There is nowhere quite like Capri. A sheer rock rising from an impossibly blue sea, it has drawn emperors and poets, film stars and heiresses for two thousand years — all chasing the same thing: that particular Caprese light, the scent of lemon and sea, the feeling that time has graciously agreed to slow down. It is small enough to cross in an afternoon and seductive enough to keep you for a lifetime.
This is the ESVRA guide to doing it beautifully — the hotels worth the splurge, the restaurants the island actually loves, the beach clubs by the Faraglioni, the bars where the evening unfolds, the shops worth carrying home, and, of course, exactly what to wear. Consider it your considered companion to the island's dolce vita.
Getting There & When to Go
Capri is reached by ferry or hydrofoil from Naples (around 45–80 minutes) or Sorrento (around 20–30 minutes); the most glamorous arrive by private boat. There are no cars for visitors — the island moves by funicular, open-top taxi, scooter and, mostly, on foot in flat sandals. From Marina Grande, the funicular climbs to the Piazzetta, Capri's beating heart.
For the island at its best, come in late May, June, or September — the sea is warm, the light is golden, and the crowds of high summer have thinned. July and August are dazzling but busy; the shoulder seasons are the island's secret. Book hotels, the best restaurants and beach clubs well in advance — Capri's finest tables and sunbeds are spoken for months ahead.
The Hotels
Capri's hotels are destinations in themselves — cliffside terraces, lemon gardens, and service honed over a century. These are the island's finest.
The grande dame of Capri, opened in 1845 and a few steps from the Piazzetta. Old-world glamour, magnificent gardens, two pools, and a guest list that has stretched from Oscar Wilde to today's jet set. The island's social heart.
Visit WebsiteHigh in tranquil Anacapri, a white-washed palazzo part hotel, part contemporary art gallery — with a world-famous medical spa, two Michelin-starred restaurants (L'Olivo and Il Riccio), and suites with private pools. Serene and rarefied.
Visit WebsiteDesigned by Le Corbusier, clinging to the cliff with the most spectacular view of the Faraglioni on the island. Two pools, sublime terraces, and bold contemporary character. The romantic's choice.
Visit WebsiteA cliffside boutique above Marina Grande — barefoot-luxe, intimate, and impossibly chic, with just 22 rooms, a serene spa, and a sea-view terrace that feels like a private yacht. Many call it the island's best.
Visit WebsiteA former private villa perched a thousand feet above the bay in Anacapri, with an infinity pool that seems to spill into the sea. Family-run, gracious, and gloriously above it all — for those who want the view and the quiet.
Visit WebsiteThe island's oldest hotel, beautifully reborn under the Oetker Collection. Central, polished and effortlessly stylish, with a Michelin-pedigree kitchen and its own beach club. Capri's newest grande address.
Visit WebsiteA jewel-box of colour and character in Capri Town — eclectic, design-led, and warm, with a lovely spa and a kosher-friendly restaurant. A more playful, personal kind of luxury.
Visit WebsiteThe Restaurants
Caprese cuisine is sun on a plate — ravioli capresi, the island's namesake salad, linguine with lemon, the freshest fish. These are the tables worth booking.
The legendary "lemon tree restaurant" — tables set beneath a canopy of fragrant lemons, a celebrity favourite for decades. As much theatre as dinner. Book months ahead.
Visit WebsiteA century-old institution near the Piazzetta, run by the same family for generations. Beloved for its pizza all'acqua and an effortlessly chic, in-the-know crowd.
Visit WebsiteThe only two-Michelin-starred restaurant on the island, within the Jumeirah Capri Palace. Refined Mediterranean cuisine and an extraordinary cellar — Capri's pinnacle of fine dining.
Visit WebsiteThe Capri Palace's Michelin-starred beach club and restaurant by the Blue Grotto — all blue-and-white, with a legendary "Temptation Room" of desserts. Lunch with your feet near the sea.
Visit WebsiteMichelin-starred dining in Capri Town from a Neapolitan culinary dynasty — elevated Caprese classics in an elegant, contemporary room. A serious table that still feels like the island.
