Capri Itineraries: Day Charters and Multi-Day Routes
Capri’s compact size – just 6 kilometres long – belies the amount there is to see and do from the water. A full circumnavigation by yacht covers roughly 17 kilometres and reveals sea caves, hidden grottoes, the Faraglioni from every angle, and swimming spots inaccessible from land. Combined with the neighbouring islands and the Amalfi Coast, Capri anchors some of the most rewarding short-charter itineraries in the Mediterranean. The routes below are designed to be combined: the 3-day and 4-day itineraries cover different ground and can be stitched together into a 7-day Bay of Naples charter without repeating a single stop.
Day Charter Routes
Full Capri Circumnavigation: Blue Grotto, Faraglioni and Marina Piccola
Depart from Marina Grande by 9 a.m. and head west along Capri’s northern coast to the Blue Grotto. Your crew arranges the rowing-boat transfer while you wait – aim to be there by 9:30 for the best light and shortest queue. After the Grotto, continue around Capri’s western tip past the Punta Carena lighthouse, pausing at the flat bathing rocks for a swim. Round the south-western headland and cruise along the dramatic southern cliffs – sheer limestone dropping into deep cobalt water, with the Green Grotto (Grotta Verde) and White Grotto (Grotta Bianca) visible in the rock face. Arrive at the Faraglioni and pass through the 56-metre arch of Faraglione di Mezzo by tender. Anchor at Marina Piccola for a long lunch: swim in the crystal-clear water, take the tender ashore for grilled fish at Da Luigi ai Faraglioni, or lunch on the aft deck with the Faraglioni as your backdrop. Walk up to the Augustus Gardens for the classic panorama, then cruise back to Marina Grande via the eastern headland and Villa Jovis’s clifftop silhouette.
Capri to Li Galli and Positano Day Charter
Depart Capri and cruise 12 nautical miles east to Positano, the Amalfi Coast’s most photogenic village. The approach from the sea – tiers of pastel houses cascading to the beach – is one of the great arrivals in yachting. Take the tender ashore for a morning of boutique shopping and an espresso at a clifftop café. Continue 4 nautical miles south to the Li Galli islands – Homer’s Siren islands, once owned by Rudolf Nureyev – for a snorkel stop in crystal water over rocky reef. Lunch on the aft deck in the sheltered water between the islets, then cruise back to Capri in the afternoon, rounding the Faraglioni as the light turns golden.
Capri to Ischia Day Charter
Cruise north from Capri across the Bay of Naples to Ischia – roughly 20 nautical miles, just over an hour at cruising speed. Anchor in the shadow of the Aragonese Castle, the medieval fortress perched on its volcanic islet, and take the tender ashore for a morning visit. After lunch on the aft deck, cruise south to Sorgeto Bay, where natural volcanic hot springs bubble through the rocks and mix with the cool sea – your crew knows the warm spots. Alternatively, spend the afternoon at the Giardini Poseidon thermal park (22 pools fed by volcanic springs). Return to Capri as the sun sets across the bay.
3-Day Capri Yacht Charter Itinerary: Capri, Positano and the Li Galli Islands
Day 1: Capri – Blue Grotto and the Faraglioni
Board your yacht at Marina Grande by mid-morning. After a welcome briefing and a champagne toast on the flybridge, cruise to the Blue Grotto for a morning visit in the best light. Your crew arranges the rowing-boat transfer. After the Grotto, circumnavigate Capri’s western and southern coasts, passing the Green Grotto, the White Grotto and the dramatic southern cliffs before arriving at the Faraglioni. Pass through the natural arch by tender – local tradition says couples who kiss beneath it will be together forever. Anchor at Marina Piccola for a swim and lunch, then take the tender ashore to ride the funicular to Capri town. Explore the Piazzetta, browse Via Camerelle’s boutiques (stop at Canfora for custom sandals), and walk to the Augustus Gardens for the classic Faraglioni panorama. Dinner at Il Riccio (one Michelin star, perched on the cliff above the Blue Grotto) or aboard your yacht in Marina Grande.
Day 2: Positano and the Amalfi Coast
Depart early and cruise 12 nautical miles east to Positano. The approach from the sea is unforgettable: pastel houses tumbling down near-vertical cliffs, the majolica-tiled dome of Santa Maria Assunta glinting in the morning light. Anchor offshore and take the tender ashore for a morning of shopping (Positano’s handmade linen clothing and ceramics are the best on the coast) and an espresso at a terraced café. Continue east along the UNESCO-listed coast to Amalfi town – 10 nautical miles, 30 minutes – for a visit to the 9th-century cathedral and the Cloister of Paradise. After lunch on the aft deck, drive (or taxi) the winding road to Ravello, 350 metres above the sea, for a late-afternoon visit to Villa Cimbrone’s Terrace of Infinity. Return to the yacht and anchor for the night in a sheltered bay between Amalfi and Positano. Your chef prepares dinner on the aft deck: scialatielli ai frutti di mare, Delizia al Limone, and a bottle of Lacryma Christi del Vesuvio.
