A Positano to Capri Boat Day, Hour by Hour

In this guide

• When the boats leave, and what the crossing passes
• The Blue Grotto, and what happens when it is closed
• How long you get ashore, and how to spend it
• Lunch, the ride home and what to pack

What time does the boat leave?

Early. The shared Capri cruise asks you to check in at 8:45 at the third green ticket office on Positano's pier for a 9:00 departure, and the private boats leave the public pier beside the ferry dock at the time you agree when you book. Arrive with ten minutes to spare: the shared boat cannot wait for late arrivals, and the morning is when the sea is calmest.

The run west past Li Galli and Punta Campanella

From Positano the boats head west along the coast of the Sorrento peninsula. On the private boat's route you pass Fornillo, stop for an hour at Tordigliano beach, and slide past the cove of Crapolla before rounding Punta Campanella, where the peninsula ends and Capri rises across the strait. It is the most beautiful part of the day for many travellers, and it costs you nothing but an early start.

When do you reach the Blue Grotto?

Usually late in the morning. The private boat's timed stops give the Blue Grotto about 30 minutes, and the shared cruise passes it on its way round the island. Entry is by rowboat through a low opening, about €18 a head in all, paid at the grotto, and in peak season the queue of boats can be long: one Sorrento listing warns of waits of up to 90 minutes.

What if the grotto is closed?

It closes when the sea is high or the tide covers the entrance, and no listing can promise it. The shared cruise states plainly that a visit is not guaranteed. On a private boat your skipper simply spends the time elsewhere, at the Green Grotto or the White Grotto, or a cove to swim in; one couple who found it shut by the tide swam instead and saw a waterfall. Treat the grotto as a bonus and the day will never disappoint you.

How long are you ashore on Capri?

Three to four hours on most boats. The shared cruise gives you about four hours from Marina Grande; the private boat about three hours on the island, plus an hour at Marina Piccola. The hydrofoil day with a guide is different: it spends the day on the island, with a two-hour boat trip round the coast and road transport between Capri and Anacapri.

Capri or Anacapri with the time you have?

With three or four hours, choose one. Capri town, above Marina Grande, is the Piazzetta, the shops and the view down to the Faraglioni. Anacapri, higher up, is quieter and is where the chairlift climbs Monte Solaro. Getting between them means the island's buses or taxis, which cost extra; one traveller found the four hours too short to see both. Decide before you land.

Lunch: on board, a beach club or town?

Most Positano Capri boats serve drinks and snacks rather than a meal. The Sorrento semi-private boat is the exception, with lunch on board. On the private boats, skippers often drop you at a beach restaurant, and you pay for your own meal. In town, eat early or late: at one o'clock every table is full.

The Faraglioni on the way round

The three limestone stacks off Capri's south coast are the island's signature, and one of them is pierced by an arch the boats slip through when the sea allows. The private boat gives them about ten minutes on its way home; the shared cruise passes them on its circuit. Have your camera ready on the right-hand side as you round the island.

When are you back in Positano?

In the late afternoon, after seven to eight hours. The private boat stops to swim off Li Galli, the three private islets off Positano, on the way back, which is the moment most people remember. You land where you started, at the pier, in time to rinse off before dinner.

What if the sea is too rough to cross?

Then the boat does not go. The operators can cancel for weather, and when they do you are offered another date or a full refund; one private boat moved its guests to the next day when the weather turned. That is the reason to book your Capri day early in your stay, with free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead, so that a rough morning leaves you another chance. On a windy day, a road day to Pompeii is the natural swap.

How should you spend three hours on Capri?

1. Decide at the harbour: Capri town or Anacapri, not both.
2. For Capri town, go up to the Piazzetta, walk to the viewpoints over the Faraglioni, and eat early.
3. For Anacapri, take the island's transport up and ride the chairlift to Monte Solaro if the sky is clear.
4. Be back at the boat ten minutes before the time the crew gives you; it will not wait long.

Shared or private for a Capri day?

A shared boat is the better value for two, and the day is well planned. A private boat from Positano costs $673 for up to five, and it buys you the choice of stops, the time at each, and a skipper who can steer round the crowds at the grotto. For a family or four friends, divide the fare by your party before you decide. The decision in full is in which Positano boat tour.

Three Capri days, hour by hour

Which Capri day suits which traveller?

If you want swimming and the grottoes, choose a boat day: the private boat from Positano's pier for your party alone, or the shared cruise for a seat on a larger boat. If you want the island itself, its streets, gardens and Anacapri, the guided hydrofoil day spends more of its time ashore and takes you round by road. Families with young children do best on the private boat, where the skipper can shorten a stop. Travellers who dislike boats should look at the ferry, which is quicker, or at a road day instead.

Where does Capri's money go on the day?

• The landing tax: €5 a head, collected by the islands from April to October.
• The Blue Grotto: about €18 a head, if it is open.
• Getting around: the island's buses, taxis or the chairlift to Monte Solaro.
• Lunch: at a beach club or in town, unless your boat includes it.

Keep small notes and you will move quickly at every stop.

What to pack

• Swimwear under your clothes and a towel; the shared cruise supplies beach towels.
• Euros in small notes for the grotto, the landing tax and the island buses.
• Shoes you can walk uphill in: Capri is steep, and Anacapri more so.
• Sun protection and a hat; there is little shade on deck or on the rocks.
• A dry bag for the ride home, which can be wet in the afternoon breeze.

Which kind of boat suits your party is set out in which Positano boat tour, and the month-by-month sea on Positano weather by month. Going to Capri by ferry instead is in day trips without a tour.

Frequently asked questions

Capri days that start at Positano's pier

Private Boat Tour To Capri Departing From Positano

A private boat from Positano's pier for up to five, three hours on Capri.

From $673 per group, up to 5

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Full Day Capri Island Cruise from Praiano, Positano or Amalfi

A 9:00 boat from Positano's pier, about four hours ashore on Capri.

From $183 per person

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Capri Deluxe with Blue Grotto from Sorrento Positano & Amalfi

Hydrofoil to Capri with a guide all day, from Positano's Piazza Vespucci.

From $295 per person

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