The Isle of Capri

My final free day before the Grand Circle tour began was devoted to a trip to the island of Capri (pronounced in Italian with the accent on the first syllable). It should have been simple to get to the island from Sorrento. After my successful journey to Positano, I was feeling pretty confident that I could manage this on my own. I’d investigated ferry schedules and booked my ferry tickets online the night before. In the morning, I gave myself plenty of time to walk down to the marina to catch the 9:30 ferry. Just to be sure I found my way, I put the destination into the Maps app on my phone.

 

I typed in Marina Grande (big marina), thinking that ferries are big and must surely use the large marina. My crucial mistake was forgetting that when I returned by ferry from Positano, it had docked at the Marina Piccola (small marina). With my backpack full of sunscreen, hat, umbrella, etc., I set out from the hotel nearly an hour before the ferry was scheduled to depart. It took me about 20 minutes of brisk walking to get down to the Marina Grande. When I arrived, the only boats in sight were small fishing boats and I realized I was in the wrong place. 

 

I obviously needed to get to the Marina Piccola, and I needed to get there fast. I glanced at my watch, hoping I could walk along the shore from the Marina Grande to the other marina. But when I asked a local resident who was sweeping in front of her house, she told me (in Italian) that was impossible. I’d have to go back up into the center of town and then go down a different route to get to the Marina Piccola. 

 

At this point, I was starting to panic. I rushed as fast as I could up the steep stone steps to the town. since I was near the elevator that descended to the Marina Piccola, I quickly bought an elevator ticket and was whisked down to the marina level. I then literally sprinted to where I saw several ferries docked. I’m sure I was the last person to board the ferry to Capri, as it departed about 30 seconds later. 

 

It took me the entire hour-long ride from Sorrento to Capri to calm my breathing. My day on Capri hadn’t even begun yet and I was already drenched in sweat. I staggered off the ferry when it docked at the island. The port area in Capri was packed with tourists and the usual shops selling typical tourist souvenirs.  

Until I looked at a map, I had underestimated the size of the island. There was no way I would be able to see all of its attractions in a single day.  

 

I also hadn’t realized the complications of getting from one area of the island to another. Once I settled on my sightseeing priorities, I bought a ticket for the funicular which went up to the center of Capri town. 

Ignoring the high-end shops, I looked for signs directing me to the Via Krupp, a series of twisting paths that led out towards the Gardens of Augustus. 

These botanical gardens were established in the early 20^th century by the German industrialist Friedrich Alfred Krupp, who built a mansion on Capri. The gardens consist of a series of terraces overlooking the sea. The terraces contain a variety of trees, colorful flowers, and sculptures. 

From the gardens, there are beautiful views in several directions. 

The large boulders rising from the sea are known as the Faraglioni rocks. 

 

The gardens were clearly the high point of my visit to Capri. After I walked back to Capri town, I stopped into a bakery for a cup of espresso along with a small cake called Caprilu al limone, a specialty of the island. It’s a lemon-saturated almond flour cookie with a moist marzipan center. 

 

The main square was so crowded that I was eager to escape.

Obviously, the locals share my opinion of tourists cluttering up their town.

 

Fortunately, once I got away from the main square, the streets were much quieter. I even found an outdoor table at a restaurant where I ordered a salad for lunch. 

 

Afterwards, I steeled myself to face the crowded ferry ride back to Sorrento. It was such a relief to return to the peace and quiet of the hotel terrace and to rest my feet after walking nearly 15,000 steps (about 7 miles). 

And while I enjoy independent exploring, I was ready to let Grand Circle take care of the logistics starting the next day.

A Quick Look at Positano

On my first full day in Campania, I decided to go to Positano on the Amalfi coast. There were two ways to get to Positano from Sorrento – by bus or by ferry. Like most of the towns on the Amalfi coast, Positano is spread out over a steep hillside that slopes down to the water. For this reason, I’d been advised to take the bus from Sorrento since it would drop me off at the top of the town. I could then take a leisurely walk down to the harbor where I’d catch the ferry to return to Sorrento. It sounded like a good plan.  

 

The bus left from a parking lot behind the train station, a five-minute walk from the hotel. That was easy enough. Figuring out where and how to get the bus ticket took a frustrating 20 minutes or so. And then I hadn’t anticipated that there would be so many weekend travelers waiting for the hourly bus to Positano. Once I had my ticket in hand, I joined a long queue. I didn’t make it onto the first bus that came along but eventually, after standing in line for over an hour, I managed to get a seat on a Positano-bound bus. 

 

Once we reached the Amalfi coast and started driving along a narrow, winding road, I was thrilled with the views (as well as terrified by the daredevil motorcyclists who were determined to pass every other vehicle on the road). 

 

The closer we got to Positano, the more I understood why people raved about the Amalfi coast. 

Around 10:30, the bus disgorged its passengers and I joined a crowd of people thronging the narrow shop-lined streets that descended through the town. 

It was immediately apparent that shopping was the main tourist activity in Positano. Shops offered everything from tacky souvenirs to colorful ceramics to expensive resort wear. Unfortunately, I wasn’t in a shopping mood. 

Bored vendors manned stands selling lemon granita. 

I was making my way fairly quickly through the streets of Positano and was almost at the base of the town when I came upon the Chiesa di Santa Maria Assunta (Church of the Assumption of Mary). Finally! I thought, something other than a shop!

As I got closer to the entrance to the church, I saw a procession of white-robed children filing in. I’m not sure what ceremony was going on inside but it was obviously attracting a lot of tourists as well as local people. I peeked inside the church to get a better look. 

The church is located in a piazza just above the beach at the Marina Grande. The weather wasn't exactly beach-like but that didn't discourage some people. 

From the beach level, I could easily see the beautiful majolica tile covered dome of the church.

I could also see a long stream of people heading to the ferry. Fortunately, I’d purchased my ticket ahead of time. 

Since I hadn’t stopped to do any shopping, I had probably made the descent through Positano in record time. In my opinion, the town’s setting is clearly its main attraction and I would have enjoyed it much more if it had been less crowded. In any case, I had satisfied my desire to get a look at the Amalfi coast.

The boat ride back was short but the sea was quite rough. I was glad when we docked in Sorrento, at the Marina Piccola (Small Marina). After lunch at one of the seaside restaurants (just a salad with smoked salmon), I had a choice to make. To return to the town center (elevation about 50 meters or 160 feet above sea level), I could either take an elevator from the marina or I could ascend on foot. The elevator would be quicker but I’m glad I opted to take the stone steps and ramps. Even stopping for photos and to catch my breath, it only took about 10 minutes to reach the level of the town center, and I had the opportunity to appreciate Sorrento's unique setting. 

While it had been overcast in Positano, the sky in Sorrento was clear blue. The colors popped out in the afternoon sunshine as I walked through the historic area before heading back to the hotel for a mini-siesta. 

At 6 o’clock, I walked back down to the Piazza Tasso for a pizza dinner at Aurora Pizzeria, a restaurant recommended by the driver who had picked me up at the airport. The toppings of crushed fresh tomatoes and mozzarella didn’t overwhelm the delicious crispy thin crust. 

 

The late day light was so beautiful that I couldn’t resist taking another walk. Despite Sorrento’s shops and tourists, there was no doubting the beauty of its historic center. After seeing Positano, my thoughts about Sorrento were turning more positive. Being based here for the next week might not be so bad after all.