can’t go past them in Capri. My first was here and it won’t be my last.
Trust me, you must try a fresh peach Bellini. If you can find a place to do this with fresh blended white peaches in the summer you will not be sorry. It is my absolute favourite drink but in Capri they are the best as the peaches are so good in the summer, juicy and fresh.
The main town even has a buzzing nightlife with clubs and bars more alive than other sleepier parts of Italy. Anemaecore is the most famous club in Capri for late night dancing and drinking. http://www.anemaecore.com/en/
Eating in Capri
Villa Verde is a fun restaurant, with amazing fresh food and they cater for a large group of people.
http://www.villaverde-capri.com
La Paolina (or the lemon tree to foreigners) is such a beautiful restaurant set mostly outside under huge lemon groves. It has the most delicious food you will have anywhere in Italy. You might even be lucky enough to rub shoulders with some of the rich and famous that frequent here. It certainly won’t disappoint any food lover.
Buonocore Gelateria is a must stop for gelato in the afternoon or anytime of day if you fancy. If you can’t smell the waffle cones, you will see the line up of people when you turn the corner from the main square down the hill and maybe even a celebrity or two. Try Stracciatella with fior di latte or nutella my favourite flavours and get a fresh warm cone, you will have room for it I promise. If you’re adventurous and hungry you should try the brioche bun full of gelato. Crazy but so good!
https://www.facebook.com/capri.gelateriabuonocore/
Where to Stay in Capri and What to do?
We generally stay in Marina Piccolo in Capri at the Hotel Weber Ambassador, a well-priced hotel for the more expensive Capri. http://www.hotelweber.com/en/index
It is a mid-range hotel but it is a great little location and has exquisite views of the famous aqua blue ocean and stunning Faraglioni. You may even see some famous super yachts anchored below. I spent many days working on a yacht looking in Marina Piccolo looking out at the view and up to the hotel.
The hotel has a pool and free shuttle that takes you into the main square if you don’t want to taxi, bus or walk. It runs regularly and is a great service.
Before you leave Capri you should take one of the convertible taxis that are unique to the island and such a beautiful trip to or from town.
From the hotel you can walk up the hill to the main square. On the way you will see stunning views of the Marina Piccolo and walk through lemon groves via the beautiful botanique gardens called Gardens of Augustus. I love doing this for both the experience and to exercise off all the pizza and pasta eaten. You will have plenty of opportunities to stop along the way to get some superb photos of the view.
Just below the hotel you can walk down to the beaches or one of the many restaurants or beach clubs. You should one of the beach clubs if you don’t want to fight over a small rocky piece of beach with every other Italian in Capri. You will have to pay for the beach club or a chair and access to the private beach but well worth the small price. You will find you have to pay for beaches nearly all over Italy. It seems to be the norm for Italians, which is very strange for Australians like me with our free beaches and space to run. It is so different here but I still love the experience of being crammed in like sardines and having to hobble along the rocks. Doesn’t sound glam but it’s fun and the Italians make it all look good- well some of them!
This is one of the famous beach clubs in Marina Piccola: http://www.lacanzonedelmare.com/en/stabilimento
If you have an extra day or few hours you should try to get a taxi to the famous beach club Fontelina, any celebrity or beach lovers should make this a priority. No better way to spend a glamorous day in Capri than here. https://www.fontelina-capri.com/en/index
Love a little more Capri
There is plenty for you to do to explore Capri and Anacapri, so if you don’t want to sit on the beach or by the pool like everyone else you will find things to keep you busy. You can take the bus up to Anacapri and then take the chair lift for some pretty special views of Capri. You can also take the funicular from the main square of Capri down to Marina Grande for a look.
Love a little Splurge in Capri
If you have money and want to spend more on accommodation then you can hire beyond beautiful villas or stay in one of the many beautiful hotels. I would love to stay in one of these one-day especially the Punta or Capri palace. They look divine!
http://www.hoteltragara.com/it/
http://www.capripalace.com/en/
Ischia
After a few days in the glamor filled Capri you can finish your trip with a few days in the slower Ischia.
Ischia is a small volcanic island and if you have a few days spare you should try to visit Sant’Angelo, one of the little villages on the island. The Italians flock here on their summer vacation in July and August with the beautiful weather and beaches. The island is famous for its natural thermal springs, which is one of the main tourist attractions. It also hosts a film festival each year that attracts a certain rich and famous clientele. I have had some of the best times of my life at one particular restaurant called Neptunus; they fill you with the most delicious food, wine and they sing and dance to you as you look over at the ocean. It’s the best!
http://www.ristoranteneptunus.com/en/contatti2/
Sant’Angelo is a great place to finish your trip and relax. You can enjoy amazing food here like everywhere in Italy and they love their white wine in a jug full of fresh peaches, not as special as a fresh Bellini but still pretty great to sip on over lunch. Most people would lust over the vongole; apparently it is a taste sensation for any pasta seafood lover. When we came with friends some ate it for lunch and dinner as they loved it so much.
What to do in Ischia?
Most visitors here pay to visit the famous thermal pools of Ischia. They are free if they are part of your hotel. If thermal pools aren’t your thing you can stay local on the beaches and swim in the ocean. Everyone should go and try the mud baths at one of the many venues scattered around the place. We generally ask the locals to get a good recommendation for mud baths and If not ask your hotel or agent for one of the best or to arrange for you.
Ischia also has many spas for your favourite beauty treatment. They are a bit rustic (maybe not like what you are used to when you go to a spa). Still always a great experience and I am not saying no to some pampering, ever.
There is more exploring to do on the island but I have always enjoyed staying in Sant’Angelo relaxing that I haven’t ventured further so I cannot give you too much detail about the rest of the island.
How to get to Ischia?
You can get the ferry from Naples, Amalfi or Capri and taxi to Sant’ Angelo. I have never driven here and if you stay in Sant’Angelo you won’t need a car. We always find Ischia a great place to unwind to start or finish the trip.
Where to Stay Ischia?
Villa Margareta- Casa di Ale is beautiful villa we stayed at with some friends a few years back. You can easily walk around the village from here and this is great considering the centre of Sant’ Angelo is car free. Most hotels and this villa can also arrange to pick you and your bags up from the taxi stop in the centre and this is handy with luggage. The little buggies can taxi you around the place if need be which is handy if you need.
The villa can also organised a private chef to come and cook for you. We enjoyed this one night while the children slept which was amazing. Very pretty views from the villa also make it easy to stay here.
http://www.villamargheritasantangelo.com/casadiale
I also stayed at the Hotel Miramare, which is a big hotel in the centre of Sant Angelo. They have thermals and can arrange anything you want at the reception.
https://www.miramaresearesort.it/en/
Love a little Ponza
For somewhere a little bit different to visit after the Amalfi Coast on your way home you could think about going to Ponza. If you haven’t heard of Ponza it is a rare, spectacular island not far from Rome.
It is really a hidden gem in Italy and quite different to other parts of Italy. They say it is the secret island of Italy and where real Italians holiday, I discovered it working on yachts. It has a stunning landscape with cliffs and rock formations scattered around the bay and combined with the beautiful water makes this little fishing village pretty special.
We kayaked around one day off the boat and it was beautiful. It has few shops and restaurants. You can stop for an aperitif and ask a local about the best place to eat. I have never stayed here on land just on a boat so I don’t have any real recommendations for hotels apart from these two highly recommended below. You can ferry from a village called Anzio not far from Rome. You could do a day trip from Rome or stay a few days. I thought it was worth a mention as it is something a bit different to explore and think about if you are keen to try something new. I will have to go back there to get some more travel tips for the keen explorers.
