10 Capri and Naples Hotels Above the Funicular, Not Below It

Capri's port and Capri's town are two different places at two different altitudes. The Marina Grande, where every ferry lands, sits at sea level. The town, the piazzetta, the shops and almost every hotel sit about 140 metres above it on a saddle between two hills.

Between them runs a funicular, which takes three minutes and is the only sensible way up. The alternative is a road with a queue of open taxis, or a stepped path that takes half an hour with luggage.

That vertical separation is the thing to understand before booking, because it means arrival on Capri is a small operation involving a boat, a funicular and a porter with a trolley for the last stretch through pedestrian lanes.

The three Capris

Capri town, on the saddle. The piazzetta, the shopping, the restaurants and the best hotels. Everything is a walk, the lanes are pedestrian and it is busy from ten to five when the day-trippers land, then transforms.

Anacapri, higher again at 275 metres, reached by a switchback road. Quieter, more residential, with the chairlift to Monte Solaro and a slower pace. It is a bus or a taxi from the town.

The Marina Piccola and the coast, below the town on the southern side, with the swimming and the Faraglioni rocks.

Naples on the mainland is a 50-minute ferry and a completely different proposition, which is why it is at the end of this list rather than absent from it.

The ten below are grouped accordingly.

Capri town

On the saddle, above the funicular, within the pedestrian lanes.

Hotel Quisisana occupies a large site above the piazzetta with terraced gardens, two pools and a spa, and it has been the island's grand hotel since 1845. Ask for a sea-facing room; the internal ones are ordinary for the price.

J.K. Place Capri sits in a converted villa a few minutes from the piazzetta with a small pool, a garden and the most refined interior on the island.

Hotel Punta Tragara occupies a position on the cliff directly above the Faraglioni rocks, which is the single best view on Capri, with terraces and two pools cut into the slope.

Capri Tiberio Palace - The Leading Hotels of the World sits in the lanes above the town with a garden, a pool and a design that is bolder than the island norm.

Hotel Scalinatella occupies a quiet corner near the Certosa with a pool, mature planting and a family operation. It is the calmest stay in Capri town.

Anacapri

Higher, quieter, and a bus ride from the piazzetta.

Jumeirah Capri Palace sits at the top of Anacapri with an infinity pool over the Bay of Naples, a serious spa and a restaurant that has held a star for years. It is the best hotel on the island.

Hotel Caesar Augustus occupies a clifftop at 300 metres with a terrace over the sea and a view across to Vesuvius that is the best on Capri. It is adults-only and the most dramatic setting here.

Naples

The mainland, 50 minutes by ferry, and worth two nights rather than a transit.

Grand Hotel Vesuvio sits on the Naples waterfront facing the Castel dell'Ovo with a rooftop restaurant, and it is the city's long-standing grand hotel.

ROMEO Napoli occupies a contemporary tower by the port with a rooftop pool and a Michelin-starred restaurant, closest to the Capri ferries.

Grand Hotel Parker's sits in the Vomero hills above the city with terraces, antiques and the widest view over the bay. It is the quietest address in Naples.

What we have left off

The hotels at the Marina Grande are excluded. They are the cheapest on the island and they put you at the port, which is where the ferries land and everybody leaves from. Capri after the day-trippers go is the reason to stay overnight, and that happens on the saddle, not at sea level.

What to do

Stay for the evening. Capri between six and ten, once the last ferries have gone, is a different island: the piazzetta empties of crowds and fills with people who are staying.

Walk to the Faraglioni via the Via Tragara, then down the Pizzolungo path. Take the chairlift up Monte Solaro from Anacapri for the whole bay.

Villa San Michele in Anacapri is the house of a Swedish doctor built on Roman ruins and is the best hour on the island. Villa Jovis, Tiberius's palace at the eastern tip, is a walk out and usually empty.

Swim at the Marina Piccola or from a boat. Hire one for a half day and go round the island; the Blue Grotto only works in flat conditions and the queue can be long.

In Naples: pizza, obviously, and the archaeological museum, which holds everything removed from Pompeii and is the essential visit for anyone doing the sites.

Practical notes

Naples airport connects to the port in 20 minutes; ferries and hydrofoils to Capri take 50 minutes from Naples and 20 from Sorrento. In rough weather crossings are cancelled, which is worth building slack around.

May, June and September are ideal. July and August are extremely busy with day-trippers. Most hotels close from November to Easter.

There is no need for a car and largely no way to use one; Capri restricts non-resident vehicles.

Questions people actually ask

Capri town or Anacapri?

Town for the restaurants, shopping and walking. Anacapri for quiet, views and better value, with a bus to the town.

Is Capri ruined by day-trippers?

Between ten and five in summer, the main lanes are extremely busy. Before and after, it is quiet. This is the entire argument for staying the night.

Is Naples worth adding?

Two nights, yes. The archaeological museum and the pizza justify it and it is the gateway anyway.

How many nights?

Three on Capri, plus two in Naples or Sorrento.

If you only book one

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