Top 12 town of Capri attractions
Part 2

7. GRAND HOTEL QUISISANA - after a few minute stroll down the Via Vitorio Emanuelle, at its end you will reach the most chic hotel of Capri… the Quisisana.

Back in 1845 a Scottish doctor came to the idea to take advantage of the soothing climate and setting of the island and open a sanatorium. It was a place where nobility and other illustrious guests could recover their health, so he called it ‘Qui si Sana’ or ‘Here one heals’.

Soon, Quisisana became more than just a sanatorium… it became a place where chic and fashionable clientele loved to socialize, so it eventually was turned into a hotel and one of Capri attractions.

That’s what it still is today and everyone can come and enjoy the glamorous hotel, marble floors, crystal chandeliers and the company of the cosmopolitan elite.

Some of the famous names who have stayed at the Quisi, as it’s affectionately known, include Ernest Hemingway, Sidney Sheldon, Jean Paul Sartre, Tom Cruise, Sting, Valentino, the Savoy family…

If you think you won’t be coming back to stay here anytime soon but would like to get a little taste of Capri’s rich and famous lifestyle, make sure to have a little pre-lunch aperitif at the Quisi bar.

8. VIA CAMERELLE - Where Corso Vittorio Emanuelle meets Quisisana hotel, Via Camerelle starts… a little bit out of the way of the tourist hordes, this street is the essence of Capri sophistication and one of Capri attractions.

In Roman times, this street was just an embankment following the road leading to Punta Tragara. The road was supported by big arches that got closed off by the mountain in the back. Thus, little cave-like rooms were formed, or ‘camerelle’ as the Italians call them. That’s how the street got the name…Via Camerelle.

Some of the camerelle are said to be occupied by the kitchens of the Quisisana hotel, others where built into 19 Ct. villas that can still be seen on the street.

From a neglected street cut off from the life of Capri, Via Camerelle became one of the Capri attractions when a local craftsman Gennaro Canfora decided to open his luxury hand-made leather sandals shop here.

The others followed and today Via Camerelle is where you will find all the fashion brand boutiques, antique shops, cafes, art galleries and bookstores.

9. THE BELVEDERE OF TRAGARA - if you really want to get away from the crowds, as you reach the end of Via Camerelle, follow a little path to the left that leads to Via Tragara.

This exclusive promenade and one of the Capri attractions is lined with lush vegetation hiding some of the most beautiful residential properties and hotels of the island, villas in which some celebrity visitors like Rainer Maria Rilke and Pablo Neuda stayed… to mention just a couple.

At the very end of the promenade, there is a terrace, Belvedere Tragara viewpoint, from which you will have a stunning view of the Faraglioni rocks.

At this spot there is also a Punta Tragara hotel, which was partially designed by the great Swiss architect, Le Corbusier in the 1920s.

10. THE CHARTERHOUSE OF ST. GIACOMO - if you choose to walk down to the right from the Quisisana hotel, you’re in for another treat. This is the road that leads to the famous Augustus Gardens but before you reach them… right in front of you, you will notice a complex of white washed buildings surrounded with greenery.

This is one of the most important pieces of architecture on the island, the complex of a Carthusian monastery or Certosa di S. Giacomo.

The monastery was built at the initiative of Giacomo Arcucci, who came from a famous Capri family and who was the secretary of the Queen Giovanna Anjou.

Arcucci built the Certosa in the 14th Ct after he made a vow to St. James (Giacomo) in exchange for the birth of a male heir.

Some say that the monastery might have been built on the remains of a Roman villa or a farm. This south facing position was perfect for the monastery that was on one side protected with the sea and the city walls on the other.

Throughout the centuries the Charterhouse suffered a lot of damage and survived raids by Turks, Spanish troops, hostility of the locals during the plague when the monks stayed enclosed within the monastery walls refusing to help people, different invasions, abandonment and conversion into a barracks, hospital and jail.

Today, the monastery, one of Capri attractions, holds a collection of paintings by the German painter K.W. Diefenbach who stayed on the isle of Capri at the beginning of the 20th Century. It is also a site of the Communal Library.

The Cerotsa di San Giacomo is open daily from 9am – 2pm and is closed on Mondays.

11. AUGUSTUS GARDENS - in 1903, German steel industrialist Alfred Krupp who made Capri his home, bought a portion of the Charterhouse’s land and laid out the gardens which belonged to his villa. Eventually, the gardens were donated to the Town of Capri, turned into public gardens and named after the Roman emperor Augustus.

After all the hubbub of Capri town, the Augustus Gardens are a perfect retreat where you can enjoy the views and the fragrances of the typical Mediterranean vegetation... maritime pines, myrtles, lentisk, junipers and other flowers, and splendid views from the cliff overlooking the famous Faraglioni rocks.

On the other side of the gardens is where the famous Via Krupp starts and zigzags all the way down to the Marina Piccola. This rock-hewn road has often been called a piece of art… and it’s not a surprise for the 4500 feet long road that descends down the 150 vertical feet.

Via Krupp is often closed due to the danger of rocks falling off the cliff.

In one corner of the gardens you can find a monument to Lenin who spent some time here just like many other Russian intellectuals and revolutionaries including Maxim Gorky.

12. IL FARAGLIONI - are one of the biggest natural Capri attractions, together with the Grotta Azzura (Blue Grotto). These three rocky stacks rising from the sea have become one of the symbols of the island and you can read more about them in our article on Faraglioni Capri.

• CAPRI ATTRACTIONS- PART 1
• GETTING FROM NAPLES TO CAPRI
• CAPRI FERRY AND HYDROFOIL