First popularised as a holiday destination by the Roman Republic, the Italian island of Capri shows no signs of losing its allure. For more than 2,000 years Capri has attracted emperors and artists, architects and free-thinkers, each and every one lured towards its hulking form, which rises violently and without apology from the Gulf of Naples. But it was Jackie Kennedy Onassis who really put it on the map in the mid 20th century and her spirit lives on, in photographs on the walls of Canfora, the sandal shop she patronised and in the Capri-style cropped trousers that she helped launch to international fame.
And if Jackie O is the island’s official ambassador, then lemons are its official emblem. They’re on, and in, everything, from hand-painted tiles to the refreshing granitas sold roadside from little stalls. On clearer days, it’s possible to see right back across the Gulf of Naples to Vesuvius, but more often than not the morning mists and hot, hazy horizon create the illusion that you’re in a snow globe, cut off from the rest of the world, and from reality.
Because a holiday here is like a journey back in time, to the days of Slim Aarons, A Talented Mr Ripley (before it all went wrong) and Brigitte Bardot. It’s an old cliché, but a cliché for a reason: Capri has to been seen from the sea. Fight the urge to lounge pool-side and book a morning tour of the island — if your hotel cannot organise one for you, go for Capri Relax Boats .
Your skipper will most-li.
