Ferries from Capri

Marina Grande is where the island's rules take effect. Non-resident cars, motorcycles and mopeds are barred from landing or circulating on Capri through the tourist season — roughly 1 April to 2 November — so whatever you arrive with, you continue on foot, by funicular, bus or taxi.

Getting up from the quay

The funicular climbs from Marina Grande to the Piazzetta in Capri town in a few minutes, running about every 15 minutes. Buses serve Anacapri and the rest of the island from the same area; taxis are the open-topped convertibles you will have seen photographed.

The walk up is possible and steep. With luggage in August it is not a serious option.

What sails from here

Our timetable holds 10 active sailings at this port. The one route with Capri as origin is Ischia, about 50 minutes with Alilauro — the island-to-island link that saves a return through Naples.

The heavy traffic here arrives rather than departs: the Sorrento and Naples services. Where to sail from, and what each costs in time, is set out on the Capri guide.

⚠ Everything funnels through one small harbour

Marina Grande handles hydrofoils, car ferries for residents and freight, excursion boats to the Blue Grotto and private craft, on a quay that has not grown. Between about ten in the morning and four in the afternoon in summer it is genuinely congested.

Arriving on the first boats or leaving on the last ones changes the experience of the island more than any other single decision.

Marina Grande itself

The harbour village has a beach, restaurants and the ticket offices, and most people pass through it in four minutes. It is worth an hour at the end of a day when the crowds have gone back up the hill or onto the boats.

Last boats

Departures thin sharply in the evening and stop earlier than mainland ferry ports do. Missing the final sailing on a day trip means finding a room on an island where rooms are expensive.