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Island Tour: Explore Capri's Marvelous Sea Caves, Including the Famous Blue Grotto
3.2
166 Ratings
Marina Grande
Embark on an island tour of Capri’s marvelous sea caves, including the famous Blue Grotto. Sail from Marina Grande and explore iconic landmarks like the Scugnizzo statue, White grotto, Natural Arch, Casa Malaparte, and the stunning Faraglioni rocks.
Duration:
2 hours, 20 minutes
Cancellation:
1 day
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Highlights
- Motoscafisti Capri - Arrive at dock number 0 in the port of Capri. You will board the next available departure.
- Gennarino Scugnizzo Di Capri - Perched on a large boulder overlooking the sea, the bronze statue of “Gennarino, O ‘Scugnizzo di Capri” is visible. This statue, also known as the statue of welcome, traditionally greets women arriving in Capri by sea.
- White Grotta - Named for the white calcareous incrustations on its sides and clusters of white stalactites hanging from the roof and entrance. The cave faces east near Punta della Chiavioa. The entry, about 70–80 feet (21–24 m) high, leads to upper and lower caves, with the former being less accessible. The lower cave can be entered by boat for a short distance. Unlike most water-level caves, it is broader at about 6 feet (1.8 m) above the water than at the surface, with a total height of no more than 24 feet (7.3 m). The upper erosion line is clearly marked near and within the cave, indicating the upper cave belongs to an earlier period.
According to Mario Puzo’s book The Sicilian, the Grotta Bianca is where the famous Sicilian bandit Salvatore Giuliano stayed during his first nights as an outlaw after killing an armed national policeman. Although dramatized, many believe some information in the book is true regarding Giuliano.
- Villa Malaparte - A house on Punta Massullo, on the eastern side of Capri, Italy, and one of the finest examples of Italian modern and contemporary architecture.
The house was conceived around 1937 by renowned Italian architect Adalberto Libera for Curzio Malaparte. However, Malaparte rejected Libera’s design and built the home himself with the help of local stonemason Adolfo Amitrano.
- Natural Arch - Suspended above the turquoise sea, this massive rock has naturally formed into a gigantic arch resembling an elephant.
- I Faraglioni - The most iconic sight of Capri.
- Marina Piccola - The sunny bay on the south side of the island.
- Green Grotta - The green light on the rocks is a composite effect of blue light reflected and transmitted from the water, playing on the yellowish-hued sides and roof of the cave.
- Punta Carena Lighthouse - Built in 1866, this lighthouse, or ‘faro’ in Italian, is the second tallest in Italy (after Genoa) and one of the most important guarding the Tyrrhenian Sea. At Punta Carena, the seabed descends rapidly, reaching 600 meters deep just 500 meters from the coast.
- Blue Grotto - Entrance by rowing boat is not included or guaranteed. The sea must be very calm and the tide low. If the waiting time exceeds 45 minutes, the crew reserves the right to return to the port. A free ride to use later in the day is then granted.
What's Included
- Surcharges on fuel
- Boat tour around the island with a visit to the Blue Grotto
What's Not Included
- Blue Grotto rowboat entrance ticket
Additional Information
From Marina Grande, we’ll embark on a journey around Capri island, showcasing the sights that grace the most iconic postcards: Scugnizzo statue, White grotto, Natural Arch, Casa Malaparte, Faraglioni rocks, along with other sea caves of Capri, including the world-renowned Blue Grotto*.
*In the event that the wait time to enter the Blue Grotto surpasses 45 minutes, for safety considerations, the crew retains the right to head back. However, a complimentary trip directly to the Blue Grotto will be provided.
- no WC on our smaller boats
- bring water and sunscreen
- boat tour can get rocky sometimes, think twice if you suffer from sea sickness
Location
Motoscafisti Capri
MOTOSCAFISTI CAPRI PIER -
DOCK N. 0 - MARINA GRANDE
Directions: A few meters from ferries drop off area, dock n. 0 is located at the beginning of the port in Marina Grande.
Facing Funicolare exit.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
3.2
(166 Ratings)
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Francois_v
Sep 3, 2024
Great experience - Loved the whole experience. Unfortunately the tide was high and we could not enter the blue grotto. Guide was professional and helpful.
Review provided by Viator
Carlor694
Aug 6, 2024
A Modenese in ...Naples; excursion to Capri. - Nice tour with speedboat for 16 people, to see again the cicero-commander, price 24€, 60 minutes total, no cave because of the wave.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Dorothy_b
Jun 18, 2024
Great for the price, do not expect Blue Grotto - For the price, this is a great tour. You really can't beat it. We went based off reviews and did not expect to stop at the Blue Grotto, which turned out to be accurate. I noticed the loud speaker messages in English and Italian were a bit different - in Italian, they said the wait time was 3 hours and it was too long. In English, they said the water was getting too high and it would be closing. The tour was a bit confusing at first that this is a bilingual tour (Italian/English.) Everything on our boat was said in Italian first and then English. I genuinely thought we'd gotten on the wrong boat at first when he was doing a long introduction in Italian! Until he started speaking English, I figured oh well, we'll just enjoy the ride. I get that it's more efficient, but would've preferred them to only do a tour in one language at a time. Do wear plenty of sunscreen and bring a hat and water if you sit on top of the two-level boat. We were in the bright sun with no wind for a solid 10 minutes before it left the dock and everyone was getting a bit overheated. The breeze once the boat starts moving is great though! Overall recommend for the price, but be mindful you get what you pay for.
