Enchantment on the Island of Capri

by Roy Witman

If you look back at its history, you could easily say the entire world is enchanted with the island of Capri, Italy. With royal-blue water, it is often difficult to tell where the sky ends and the ocean begins. Capri is surrounded by the Tyrrhenian Sea just off the coast of Naples. As you approach via ferry, it's easy to distinguish Capri's dramatic color palette of brilliant blue, slate gray, deep green and gleaming white.

With visitors from across the globe, Capri boasts quite a guest list (including emperors). It has also been introduced to many via the movies. September Affair (1949), It Started in Naples (1960) that featured native Sophia Loren and countless Italian films have all used this beautiful island as their backdrops.

The Aroma & Taste of Capri

But Capri is known for much more than fame and fortune. If cruising through Italy on Princess Cruises or another cruise line, you'll likely stop in Naples or another nearby port town. From here, ferries and speedboats can easily take you directly to the dock at Capri.

Stepping onto the island immediately brings an amazing fusion of aromas including fresh broom flowers in bloom, ripe natively grown lemons and fresh salt air. In addition, the intense perfume of indigenous basil, marjoram, oregano, parsley and thyme waft through the air with every breeze.

Capri cooking, needless to say, revolves around a variety of herbs and other flavors that culminate into a taste-tempting delight.

Island Activities

Obviously, since Capri is an island, water sports are popular here. Opportunities for boating, swimming, fishing and more are abundant. However, with so much to see, you'll have a hard time deciding what to do next.

The Blue Grotto (Grotta Azzurra) is a must-see. The official website of Capri describes this remarkable site best. "The blue coloring of the Grotta Azzurra is created by the daylight that enters via an underwater opening located immediately below the entrance to the cave. The light is filtered by the water, which absorbs the red tones, leaving only the blue ones to pass into the cave.

"A second phenomenon creates the silver appearance of the objects immersed in the water: given that the index of refraction of the bubbles of air which adhere to the surface of the objects is different to that of the water, the light is allowed to egress."

Cave exploration is another popular pastime on Capri. With so many naturally formed caves to choose from, investigating these natural wonders via sea is a spectacular pastime.

The Faraglioni Rocks, marinas, Gardens of Augustus, the forts, churches, lighthouse and other sights will bring memories for years to come of bright sunny days spent with family and friends.

If you're planning to book an Italian cruise on Princess or another cruise line, schedule an itinerary with a stop near the island of Capri. This little side adventure will turn out to be a highlight of your voyage.