To experience the "other" Capri, far from the glitz and glamour of the celebrity-packed Piazzetta, you'll need to take the 3 kilometer long road which winds its way up the cliffs in a series of spectacular hairpin bends to Anacapri. Here, in the picturesque historic center of Anacapri, you'll discover a very different island, one of quiet little lanes and peaceful piazzas, festooned with brightly colored geraniums and bougainvillea.
How to get to Anacapri
You can get to Anacapri by bus from Capri or Marina Grande. When the driver stops the bus and shouts out "Anacapri!", you know you've arrived in Piazza Vittoria, the main bus stop in Anacapri.
From Piazza Vittoria, at the top of the flight of steps, to the right, you'll find the chairlift with which to reach the summit of Monte Solaro and, to the left, Via Capodimonte; the lane which leads to Museum of Villa San Michele and the viewing point from where sweeping views of the entire Bay of Naples can be seen.
On the opposite side of the road from Piazza Vittoria, the pedestrian Via Giuseppe Orlandi traverses the whole length of the historic center of Capri.
Things to do in Anacapri
Take the chairlift to Monte Solaro
Pop in to Villa San Michele
Go for a leisurely stroll through the center of Anacapri
Visit our Facebook Capri page and tell us if you prefer Capri or Anacapri
Casa Rossa
As you walk along Via Orlandi, you'll soon come across the Casa Rossa; a Pompeian red building complete with crenulated facade, mullioned windows, and square tower.
Villa Rossa was the onetime residence of the American lieutenant, John Cay Mackowen, who came to Italy in the immediate aftermath of the American civil war and lived in Anacapri until 1899.
Now a museum, Casa Rossa houses a permanent exhibition of images of 19th and 20th century Capri. Also on display: the four ancient roman statues which were found in the Grotta Azzurra in 1964 and 1974.
Church of San Michele
Continuing along Via Giuseppe Orlando, on the right, you quickly reach Piazza San Nicola and the Church of San Michele, built in Italian baroque style at the turn of the 18th century, at the same time as the rest of the Teresina complex of which it was part. Built on an octagonal Greek cross plan, the church is famous for its majolica floor decoration depicting the expulsion of Adam and Eve, completed in 1761.
Church of Santa Sofia
Only a few steps away from the Church of San Michele, Piazza Armando Diaz has always been the center of life in Anacapri, where the locals can often be found sitting on the majolica benches, chatting or reading the papers in the sun. Dominating the piazza, the Church of Santa Sofia was built in 1510 on the site of the parish church of S.Maria di Costantinopoli. The sacristy and oratory were created in the remains of the even older Church of San Carlo. The two side chapels are a late 17th century edition. The bell towers were completed in the 18th century. The presbytery dates back to 1878.
