Capri is a wonderful island to visit any time of the year. In the summer, it draws the rich and famous as well as the regular tourists who come to this Italian island in droves. In the winter time, however, Capri empties out and you can enjoy its beauty and splendor without the crowds. We spent 4 days on Capri a week before Christmas and had a wonderful time. Here are my recommendations on how to spend 4 days on Capri in the winter time.
How to spend 4 days on Capri in the winter time
Where to stay?
Before we discuss how to spend 4 days on Capri in the winter time, you may be wondering where to stay. I strongly recommend staying on Anacapri. I did a lot of research and was so happy I decided on Anacapri. The town seemed much more vibrant than Capri in the winter! There were more restaurants open, and it was great to see the hustle and bustle of the locals getting ready for the holidays. While Capri might be a better choice in the summer, Anacapri wins in the winter for sure.
Day 1: Arrive on Anacapri
We arrived by ferry from Naples and took a local bus from the Marina Grande to the center of Anacapri. You can buy your ticket on the bus or at a little ticket office right by the bus stop. The price is 2.40 Euros per ride. We arrived at our lovely hotel, got settled, and went out to check out the town.
Explore the town of Anacapri
Anacapri is a delightful little town that sits uphill from the main town of Capri. It has a charming piazza with a few restaurants and a lovely Santa Sofia Church. Since we were visiting during the Christmas season, a large Christmas tree and strings of white lights adorned the little square. Anacapri has 2 main streets that head out from the piazza – via Boffe and Via Giuseppe Orlandi. They are incredibly pleasant to stroll along with nice boutiques and shops. We walked all the way to Piazza Vittoria, a little square with several restaurants which were open for business. We didn’t do much more on our first day, just walked around, found a place to eat, and took our time enjoying the town on this charming island.
Day 2: Start the day with a corneto and a cappuccino
Starting a day with a cappuccino and a corneto is something I love doing, especially on vacation. It is even more pleasurable in Italy, I think. So, find a coffee shop and start the day like the Italians do.
Take the lift to the top of Mount Solaro
Taking the lift to Mount Solaro and hiking back down was one of the highlights of our stay on Capri. If you have a clear day, walk to Piazza Victoria on Anacapri and take a singles chair lift to the top of Mt. Solaro, the highest spot on the island. The ride takes about 15 minutes and you’ll have beautiful views of Anacapri and the water. Once on top, enjoy the spectacular panorama over the Bay of Naples and the famous Faraglioni sea stacks. Then, head down following the signs for Cetrella Hermitage towards Casa Mackenzie and a little church Santa Maria a Cetrella.
The hike is very pleasant!
Take the Phoenician Steps to Marina Grande
If you’re up for it, after descending back into Anacapri, you may want to continue your hiking adventure and take the Phoenician Steps all the way to Marina Grande. It’s an effort but it’s totally worth it. We did it and loved this extended hiking experience. You can catch the Phoenician Steps along Via Axel Munthe, right behind Piazza Vittoria. The views from the trail are amazing. You’ll be able to see Mt. Vesuvius and will have great views over Marina Grande
Take the fernicular to Capri town
If you’re still up for a bit more, take a fernicular from Marina Grande to Capri Town. It’s a short ride and it will take you right into the main piazza, Piazza Umberto I. When we visited, the restaurant on the main square was open, so it might be nice to have a drink or a bite to eat after all the hiking you have done. Save exploring Capri Town for another day. Now, just relax on the main square and then take a bus back all the way to Anacapri.
Have a nice dinner in Anacapri
Stroll around and choose from one of the several places that are open for business in the winter time. It seemed to us that the restaurants that were open were on a rotating schedule but every day there would be several of them open, so you’ll be able to go to a different restaurant each day.
Don’t forget about tiramisu
No need to say more… You must have some tiramisu while in Italy in the winter time! It’s delicious!
Day 3. Hike to the Blue Grotto
One thing you may want to keep in mind is that the Blue Grotto will most likely be closed in the winter time. It was when we visited. The website does not indicate that nor did our host know that it was closed. But everything around the grotto itself looked like it was closed for the season. We didn’t know that, so we ventured all the way there to check it out. You can easily take a bus to the Blue Grotto from Anacapri but we decided to hike there since it was such a beautiful day. Like the day before, we had wonderful views over the water and enjoyed the island’s vegetation. There was still quite a bit of color, with bougainvilleas blooming in people’s gardens. The hike took over an hour but it was mostly downhill. We caught a bus back without an issue. Buses on Capri run all the time. The only unfortunate thing was that we didn’t get to go inside the grotto.
Check out the lighthouse Faro di Punta Carena
This beautiful lighthouse perched on a cliff has been guiding ships and boats for over 150 years. Beneath it is a small rocky beach, Lido del Faro, which seems to be quite popular with the locals in warmer months. This time of year, it was deserted, so we had the whole area entirely to ourselves.
Don’t forget to taste some delicious limoncello
One thing we certainly enjoyed on Capri were the shots of limoncello we were offered after dinner in several restaurants. But you can also stop and ask for a shot of this staple alcohol at any place. We popped into Casa Orlandi and enjoyed this lemony spirit sitting outside and savoring the moment.
Day 4. Hike to Arco Naturale
We started this day by catching a bus to Capri Town, then explored the charming town for a bit. In addition to Piazza Umberto I, which is the main square in town, Via Camerele attracts the rich and famous with its luxury designer shops. What’s great about visiting in the winter time is that all the stores are closed till April and there is only an occasional passerby strolling along the street. Via Camerele runs into Via Tragara, which is gorgeous in itself. Beautiful villas and lovely gardens line the street and views of the rocky cliffs and Marina Picolla extend to the southwest. Eventually, you’ll come to a nice viewpoint, Belvedere Tragara. The views are magnificent here! There are several benches to sit on and enjoy the view. We packed some Italian staples such as sun dried tomatoes, olives, prosciutto and cheese, and had a little picnic in this lovely spot. Afterwards, we hiked down along Pizzolungo all the way to the Natural Arch, Arco Naturale. You are climbing up and down, so it is definitely an effort but it’s absolutely worth it. The views are amazing and the Natural Arch is a reward in itself.
Continue to Villa Jovis
From the Natural Arch we continued on along Via Matermania to Villa Jovis. To be honest, I was exhausted by then and would have skipped it was it not for my husband. So, we hiked for another mile or two and explored the ruins. Villa Jovis is one of the imperial villas built in the first century BC by emperor Tiberius. The palace must have been truly grand at one time but the ruins were neglected for centuries, so not a lot remains.
Once done, we walked back to Capri Town and caught the bus back to Anacapri. After such a long hiking day, we were glad to sit down, have dinner and a couple of well deserved drinks.
Day 5. Spend the morning in Anacapri and head back to Naples
Before leaving the island, I wanted to buy a few little souvenirs. Not much is open in the winter time but there is a nice gift shop by Piazza Vitoria, and there are really nice shops along Via Axel Munthe. We bought a few little pottery pieces but you can also find limoncello, chocolate, and clothing in the stores here.
In late morning, we headed for Marina Grande where we purchased our tickets for the ferry back to Naples and explored the few little shops while waiting for our boat. It was so nice to spend 4 wonderful days on Capri.
