The beautiful island of Capri is known for its stunning seascapes, pretty towns and luxury but its single most famous attraction is probably the Grotta Azzurra, a sea cave which is lit by an eerily lovely blue light.
Like something from a movie, storybook or other world, this magical corner of the globe should be visited by those with vivid imaginations or wishing to claim back their childhood. It's the type of place that one could imagine mermaids or mystical sea creatures would gather and congregate.
If you want to join them, find a villa with pool in Capri and experience this magical place for yourself.
Like something from a movie, storybook or other world, this magical corner of the globe should be visited by those with vivid imaginations or wishing to claim back their childhood. It's the type of place that one could imagine mermaids or mystical sea creatures would gather and congregate.
If you want to join them, find a villa with pool in Capri and experience this magical place for yourself.
Well known to locals since ancient times, it was the personal swimming hole of Emperor Tiberius during the reign of the Romans. So enamoured with the island, he moved the capital of the Empire there in 27 AD. In his time, the grotto was kept in a less natural and more lavish state, decorated in statues and with resting areas set up at the edges of the water. Statues of Neptune and Triton were recovered from the grotto floor in 1964, and are now on display in the museum of Anacapri, and seven statue bases were found in 2009. A restoration project is currently under-way which aims to restore the grotto to its Roman appearance, with copies of the original Roman statues.
In the following centuries, the grotto remained known to fishermen in the area but was not made famous until it was rediscovered in 1826 by a German poet, Augustus Kopisch, and painter, Ernst Fries. Kopisch wrote about it in his book “Entdeckung der Blauen Grotte” and word spread quickly.
The grotto then became part of any serious European traveller's itinerary. It has since been recorded and visited by many famous explorers and travel writers such as Mark Twain.
The grotto is 60 m by 25 m with the waters below measuring 150m in depth.
The blue light effect that illuminates the space is caused by the refraction of daylight through an opening above the water and a larger submerged opening. The grotto is also famous for its beautiful acoustics, adding to the otherworldly sense of unnatural loveliness.
It can be reached by boat from Marina Grande, or bus from Anacapri, or by walking the well-marked path. Visitors must lie on the bottom of a rowboat which the oarsman aims at the cliffs and then waits for a lull in the tides. When this happens, they duck through the low opening in the cliff face. Access is not possible on windy days or when there are waves. Swimming in the grotto is now forbidden, due to safety and preservation reasons.
Despite these limitations, if you ever get the opportunity to visit Capri, make sure to find time for the Grotta Azzurra – there's no where else like it in the world!
The grotto then became part of any serious European traveller's itinerary. It has since been recorded and visited by many famous explorers and travel writers such as Mark Twain.
The grotto is 60 m by 25 m with the waters below measuring 150m in depth.
The blue light effect that illuminates the space is caused by the refraction of daylight through an opening above the water and a larger submerged opening. The grotto is also famous for its beautiful acoustics, adding to the otherworldly sense of unnatural loveliness.
It can be reached by boat from Marina Grande, or bus from Anacapri, or by walking the well-marked path. Visitors must lie on the bottom of a rowboat which the oarsman aims at the cliffs and then waits for a lull in the tides. When this happens, they duck through the low opening in the cliff face. Access is not possible on windy days or when there are waves. Swimming in the grotto is now forbidden, due to safety and preservation reasons.
Despite these limitations, if you ever get the opportunity to visit Capri, make sure to find time for the Grotta Azzurra – there's no where else like it in the world!
Photo credits
picture 1: Frédéric de Goldschmidt / CC BY 3.0
picture 1: Frédéric de Goldschmidt / CC BY 3.0