Visit WebsiteLunch in the literal shadow of the Faraglioni rocks — a beach club and restaurant accessible by boat shuttle, serving fresh fish and pasta with the island's most dramatic backdrop.
Visit WebsiteCafés & Sweet Things
No day on Capri is complete without a coffee in the Piazzetta and a gelato in the afternoon sun. The island's historic cafés are institutions in themselves, and its pastry tradition — the lemon-scented torta caprese, the ricotta-filled sfogliatella — is reason enough to visit. These are the sweet stops worth making.
One of the oldest and most refined cafés on the Piazzetta, opened in 1937. Sip an espresso or a Capri Spritz in the "drawing room of the world" and watch the island drift by. The quintessential Caprese ritual.
Visit WebsiteThe iconic Piazzetta café since 1937, directly below the bell tower — famous for its sgroppino and the most coveted people-watching seats on the island. Morning cappuccino to evening aperitivo, this is the heart of it all.
Visit WebsiteThe island's beloved gelateria and pasticceria on Via Vittorio Emanuele, family-run since 1950 — follow the scent of freshly pressed waffle cones. The best gelato on Capri, and a slice of warm torta caprese not to be missed. Cash only, and worth the queue.
Read MoreThe Beaches & Beach Clubs
Capri's coastline is mostly rock and pebble cove rather than sand — and its beach clubs are the stuff of legend. A day on a sunbed here, with lunch and a swim in impossibly clear water, is the quintessential Capri experience. Book ahead; the best are reserved well in advance.
The most famous beach club in Italy — set on the rocks directly beneath the Faraglioni, open since 1949. Sun loungers, a celebrated seafood restaurant, and that legendary sangria. Endlessly photographed, endlessly chic. Reserve far ahead.
Visit WebsiteThe historic Marina Piccola club that put Capri on the map in the 1950s, once the haunt of Gracie Fields and the golden-age set. A saltwater pool, pebble beach, and timeless glamour.
Visit WebsiteA historic cove near the ruins of an ancient Roman villa, reached by a free boat shuttle from Marina Grande. Crystalline water, a laid-back seaside restaurant, and a more relaxed, local feel.
Visit WebsiteOn the western tip near the Punta Carena lighthouse in Anacapri — the island's best spot to watch the sun melt into the sea, with a saltwater pool and excellent restaurant.
Visit WebsiteThe other club beneath the Faraglioni, beside La Fontelina — a beach club and celebrated restaurant on its own pebble cove, reached by boat shuttle from Marina Piccola. Slightly more relaxed than its famous neighbour, with the same staggering view.
Visit WebsiteA private white-pebble cove near Marina Piccola, in business since 1906, with one of the most highly rated beach-club restaurants on the island. Quieter, refined, and beloved by those in the know.
Visit WebsiteThe island's main public beach, with both free stretches and private lidos, set against the Sirens' rock. The easiest swim if you'd rather not commit to a full club day.
Read MoreBars & Nightlife
Capri's evenings begin with an aperitivo in the Piazzetta — the island's open-air drawing room — and unfurl into music and dancing in its legendary taverns. The dress code is informal elegance: linen, never stilettos.
The undisputed heart of Capri nightlife — a storied tavern of live Neapolitan music, spontaneous singing, and a crowd of locals, jet-setters and the occasional film star, all on the same dance floor. An institution since the '90s.
Visit WebsiteA historic restaurant since 1931 with an elegant adjoining wine bar — the polished spot for an aperitivo or a glass after dinner, steps from the Piazzetta.
Visit WebsiteThe island's late-night club for those who want to dance until dawn — glamorous, lively, and a Capri summer fixture on Via Vittorio Emanuele.
Visit WebsiteNo address required — simply take a table at one of the four historic cafés on Piazza Umberto I (Gran Caffè, Bar Tiberio, Caffè Caso, Piccolo Bar) and watch all of Capri pass by over a spritz. The island's essential ritual.
Read MoreThe Island Itself
Beyond the sunbeds and the shopping, Capri rewards the curious. The essentials:
The island's most famous wonder — a sea cave where the water glows an electric, otherworldly blue. Reached by small rowboat (weather permitting); go early to avoid the queues.
