33km (21 miles) SW of Naples
Italy's most famous island, Capri (pronounced cap-ry, not ca-pree) is a dramatic rugged mountain soaring out of the sea at the tip of the Sorrento peninsula. A haunt for eccentric characters since antiquity (Roman Emperor Tiberius had his villa of pleasures, the Villa Jovis, here), Capri has been a favorite retreat of artists, movie stars, and other VIPs in modern times. Scottish writer Norman Douglas's novel South Wind (1917) is part homage to the island and part satire on its eclectic (and even mad) inhabitants. In recent years, though, the island is completely overrun with tourists May through October. Nights tend to be quieter, since many of the tourists come only for the day. You can come in the off season -- Christmastime is popular with Italians -- but you will find many businesses shuttered.