Sidenote: the captain was GREAT at driving the boat. I'm impressed how close he got that big boat to the cliffs/rocks, wow!
Review provided by Viator
Dorothybt7065dh
Jun 18, 2024
Great for the price, do not expect Blue Grotto - For the price, this is a great tour. You really can't beat it. We went based off reviews and did not expect to stop at the Blue Grotto, which turned out to be accurate. I noticed the loud speaker messages in English and Italian were a bit different - in Italian, they said the wait time was 3 hours and it was too long. In English, they said the water was getting too high and it would be closing. The tour was a bit confusing at first that this is a bilingual tour (Italian/English.) Everything on our boat was said in Italian first and then English. I genuinely thought we'd gotten on the wrong boat at first when he was doing a long introduction in Italian! Until he started speaking English, I figured oh well, we'll just enjoy the ride. I get that it's more efficient, but would've preferred them to only do a tour in one language at a time. Do wear plenty of sunscreen and bring a hat and water if you sit on top of the two-level boat. We were in the bright sun with no wind for a solid 10 minutes before it left the dock and everyone was getting a bit overheated. The breeze once the boat starts moving is great though! Overall recommend for the price, but be mindful you get what you pay for.
Sidenote: the captain was GREAT at driving the boat. I'm impressed how close he got that big boat to the cliffs/rocks, wow!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Therealmeltam
May 30, 2024
Tour and blue grotto tickets are separate fees - We booked the two hour tour of Capri/Blue Grotto. It’s €23 pp for the tour and another €18 pp for the Blue Grotto. It seems all the bad reviews are because people are saying they thought the Blue Grotto was included in the €23, but it clearly says that it’s a separate purchase at the site, when you are buying the tickets. We went at the beginning of April and it was the first tour of the day, so we didn’t have the peak summer tourist wait experience that a lot of the reviews say. We got to the meeting point at 9:20 for the 9:45 tour. We decided to purchase tickets on site instead of online because there’s a chance you won’t go to the Blue Grotto based on the weather conditions that day. If you buy online and the Blue Grotto trip is canceled, you can’t get a refund - but you can move the ticket to another day. But we had a tight schedule and there was only one day we could go to Capri, so we decided it was best to buy on site.
The tour takes you around Capri, including the Faraglioni (the famous rocks), then to Blue Grotto, and back to the meeting point. We decided to just get off after the Blue Grotto and take the bus back into the other side of town, since that’s where we wanted to go anyway. This saved us probably 1-2 hours of time. Overall, the tour itself was just okay but most importantly, it got us where we needed to go, and we saw what we wanted to see. So if you’re strapped in time in Capri, this is a great option for you.
Tip - people basically bum rushed us to get to the top level of the boat. We ended up sitting on the first level on the left side in the front, which is outdoors, so you still get great views. When it was time to transfer boats to get to the Blue Grotto, it just so happened that we got to get off first because that’s where the ladder was. So the people who bum rushed us at the beginning ended up being last in line and probably had to wait at least half an hour. So it looks like we got the last laugh.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lyndamarie_n
Oct 19, 2023
WARNING: Not a wheelchair accessible tour! - This is advertised as a wheelchair accessible experience. In fact in the notes / description it is mentioned 3 times along with stroller accessible.
We were first offered a giant dinghy as pictured above which is not suitable at all so then we were told (and given different tickets) and went from wharf 0 to wharf 23 to catch an accessible boat.
The boat arrived with a long gangway not wheelchair accessible to walk down to get onto/off the bow of the boat which had stairs. The name of the boat was Grotta Azzurra of the Yellow Line. I managed to get onto the boat however it was far from safe due to the way the narrow gang plank I had to walk moved up and down pivoting with the boat due to waves. Reaching between the gangplank and stairs on the boat I almost fell off the side. My wheeled mobility device had to be collapsed and carried onto the boat. The gangplank plus stairs cannot carry a wheelchair.
The experience was neither accessible nor fun due to mis stated expectations set on the tour information. Nor is in stroller accessible!
Review provided by Viator
Carissa_o
Sep 15, 2024
No communication - No communication!
Did not respond when asked questions about location and services causing us not to go on trip.
Review provided by Viator
Azurite673
Jun 30, 2024
No go to the Blue Grotto. - Scam. The ticket says no guarantee to stop at the Blue Grotto. They had no intention of stopping when I bought my ticket. They told me they were stopping they told the people behind us they were not. They brought us back to port where we could wait in line for another ticket. If you want to see the Blur Grotto book with the other company. Rude and they will lie to you.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
J4646vdmichaelk
May 21, 2024
They know full well that the Blue Grotto tour would be cancelled but they sold us the tickets anyway - We boarded the boat sometime after 10. So by the time we reached the Blue Grotto it was about 11. On a blue sunny day with calm seas, of course the entrance was jammed with boats plus a line of people waiting ashore to get in. The operator told us they didn't want to wait and so we skipped it. For CYA they have a blurb somewhere that they reserve the right to cancel the Blue Grotto tour if it is too busy. But they should have know that that would likely be the case and warned us before we purchased the tickets that the Blue Grotto tour would most likely be cancelled. But no, they sold us the tickets and then told us in the last minute that it was cancelled. Had I known I would have selected a different cruise operator to go only to the Blue Grotto.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ashutosh_s
Mar 31, 2024
Tour cancelled, no support for alternative or refund. - The tour was cancelled due to bad weather. Which is ok. However, the tour operator was not helpful to support the refund process. The issue is still open at viator side.
Review provided by Viator