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00 Capri
Stemma di Capri

Campania · Napoli

Capri

The 142-meter Tyrrhenian island town where Tiberius governed Rome for a decade from twelve villas above limestone cliffs.

Best time
May–Sep
Getting there
By ferry
Population
6,804

Known for

  • TIBERIUS

    Roman emperor who moved permanently to Capri in AD 27 and ruled the empire from twelve villas across the island until his death in AD 37.

  • FARAGLIONI

    Three limestone stacks off the southern coast, the central Mezzo pierced by a tunnel, the visual emblem of the island.

  • LA PIAZZETTA

    Piazza Umberto I, the small social center of Capri town, where café tables and the clock tower frame island life since 1907.

  • LIMONE DI SORRENTO

    The commune lies inside the Limone di Sorrento IGP production zone.

When to visit

Best · May–Sep

  • J13°
  • F13°
  • M13°
  • A15°
  • M19°
  • J23°
  • J26°
  • A27°
  • S24°
  • O21°
  • N18°
  • D15°
  • Best
  • Hot or crowded
  • Quiet
  • Mostly closed

Daytime averages, 2020–2024. The sea is warmest in August at 28° and coldest in February at 15°. Weather data by Open-Meteo.com.

The festa: Costanzo di Capri, 14 May

Why come

Capri sits above the Marina Grande harbor on the eastern half of the four-square-kilometer island that bears its name, divided between two communes. The town wraps around the Piazzetta, formally Piazza Umberto I, the social center of the island since the funicular replaced the donkey path in 1907. Tiberius ruled the Roman Empire from here for the last ten years of his life, from twelve villas that Tacitus counted; the ruins of Villa Jovis still stand on the northeastern cape.

The Faraglioni, three limestone stacks off the southern coast, rise to 109 meters; the middle one has an arched tunnel through it. Capri is overwhelmed by day-trippers from June through September. After the last ferry leaves at six in the evening the island returns to its six thousand residents, and the Belvedere of Tragara becomes quiet again.

The Sunday letter

Capri is on our list. Its letter is still to come.

We are writing about all 1,000 of these towns, one at a time, in a free letter every Sunday: the photo, the food, the festa. That is our mission. Sign up and you will be there when Capri comes up. By Peter & Sophia, from Pietrasanta.

Read on

Capri in our articles

How to get there

Capri is on an island and is reached by ferry.

Capri, photo 1
Capri, photo 2

What to see

  • Villa Jovis

    Ruins of Tiberius's imperial villa on Monte Tiberio at 334 meters, the largest of his twelve Capri villas, abandoned after AD 37.

  • Piazzetta (Piazza Umberto I)

    Small square at the heart of Capri town, social hub of the island since 1907 when the funicular replaced the donkey path.

  • Belvedere di Tragara

    Panoramic terrace at the end of Via Tragara, looking down on the three Faraglioni stacks rising from the southern sea.

  • Faraglioni

    Three limestone sea stacks, Stella, Mezzo and Scopolo, the central one pierced by an arched tunnel rowable by small boat.

  • Giardini di Augusto

    Terraced gardens above the Marina Piccola, with the best lookout over the Faraglioni and the switchback Via Krupp below.

  • Grotta Azzurra

    Sea cave on the northwestern coast where light entering underwater turns the interior an electric blue, reached by rowboat.

The slow-trip planner

Building a trip? Find where Capri fits in a slow Italy circuit.

Answer five questions. We will shape a geographically coherent slow trip from the 1,000 Italian towns most travelers skip. Yours to save and share.

Plan your trip

We recommend

Where to eat and stay

Not our picks, but places the guides put their name to: a Michelin star, a Gambero Rosso fork, a Slow Food snail, a Michelin Key for the hotels. Worth a table, a counter, or a night when you pass through.

Living here

  • Population 6,804
  • Remotei
  • Pharmacy in town
  • High school within a 30-minute drive
  • Regional capital Napoli, 1 h 19 min drive

Common questions

What is Capri known for?
Capri is the 142-meter Tyrrhenian island town where Tiberius governed Rome for a decade from twelve villas above limestone cliffs.
Where is Capri?
Capri is a comune in the province of Napoli, in Campania, at 142 meters above sea level.
How do you get to Capri?
Capri is on an island and is reached by ferry.
When is the best time to visit Capri?
Best in May–Sep. August is the warmest month, averaging 27 degrees, and November the wettest, with about 16 rain days.
Is there a sagra or a festival in Capri?
The town keeps its patron saint's day: Costanzo di Capri, 14 May.
Which other towns are like Capri?
Anacapri, Procida and Forio.
How many people live in Capri?
6,804 at the 2023 count.
Tags & datadesignations · numbers · sources

The numbers

  • Elevation: 142 m
  • Population: 6,804
  • Surface area: 4.06 km²

These figures were compiled from public directories: ISTAT, OpenStreetMap and Wikidata, and from the official listings of the guides named on this page. Town details change; verify with official sources before you travel.

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