Thursday, August 27th:
The majority of the group was first going to the Blue Grotto so we spilt up in taxis. These are not your average yellow and black taxi like we are used to in NYC. They are open air cars with two rows of seating and a canopy top for shade.
The ride to the blue grotto from the port was about 30 minutes... and the craziest 30 minutes of our trip yet. The streets are as narrow as a one way road in the states but in Capri they handle two way traffic which is why all their cars are tiny.
We arrived at the blue grotto and were met with a 45 minute wait which wasn't too bad compared to the line we witnessed after leaving. The Blue Grotto is one of the various geological wonders on the island and is known for being a swimming spot for emperor Tiberius during the years he retired. With the sunlight passing through an underwater cavity, a blue reflection illuminates the cavern. It extend 50 meters into the cliff and it's about 150 meters deep.
OUR Blue Grotto experience: $13 euros to get in a boat, lay down on small boat so you don't hit your head on the rocks upon entering the grotto, guide paddles around & sings while you view the listening clear blue water, TIP THE GUIDE $5 EUROS TO "FALL IN" AND SWIM ABOUT THE GROTTO LIKE THE EMPERORS ONCE DID, exit the same way you entered and your done!
Because we made such good timing with our first stop we decided to take a taxi to Anacapri which is the town directly beneath Monte Solaro. In town you can take a 20 minute chair lift for $10 euros to the top of the mountain which is the highest point of the island and where Emperor Tiberius spend his retirement for the last 10 years of the life. The views were absolutely stunning and breathtaking. Who wouldn't want to retire here?
(Pic of chair ride going up)
With about 45 minutes to spare we taxied back down to the port, grabbed lunch quickly and jumped on the boat. We took the long way home and the captain gave us a complete tour around the island passing dozens of cliff side beach resorts, the second oldest lighthouse in Italy (Punta Carena which is said to be seen for up to 50 miles) and 2 other Grottos (Green and White).
One of the most beautiful views we came upon was the Faraglino - which is a rock formation that juts out on the south east point of the island. The Faraglino di Maezzo is characterized by a central cavity and large enough to allow our boat to go through!
We also noticed that around this area is where all the huge yatchs like to anchor for the day. I'm not sure what was more spectacular .... the Faraglino or how massive these yatchs and all the toys that came with them (helicopters, jets skis, pools, bouncy rafts, giant swan and flamingo floats). We even came across the same yatch, Arctic, that we passed in Bora Bora when on our honeymoon. What a small world?! I decided upon myself that by any chance we run into this yatch one more time it's a sign that we must book a stay on it.
The tour concluded by bidding farewell to statue of a man waving on top of a rock. It is said if you wave back at if you will one day return to the Isle of Capri.
Everyone was so excited to get back to the campsite because that meant cliff jumping. After what felt like a full day of direct sunlight it felt so refreshing to cool off in the water.
Dinner that night was at the campsite. It was great way to relax and chat about the full packed day we had.
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