Visiting the Blue Grotto on the Island of Capri

With a Mediterranean beauty like no other, the island of Capri is one of the most popular and visited travel destinations in the region of Campania in southern Italy. This alluring beauty has been attracting visitors to the island since ancient times. Sitting high atop the rocky cliffs are the ruins of Villa Jovis, the once magnificent villa of the emperor Tiberius, who ruled the entire Roman Empire from Capri.

The ancient Romans admired the island’s many treasures, including the ethereal beauty of the Grotta Azzurra – the famous Blue Grotto of Capri. The sunlight filtering through the narrow entrance fills this small grotto with intense shades of blue, from vibrant turquoise to shocking electric blue.

Today many visitors to Capri come specifically to experience the Blue Grotto. The Blue Grotto is most easily accessed by boat, and there are many options for reaching the entrance from Capri’s main port Marina Grande. Choose a group tour, which may also include a beautiful boat ride around the island, or opt for a private boat.

Whichever way you arrive at the entrance to the Blue Grotto, you will have to transfer from your boat to a small rowboat. The entrance is very small and you’ll even need to duck down in the rowboat as the skilled boatman pulls the boat through the narrow opening into the grotto.

Once inside, the tour around the grotto will seem far too short, but the intensity of the colours and the thrill of entering the grotto are well worth the time and expense of visiting. Travellers should note that given the small entrance to the Blue Grotto and its open exposure to the sea, tours are only available when the sea is calm. Check at the departure points at Marina Grande if the Blue Grotto is open before planning your boat trip.

The Grotta Azzurra is also accessible by land by hiking about an hour from Anacapri or taking a bus from Anacapri or Capri Town. However, to visit the Blue Grotto from the land you will still need to pay for a rowboat and entrance fee, so you will not save much money by travelling to the Grotto via land compared to by boat.

Current prices per person for visiting the Grotta Azzurra for 2011 are €12.00 for the boat transfer from Marina Grande to the entrance and return, €7.50 for the row boat and €4.00 for the entrance to the Blue Grotto.

Read more Campania Travel Guides.

Read also Capri Travel Guide.