Read MoreThe only way to truly understand Capri is from the water — circle the island past the Faraglioni, through the natural arch, and into hidden grottoes. Hire a traditional wooden gozzo for the day; most hotels arrange it.
Read MoreTake the open chairlift from Anacapri to the island's highest point for a breathtaking panorama, then explore the quieter, whitewashed village and Villa San Michele.
Read MoreTerraced gardens with the postcard view of the Faraglioni and the switchback Via Krupp path below. The most photographed panorama on the island.
Read MoreThe Shopping
Between the Grand Hotel Quisisana and Via Tragara runs Via Camerelle, one of the most concentrated stretches of designer boutiques in the world. But Capri's true treasures are made on the island.
Capri's most famous sandal-maker, founded in 1946 — Jackie Kennedy had the workshop opened at midnight just for her. Choose your straps and sole, and your bespoke pair is made by hand. The island's signature souvenir.
Visit WebsiteThe island's legendary perfume house, with formulas tracing to the monks of the Charterhouse of San Giacomo. Scents bottled from Capri's flowers and herbs — a fragrant piece of the island to take home.
Visit WebsiteThe Piazza Umberto boutique that created the original "Capri pants" — and dressed Jackie O, Audrey Hepburn and Sophia Loren. Have a custom pair tailored, the Jackie O style that defined island chic.
Visit WebsiteThe island's fashion runway — flagship boutiques of every great house, from Gucci to Prada to Dior, in the hundred glamorous metres between the Quisisana and Via Tragara.
Read MoreWhat to Wear in Capri
Capri style is the art of looking effortless in the heat — natural fabrics, fluid shapes, a flat sandal, a straw bag, and a single piece of gold. Linen by day, something softer by night, and always a wide-brimmed hat for the sun and the boat. Here is the ESVRA edit of what to pack.
The Dresses — By Day
A breezy day dress in the brand's signature stripe — effortless for the Piazzetta and lunch by the sea.
Shop the PieceRomantic Florentine craftsmanship — broderie and soft cotton, made for golden afternoons.
Shop the PieceColombian artistry in vivid prints — a day dress that captures Capri's exuberant side.
Shop the PieceThe Australian label's quiet, elevated minimalism — a day dress in natural fabric and clean lines.
Shop the PieceAnother from Sir — relaxed tailoring and an understated palette, ideal for the island's informal elegance.
Shop the PieceThe Dresses — By Night
The Australian house of sun-soaked glamour — a dress that moves from aperitivo to dinner with ease.
Shop the PieceSoft drape and a flattering line — the kind of dress Capri evenings were made for.
Shop the PieceA final Zimmermann for night — effortless, feminine, and quietly expensive.
Shop the PieceThe Swimwear
A swimsuit with that signature sun-drenched elegance — for the rocks at La Fontelina.
Shop the PieceThe Cover-Ups
The Italian house of print — a cover-up that's as chic over the shoulders as it is on the boat.
Shop the PieceThe crinkle-fabric cult favourite — a cover-up that packs small and looks instantly considered.
Shop the PieceThe Sandals & Slides
The French house's slides — the elevated flat that carries you across cobblestones in style.
Shop the PieceA second slide — because flat sandals are the only sensible footwear on the island's steep lanes.
Shop the PieceThe Bags
A structured tote with cool-girl polish — for town, lunch, and everything between.
Shop the PieceAn everyday tote with French ease — roomy enough for the boat, chic enough for the Piazzetta.
Shop the PieceThe Hats
The cult Australian hat label — a wide brim for the sun, and instant island elegance.
Shop the PieceA refined hat with downtown polish — the finishing touch to a considered Capri look.
Shop the PieceThe Art of Capri
The secret of Capri is that it asks for very little. Wear the linen, eat the lemon-scented pasta, swim before lunch, drink the spritz as the sun goes down, and let the island do the rest. The most stylish travellers here are not the ones doing the most — they are the ones who have understood that on Capri, la dolce vita is simply a matter of slowing down beautifully.
For more of the Mediterranean, see our edits on the Amalfi Coast, Saint-Tropez, and Mykonos — and, before you pack, our guide to quiet luxury.