Some love notes from Capri
Everywhere I stayed, swam, shopped, and ate in Capri this month...
Hello!
It’s been a minute, and I’M SO SORRY! You didn’t come here for my excuses, I know. Who cares? I got back from my month-long trip to Greece, including a sublime two weeks in Mani, which you can read about in my Prior story here, and was fully expecting to stay put in Paris for the rest of the month, head down in work, catching you up on everything. But alas, Paris was burning. Literally. You probably heard. I had to get out. So I booked a last-minute trip to Capri and the Amalfi Coast (fully acknowledge that this is an insane thing to say, but it’s one of the many advantages of living in Europe: I’m a two hour flight from Naples).
Could I have gone somewhere closer? Sure. But it had been a while since I’d been back to this stretch of coast, and a slower than usual June/July down there somehow let me score the last remaining rooms at some iconic hotels...
Anyways.
Here are the highlights from my week-long trip to Capri (Amalfi notes coming soon), featuring my favorite stays (including a relatively affordable one you’ve probably never heard of), beach clubs, restaurants, shops, etc.
First thing’s first….
What I love about Capri…
Say what you want about Capri’s general vibe, but the island is undeniably beautiful, with its steep, lush cliffs, the Faraglioni rocks rising against it, a compact, whitewashed town of narrow cobblestone lanes with bougainvillea spilling over walls and pergolas. Follow those lanes out and they wind into quiet back streets, revealing tiers of olive groves and villa gardens… proof that despite its reputation, Capri still feels a little wild.
The shopping! You won’t find only designer shops, but also tons of local makers (shoes, jewelry, cashmere, etc).
It’s super easy to get around. You can theoretically walk (almost) everywhere if you’re staying central, but there’s also a cheap, easy bus system that takes you to Anacapri or up and down the mountain if you don’t want to climb.
Speaking of Anacapri, that’s your escape route if you happen to wind up in Capri during high season and need a break from the crowds.
Good food!
Lots of pretty hiking paths!
During the spring/summer/early fall season, there’s easy access by way of ferry to the islands of Ischia, Procida, as well as the mainland of the Amalfi Coast, making it a great base to explore.
What I don’t love…
The crowds in high season. Lines for buses, taxis, funicular can be especially daunting in the heat.
How damn expensive it is (beach clubs, taxis, food). Look, the buses are cheap but if you want to avoid the long, hot lines in high season and opt for a taxi, it’ll cost you. Plus, the best way to access the sea here is spending the day at a beach club (or on a boat, sheeeesh $$$), which will nickel-and-dime you every step of the way. And restaurants (really, no matter the one) are pricey.
Pro tip that is probably quite obvious by now… but if you’re able to visit Capri in late spring or early fall, you’d get the best of the island.
THE HOTELS
Il Capri Hotel - Il Capri Hotel re-opened under new ownership in 2022, helmed by husband-and-wife duo Graziella Buontempo and Arnaud Lacombe. Lacombe is behind the acclaimed Paris hospitality group Savoir Vivre, whose portfolio includes places I love like Déviant, Vivant 2, and Il Camino in Paris. I had a feeling the hotel would be cool, but it surpassed even those expectations. The hotel’s signature red umbrellas are visible from the port, which has officially cemented it as one of Capri’s most recognizable gathering spots, and its location at the entrance to the piazzetta and a scenic 10-minute walk down slope towards Marina Piccola couldn’t be more ideal. The rooms are playful in their design, but comfortable and modern in execution, dressed in shades of red and pink, with branded merch displayed on hooks on the walls, available for guests to purchase. On the ground floor, a cozy, dimly-lit living room and bar in the hotel’s signature palette lead to a pretty massive gym, new this year. Upstairs, a small plunge pool is surrounded by loungers, offering a quiet escape from the crowded streets below. The original building also connects to a second wing with additional guest rooms and their freshly opened restaurant Osteria delle Sirene on the rooftop (it’s delicious). They also have a club called Rumore in the basement below the gym. This one’s definitely for the cool kids.
