Capri

For more than two thousand years, Capri has captivated emperors, writers and artists alike. Its limestone cliffs, intimate piazzas and discreet sophistication continue to define one of Italy's most enduring expressions of Mediterranean elegance.

Capri lies at the mouth of the Bay of Naples, under an hour by fast ferry from Naples or Sorrento. Augustus acquired the island; Tiberius ruled the empire from it for his last decade, and the ruins of his Villa Jovis still crown its eastern cliff. A funicular climbs from Marina Grande to the Piazzetta, the small square at the heart of Capri town.

Higher up, Anacapri is quieter, with the chairlift to Monte Solaro and Axel Munthe’s Villa San Michele. Around the coast lie the Faraglioni stacks, the Blue Grotto and the switchbacks of Via Krupp below the Gardens of Augustus. The island is best seen by boat, circling it in an afternoon.

Capri’s season runs from Easter to October, and most hotels close over the winter. Day visitors arrive from mid-morning and leave on the late-afternoon boats; staying on the island means having the Piazzetta and the lanes to yourself in the early morning and in the evening, when dinner on a terrace is the island’s main event.

May, June and September offer warm sea, long days and comfortable walking on the island’s paths, such as the Pizzolungo trail. July and August are the busiest and hottest months, the season of yachts at anchor off Marina Piccola. October is calm and mild before the island closes down for the winter and most shops and restaurants pull down their shutters.

The island’s leading hotels are spread between its three centres: Grand Hotel Quisisana, a few steps from the Piazzetta and the oldest of Capri’s grand hotels; Capri Palace Jumeirah in Anacapri, with its spa and views over the Gulf of Naples; and J.K. Place Capri, a former villa set above the sea at Marina Grande.

LVXVRY books Capri Palace through Jumeirah Passport to Luxury — at the official hotel rate, with the privileges the programme attaches to the stay. For the Quisisana and J.K. Place, LVXVRY advises on rooms and dates and arranges the stay directly with the hotel. Transfers from the ferry at Marina Grande can be arranged with the booking.