Hotels near Blue Grotto (Grotta Azzurra)

The Blue Grotto is the sea cave that made Capri famous in the 19th century, after August Kopisch and Ernst Fries popularised it in 1826. The cavern is about 60 metres long and 25 metres wide, with an entrance barely a metre high at sea level. Sunlight enters through a submerged opening beneath the arch, refracts through the water, and lights the interior in the electric blue that gives the cave its name.

Access is by small rowing boat only. You either arrive from Marina Grande by motorboat shuttle (around 18 EUR return in 2026) or take the Anacapri bus to the cliff-top entrance and descend the steps to the ticket platform. Entry to the grotto itself costs 18 EUR, paid in cash at the floating booth, plus a customary tip for the rower. The cave is closed whenever the swell is above about 40 centimetres, which happens often between November and March.

Pro Tip: Go between 11:00 and 13:00 when the sun is high and the blue is at its most intense, and bring the exact cash amount - card readers do not work on the rowing boats.