Join Annarita, native Caprese, and professional tour guide on enchanting private walking tours that take your through the true beauty of Capri. Learn about the island with Annarita as she tells stories about Capri’s history,  culture, myths and legends.

Anacapri~View From Above

Monte Solaro to the Valley of Saint Maria In Cetrella

Up above in Anacapri to Monte Solaro, set off along a winding mule track that cuts through magnificent Mediterranean shrubbery and down to the Valley of St. Maria in Cetrella with its beautiful 14th-century hermitage, passing through an ancient chestnut wood on the way.  Once at the hermitage, you’ll be able to enjoy spectacular views of the gulfs of Naples and Salerno, as well as the Peninsula Sorrentina and the Island of Capri.

Along the path, you’ll pass Villa MacKenzie. Here, the British writer Compton MacKenzie lived with his wife from 1918 to 1924, even using Capri as the setting for his two novels “Vestal Fire” and “Extraordinary Women”. In these books, he told the story of various different women and characters that lived on the island in the early 1900s.

The Secret Addresses Of AnaCapri

Walking along Via Giuseppe Orlandi, after a few minutes you’ll reach Casa Rossa. This eclectic-style residence, constructed around an Aragonese Tower, was built by the American Colonel John Clay Mac Kowen during the second half of the 19th century. In the rooms of Casa Rossa, you’ll be able to visit the permanent exhibition entitled ‘The Painted Island: pictorial journey in Capri and Anacapri between the 19th and 20th century’. Since 2008, visitors have been able to view three Roman statues found in the Blue Grotto. The Emperor Tiberius chose this famous sea cave as his personal nymphaeum.

Only a few minutes from Casa Rossa, you’ll find the monumental church of St. Michael, an architectural jewel built in Baroque style. It was designed and built by Domenico Antonio Vaccaro between 1695 and 1719. Of particular interest is its beautiful floor which represents the expulsion of Adam and Eve from Eden (1761), realised by the Neapolitan master Leonardo Chiaiese. There is also an impressive altar built from various different colored marble, along with the chapel’s wooden altar and the artful paintings of Neapolitan artists such as Francesco Solimena.

Next, on Via Giuseppe Orlandi, is the 16th-century Church of Santa Sofia, in the parish of Anacapri. The Church of Santa Sofia known for its vaults and Baroque facade.

Axel Munthe & The Villa San Michele to Monte Solaro

Villa San Michele is located 327 meters above sea level. It was built by the famous Swedish doctor Axel Munthe in the location of an ancient Roman villa, whose ruins were preserved in the surrounding garden. The construction of San Michele began in 1895 with Munthe himself acting as architect, and became the doctor’s home between 1896 and 1910. The buildings and their collections reflect the Romantic style typical of that century. During the visit of the house-museum you’ll be able to take a closer look at a number of Roman, Etruscan and Egyptian finds as well as many examples of Roman sculptures, funerary monuments and fragments of sarcophagi. In the garden there is a variety of typically Mediterranean plants as well as a colonnade offering extraordinary views of the Gulf of Naples.

Monte Solaro is the highest point on the island (589 meters above sea level).  From Piazza Vittoria, there is a chair lift station that takes you to the top in 12 minutes, and from this impressive vantage point you can enjoy the vast panoramic view from the Gulf of Naples to the Gulf of Salerno, the plain of Anacapri, the Sorrento peninsula, and Capri with its Faraglioni and the valley of Cetrella with its 16th-century hermitage.

The Certosa & The Gardens Of Augustus

A few steps from Capri’s famous Piazzetta, is the Certosa, or Charterhouse of San Giacomo built in 1371 by Count Giacomo Arcucci, the personal secretary of Queen Giovanna I D’Angiò.

It’s one of the island’s most important monuments, with its two cloisters, Gothic-style church and the ancient ‘dining room’ which was transformed in 1975 into a museum displaying the works of art of the German artist Karl Wilhelm Diefenbach.

From the Charterhouse, it only takes a few minutes to reach the Gardens of Augustus (entrance 1€ ticket fee not included), where you can take in views of the bay of Marina Piccola, the Faraglioni and the famous Via Krupp, built by the German magnate Krupp between 1901 and 1902.  Along the way you pass the Chartusia, the island’s only perfume laboratory where you can learn more about how Capri flowers are transformed into beautiful perfumes with food tastings along the way.

The Natural Arch, Matermania Grotto, Pizzolungo & Tragara

The tour is 2.5 hours

From the famous Piazzetta, take the path that leads to the Matermania area with its Natural Arch, which is, in fact, the remains of a large cave carved from the rock during the paleolithic era by the erosive action of the wind and the rain.

From the Natural Arch, steps take you down to the valley of Matermania Grotto, a natural cave transformed during Roman times into a Nymphaeum. Today there are still a few remnants of the original Roman wall visible.

Beyond the Grotto, take the easy, winding path along the cliff overlooking the sea. This route runs along the south-east of the island and on this path is Villa Malaparte, (or ‘Casa Come Me’ – A House like Me), designed by the architect Adalberto Libera and built by the writer Curzio Malaparte at the top of Punta Massullo. Continuing along the path, you’ll reach the Belvedere of Tragara, a beautiful viewpoint situated directly above the Faraglioni rocks.

Villa Jovis & The Famous Piazzetta

Villa Jovis is the most important imperial villa on the island, and it’s from this residence that the Emperor Tiberius governed the Roman Empire between 27 and 37 A.D. The villa, uncovered in the 18th century during the reign of Charles of Bourbon, covers an area of 7,000 square meters and at its center are four cisterns designed to collect rainwater, both for drinking and supplying the baths located to the south of the villa.

These baths were divided into the traditional frigidarium, tepidarium and calidarium sections. The imperial quarters were located in the northern side of the villa, and were completely isolated from the rest of the building. The villa’s large terrace was designed for enjoying the fresh air and admiring the Gulf of Naples and Peninsula Sorrentina.

Check Availability

2024 Dates: These one day walking tours are available throughout the year. Rates are subject to change based on currency exchange. Call for updated rates. Airfare not included. Group transfers for any cooking tour or tours that include transfers, are for the group and are not private. Transfers before, after or to another destination outside of your cooking tour are not included in the program price. If you would like to add on a private transfer or transfers, let us know and we will send you pricing.