October 3, 2024, 6:09 am | Read time: 5 minutes
In the high season, Capri is overrun with tourists. In the fall, it gets quieter, the sea is still warm, and figs and grapes hang from the trees and vines.
The seagull on the awning is all excited – guests with cookies are sitting below. In October, the prospect of crumbs differs on Capri, with only a few tourists still coming. Autumn is the most beautiful season of the year on the island in the Gulf of Naples.
The sky is a deep blue, the temperature is around 77 degrees Fahrenheit, and you can still swim in the sea. During this time, the figs gleam, the olives ripen, and grapes hang in thick bunches from the pergolas. Capri, already an island for the senses, seems to give its all once again in October.
You have to be a good walker on Capri. The paths never lead in a straight line but are varied through scrubland and holm oak forests. From the limestone cliffs, the view extends to Ischia, the mainland, and the vast Tyrrhenian Sea. The most beautiful path on the island, the Via Krupp from 1902, zigzags from the Gardens of Augustus down to Marina Piccola.
The most beautiful place on Capri in October
A fun little cable car leads to the highest mountain, Monte Solaro, at 589 meters, in the south of the island, across private gardens on the slope. In the fall, the summit is often shrouded in clouds, and the temperature there is quickly 10 degrees lower than at the valley station. But when the sun is shining at the top, no place is more beautiful.
Many dazzling personalities lived on Capri, such as the Emperor Tiberius. In the first century AD, he lived in the Villa Jovis – now a ruin – and allegedly had disgraced pleasure boys jump over the nearby cliffs. The Swedish doctor, animal rights activist, and writer Axel Munthe built his Villa San Michele nearby at the end of the 19th century. The house attracts many visitors today.
The real magnet of Capri, however, is the Grotta Azzurra, the Blue Grotto. There are 65 other grottos on the island, such as the Grotta Meravigliosa (Wonderful Grotto) or the Grotta del Bove Marino (Grotto of the Sea Cow). You can reach some from the sea and others by steep steps. The Blue Grotto is only accessible through a hole around 1.5 meters high, and it was a nymphaeum in ancient times.
The excursion boats depart from Marina Grande, bustling with activity. At least in the darkness, floating on milky light blue water, you forget that there are actually too many people sharing the spectacle.
The best restaurant tips for Capri
Capri is a good address for gourmets. The evening starts in the Piazetta, officially Piazza Umberto I. In the cafés there, at least three snacks are always served with an aperitif. For example, thick green olives, salted almonds, and taralli – salty pizza pastry curls. Here, the guests sip wine or Aperol and watch the passers-by.
Da Paolino is one of Capri’s trendy restaurants. many say it serves the best limoncello – an ice-cold lemon liqueur – on the island. Another celebrity restaurant is La Capannina in the town center, which has hosted Giorgio Armani and Marcello Mastroianni. La Fontelina, which serves the tastiest grilled fish, is located on the waterfront in front of the famous Faraglioni rock formations.
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Celebrities love Capri
Celebrities tend to come in season but have been doing so for decades. Liz Taylor, Brigitte Bardot, and Kirk Douglas used to come here. Today, Julia Roberts and Demi Moore relax on Capri. And wealthy individuals from Russia and Arab countries. This is why the famous Via Camerelle shows lines with stores full of major jewelers and designers.
Hotels with big names are the Grand Hotel Quisisana in the village center, the elegant Punta Tragara at the end of Via Tragara with a view of the Faraglioni, and the Capri Palace in Anacapri with its Michelin-starred cuisine. You can find good trattorias serving homemade pasta and fresh fish everywhere. And even the simpler hotels are mostly lovingly furnished.
The last days of the season are not ideal for a vacation on the island. The restaurants gather up the outdoor seating, there are no more sun loungers on the beaches, and the boutiques gradually close. At the end of October, the slow exodus of traders marks the beginning of winter on Capri—time to leave. And the seagull will probably have to look for a fish.
How to get there: By plane to Naples, from where several ferry companies take vacationers to Capri.
Travel time: In summer, Capri is often unpleasantly crowded. Autumn is the better alternative.
The original version of this article was published in 2015.