Boat Rental Capri — 2027 Guide: the Faraglioni, the Blue Grotto and the giro dell'isola by gozzo

Capri is a limestone island at the southern entrance to the Gulf of Naples, separated from Punta Campanella on the Sorrento Peninsula by the Bocca Piccola strait, about 3 nautical miles (NM) wide. Almost its entire coast is sheer cliff, so much of what the island is famous for, from the Faraglioni to the grottoes, can only be seen from the sea. The classic way to do it is the giro dell'isola, a boat trip around the whole island, about 9 NM long. This guide describes that loop from harbour to harbour, how to reach Capri from the mainland and what the tours in our offer include.

Departure point: Marina Grande

All tours in our offer leave from Marina Grande, the main port on the north side of the island, by the lower station of the funicular that runs up to Capri town. Ferries and hydrofoils from the mainland dock in the same port, so if you are coming for the day, you simply walk from one boat to the other:

• From Naples (about 18 NM): hydrofoils from the Molo Beverello pier take about 50 minutes, slower ferries longer.
• From Sorrento (about 8 NM): the shortest crossing, about 20 to 25 minutes by hydrofoil.
• From Positano (about 13 NM): seasonal lines in the warmer months, about 40 minutes to an hour.

If you plan a tour around Capri on the same day you arrive from the mainland, leave a margin for the ferry and choose a shorter tour.

Giro dell'isola: the loop around the island

The skipper chooses the direction of the loop according to the sea and the queue at the Blue Grotto. Distances are approximate and measured from Marina Grande.

• Bagni di Tiberio (about 0.5 NM west): a beach with the remains of a Roman villa, right next to the port.
• Blue Grotto (Grotta Azzurra) (about 1 NM): below Anacapri, on the north-west coast. The boat stops outside the grotto, and you enter only in small rowing boats through a low opening in the rock, with passengers lying on the bottom of the boat. The ticket and the rowing boat are paid separately at the entrance itself. When the sea is rough the grotto closes, which can happen even when the south side of the island is calm.
• Anacapri from the sea and Punta Carena (about 3 NM): the western part of the island is higher and wilder, with the village of Anacapri up on the plateau below Monte Solaro. On the south-west tip stands the Punta Carena lighthouse, where you can swim from the boat beneath the rocks.
• Green Grotto (Grotta Verde) (about 4 NM): on the south coast, where shallow water over a pale seabed turns the entrance green.
• Marina Piccola (about 5 NM): a small bay on the south side, with beaches, the Scoglio delle Sirene rock and the hairpin bends of the Via Krupp path on the cliff above. The sea here is usually calmer when the wind blows from the north.
• Faraglioni (about 5.5 NM): three rocks off the south-east coast. The middle one, Faraglione di Mezzo, has a natural arch that small boats pass through, and the rare blue lizard lives on the outer rock. This is where the Classic Tour stops for a swim.
• Villa Malaparte and the White Grotto (Grotta Bianca) (about 6 NM): the red house on the Punta Massullo headland and, a little further north, a grotto of white rock on the east coast.
• Salto di Tiberio (about 7.5 NM): a sheer cliff below the remains of Tiberius's Villa Jovis, on the eastern tip of the island, before the return to Marina Grande.

For the full loop with one swim, 2 hours 15 minutes is enough; for the Blue Grotto, more swims and the coves on the south side, allow 3 to 4 hours.

Sea, wind and crowds

• North or south. When the wind blows from the north, the south side (Marina Piccola, the Faraglioni) is calmer, and when the scirocco blows, there is shelter along the north coast.
• The Blue Grotto in summer. In July and August many boats and rowing boats wait outside it in the middle of the day; the wait is shorter in the morning.

Tours in our offer

Every tour runs on the same boat: a traditional Neapolitan gozzo, 7.5 metres long, for up to 6 guests, always private and with a skipper. On board there is a large sundeck, an awning, a shower, a swim ladder and a fridge with drinks. Prices are for the whole group.

• Classic Tour (2 hours 15 minutes): the loop around the island with a swim at the Faraglioni, no stop at the Blue Grotto. €280.
• Sunset Tour (about 2.5 hours): sunset from the sea. €320.
• Relax Tour (3 hours): the loop with more time to swim and a stop at the Blue Grotto if you want it. €380.
• Half Day Tour (4 hours): unhurried swimming, a caprese sandwich on board, the Blue Grotto if you wish. €480.
• Picnic Tour (4 hours): homemade caprese sandwich and cake, water, beer and wine on board. €480.
• Full Day Tour (6–7 hours): lunch on board or at a restaurant on the coast, around Capri or towards Positano. €750.
• Special Tour: a tailor-made tour for photo shoots, bachelor and bachelorette parties or a sunrise trip.

If none of the tours suits you, the gozzo can also be rented on its own, with a skipper: €280 for 2 hours, €480 for a half day and €750 for a full day.

If you are staying on the mainland, see also our guides to boat rental in Naples, with Ischia and Procida, and to boat rental in Amalfi, with Positano and Li Galli.

Boat rental on Capri with Crystalium Booker

See all the tours and the boat on the boats on Capri page. Send an enquiry with the date, the tour and the number of guests; we check availability with the owner, you pay us the reservation, and you pay the rest on board after the tour, in cash or by card. Need advice on which tour to choose? Get in touch through our contact page. Do you rent out a boat on Capri or elsewhere in the Gulf of Naples? List it with us.