Day 3: Li Galli Islands, Nerano and Return to Capri
Rise early and cruise to the Li Galli islands – three private islets less than 4 nautical miles from Positano. Anchor between Gallo Lungo and La Rotonda for a morning snorkel over rocky reef in water so clear the morning light turns it to liquid turquoise. Continue south-east to Nerano (Marina del Cantone), the quiet bay famous for inventing spaghetti con le zucchine alla Nerano in 1952. Lunch ashore at Ristorante Maria Grazia for the original, or your chef recreates it on the aft deck. After lunch, cruise past the Punta Campanella marine reserve – the rocky headland where the Sorrento Peninsula meets the open sea, with excellent snorkelling over Posidonia meadows – and return to Capri in the late afternoon. Guests looking for a longer voyage can combine this 3-day route with the 4-day itinerary for a full 7-day charter without repeating a single stop.
4-Day Capri Yacht Charter Itinerary: Capri, Ischia, Procida and Sorrento
Day 1: Capri – Full Island Exploration
Board at Marina Grande and spend the day dedicated to Capri itself. Morning at the Blue Grotto (arrive early for the best light), then a full circumnavigation passing the Punta Carena lighthouse, the southern grottoes, and the Faraglioni. Anchor at Marina Piccola for a swim and a beachfront lunch at Da Luigi ai Faraglioni. In the afternoon, ride the chairlift from Anacapri to Monte Solaro’s 589-metre summit for the 360-degree panorama, then walk down through Anacapri to Villa San Michele (Axel Munthe’s cliff-edge villa overlooking the bay). Evening in Capri town: the Piazzetta for an aperitivo, dinner at L’Olivo (two Michelin stars) at the Capri Palace, and a late stroll through the quiet lanes.
Day 2: Ischia
Cruise north across the Bay of Naples to Ischia – 20 nautical miles, roughly an hour. This is the bay’s largest island at 46 km², volcanic in origin and rich in therapeutic hot springs. Morning at the Aragonese Castle – the imposing medieval fortress on its volcanic islet, with panoramic views from the ramparts. After a swim in the clear water around the castle’s base, cruise south to Sant’Angelo, a car-free village on a dramatic isthmus. Lunch ashore at one of the harbourside restaurants. In the afternoon, walk to Sorgeto Bay for a soak in the volcanic hot springs that bubble through the rocks and mix with the sea. Your chef prepares dinner on the aft deck: coniglio all’ischitana (Ischia’s signature slow-cooked rabbit in a terracotta pot with tomatoes, garlic and local herbs).
Day 3: Procida
A short 3-nautical-mile cruise from Ischia brings you to Procida, the smallest and most authentic island in the Bay of Naples. Anchor off Marina Corricella – the pastel-painted fishing harbour featured in The Talented Mr. Ripley and Il Postino, named Italian Capital of Culture in 2022. This is one of the most photogenic harbours in the Mediterranean: peach, lemon-yellow and terracotta houses stacked above fishing boats on a quiet waterfront. Take the tender ashore and wander the car-free lanes, stopping for a granita di limone at a harbourside café. Explore the island’s tiny beaches (Spiaggia della Chiaia, accessible by a tunnel cut through the rock) and enjoy the unhurried pace of genuine Neapolitan island life. Return to the yacht for lunch on the aft deck with views across to Ischia.
Day 4: Sorrento and Return to Capri
Cruise east to Sorrento (17 nautical miles from Procida), the elegant clifftop town overlooking the Bay of Naples. Anchor off Marina di Puolo for a morning swim, then take the tender into Sorrento’s harbour and walk the town: the main piazza, the lemon-tree-lined lanes, the views across to Vesuvius. Pick up Sorrento’s famous tarsia (inlaid woodwork) and sample the local limoncello. After lunch, cruise south to Punta Campanella – the rocky headland at the tip of the Sorrento Peninsula, a marine reserve with excellent snorkelling. Continue 9 nautical miles to Capri, arriving in the late afternoon for a final sunset from the Augustus Gardens. Guests looking for a longer voyage can combine this 4-day route with the 3-day Positano and Li Galli itinerary for a comprehensive 7-day charter covering every highlight in the Bay of Naples and the Amalfi Coast.
