Walking from Anacapri to Capri

[Piper77]

Has anyone walked from Anacapri to Capri using the Phonecian steps?  I'm not clear if it only takes you down to Marina Grande or if you can walk the steps and stay up in Capri.

 

Also trying to figure out how to fit in the Blue Grotto and the chair lift in Mount Solaro.  Has anyone done a boat transfer from Marina Grande to Blue Grotto and gotten off and stayed in Anacapri and then made their own way to the chair lift?  It sounds doable but I'm confused about the chaos I've read about at the Blue Grotto in terms of people arriving by boat and the long lines on land.

 

Looking to keep things on a DIY basis.

 

Thanks for any help!

[euro cruiser]

The steps don't go to Capri town, which is quite a bit further east.  There really isn't an option for getting off the stairs and making your way along the road, it's very narrow with no shoulders and lots of buses and cars barreling along it.

 

There are other hiking paths between Capri and Anacapri, however.  You can see them here:  http://www.carteguide.com/pop_sentieri5.htm

 

If you really want to walk the Pheonician steps you'll need to go all the way to Marina Grande and then take a bus or the funicolare back up to Capri town.

[cruisemom42]

It may make sense to plan to do the Mt. Solaro chair lift first (after getting to Anacapri by some method, perhaps bus from Marina Grande, where you get off the ferry?). Then walk the Phoenician steps back down to Marina Grande and get a boat from there to do the Blue Grotto.

 

If you still have time after that, it's a quick funiculare ride up to Capri Town to relax for a bit or do some (luxury) shopping.

 

(One of the problems in Capri is that it's better to do the Blue Grotto in the morning, but it's also better to do the chairlift in the morning. Both have longer lines later in the day, and in particular the Blue Grotto may bet closed later if the wind/waves pick up during they day.)

 

I can't tell from your post whether the Phoenician steps are really a "wanna do" versus just being a path to get from A to B. If it's the latter, you could avoid them by taking the ferry to Marina Grande, boat to Blue Grotto and back to Marina Grande, bus to Anacapri and chairlift, then back to Capri Town on the bus before finally taking the funiculare back down to the Marina Grande for your ferry departure.

[Piper77]

36 minutes ago, cruisemom42 said:

It may make sense to plan to do the Mt. Solaro chair lift first (after getting to Anacapri by some method, perhaps bus from Marina Grande, where you get off the ferry?). Then walk the Phoenician steps back down to Marina Grande and get a boat from there to do the Blue Grotto.

 

If you still have time after that, it's a quick funiculare ride up to Capri Town to relax for a bit or do some (luxury) shopping.

 

(One of the problems in Capri is that it's better to do the Blue Grotto in the morning, but it's also better to do the chairlift in the morning. Both have longer lines later in the day, and in particular the Blue Grotto may bet closed later if the wind/waves pick up during they day.)

 

I can't tell from your post whether the Phoenician steps are really a "wanna do" versus just being a path to get from A to B. If it's the latter, you could avoid them by taking the ferry to Marina Grande, boat to Blue Grotto and back to Marina Grande, bus to Anacapri and chairlift, then back to Capri Town on the bus before finally taking the funiculare back down to the Marina Grande for your ferry departure.

Thanks, everyone.

 

The Phoenician steps was more of an A to B that I thought could be enjoyable.  What you've outlined above is exactly what I as coming across - the need to back track to Marina Grande in order to try to do both attractions.  One of the tourist boat companies I emailed also told me they wouldn't be able to guarantee that we could get off at the Blue Grotto and stay on land at Anacapri.

 

We are there in mid May - so hopefully lines aren't terrible, but it sounds like we might just do Mount Solaro and leave time for shopping in Capri town.  Makes for a more relaxing day.

[CdnTravelGirl]

16 hours ago, Piper77 said:

Thanks, everyone.

 

The Phoenician steps was more of an A to B that I thought could be enjoyable.  What you've outlined above is exactly what I as coming across - the need to back track to Marina Grande in order to try to do both attractions.  One of the tourist boat companies I emailed also told me they wouldn't be able to guarantee that we could get off at the Blue Grotto and stay on land at Anacapri.

 

We are there in mid May - so hopefully lines aren't terrible, but it sounds like we might just do Mount Solaro and leave time for shopping in Capri town.  Makes for a more relaxing day.

We were in Naples on a cruise May 1st last year. We chose to DIY to Capri for the day. We debarked in Naples as soon as we were able and bought a ticket to the earliest "fast" ferry available. Once we arrived at Marina Grande I immediately stopped at the ferry ticket counters and bought our return tickets. We then grabbed a taxi to take us to the entrance to the chair lift for Mount Solaro. Was worth the visit...beautiful views up there. When we came down the chairlift we grabbed another taxi and went to Capri town. Once there we walked to the Gardens of Augustus. I think there was a small fee to enter the gardens. We had a quick pizza lunch in Capri town afterwards and then took the funicular down to Marina Grande to catch our ferry back to Naples. Capri town was quite crowded but still worth seeing. Other than buying a Christmas ornament there I cannot comment on the shopping. We would have liked to have done the Blue Grotto but realized early on while planning trying to do both the Grotto and Mount Solaro was too much. One or the other was the best decision for sure. 🙂

[steamboats]

As others said, the Scala Fenicia gets you down to Marina Grande. I´m an experienced walker but I wouldn´t suggest to do this for anyone having even the slightest problems with their knees - it really hurts when you arrive at Marina Grande. Xou can see some photos here (scroll down). It´s really steep. Oh wait, when you´re younger than 30 and a fitness trainer then run the stairs up and around half of the island (cough, cough, that´s what the fitness trainer on our ship did).

 

steamboats

[euro cruiser]

1 hour ago, steamboats said:

Oh wait, when you´re younger than 30 and a fitness trainer then run the stairs up and around half of the island (cough, cough, that´s what the fitness trainer on our ship did).

 

Showoff!

 

Actually, the capri.net web site recommends walking UP the stairs rather than down because of the height and unevenness of the steps, they say that it's easier to manage going up (I guess because you can see the difference and judge them better than while going down?).

[steamboats]

Those guys were literally running up the stairs and around that part of the island ;-).

 

Yes, usually it´s better to walk up then down.

 

steamboats