This is the fourth part about our celebratory trip to Italy with my cousins. Be sure to check out Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 if you haven’t already!
Catching the Morning Ferry to Capri
For our last full day in Naples, Nate suggested we take the ferry over to the island of Capri. It was a cloudy, blustery day, but that didn’t stop us from making our way down to the Port of Naples via the central funicular. Once there, we weren’t sure where to get tickets, but with the help of an aggressive agent trying to sell tours, we eventually found the right pier.
Because of the windy conditions, the ticket clerk told us we would want to catch the 4:00 p.m. return, as they would likely cancel the 6:00. It also made for a bit of a choppy, stomach-turning ride through the gulf to the island. We all did okay (some with the foresight to take anti-nausea pills), but another passenger wasn’t so fortunate.
The ferry took about 50 minutes from the Port of Naples to the Marina of Capri where we debarked and walked along the pier. Even with the dark skies, it was easy to see the appeal and beauty of the island. Without an exact plan, we bypassed the taxis and shuttles services, and decided to wander around on foot to see what there was to do.
Checking out “Scala Fenicia”
We eventually found a wayfinding signboard with different tourist attractions. Nate suggested we head toward one with a camera icon labeled “Scala Fenicia,” assuming it was a scenic overlook about 20 minutes away. Following directional arrows, we started a trek up stone steps through a residential neighborhood, where we passed by a soccer field and ran into friendly (and deceptively friendly) street cats.
When we got to the edge of the residential neighborhood, we didn’t see anything that looked like a scenic overlook. Just more stairs. Ancient, uneven, moss and leaf covered stairs leading up a wooded incline toward the island’s cliffs. Nate pointed to a bridged roadway seemingly miles up the cliffside and jokingly said, “Oh, that must be the overlook!” We all laughed, thinking the overlook was just around a bend in the stairway.
That bend ended up being a switchback. Which was followed by another switchback. And another. Exhausted and out of breath, seeing no designated overlook in sight, we turned around to check out how far we came and decided we might as well continue upward. Descending the mossy steps behind us seemed just as treacherous as the climb ahead.
Vanessa and Katrina told me and Nate several times to just continue ahead while they rested, but we refused. We had plenty of time, and it was nice to stop and take in the views with them.
With many breaks, we eventually did reach that roadway bridge. And that wasn’t the end of the stairs! Exhausted and out of breath, we considered our options, but we knew we had to be almost there — wherever “there” was. So we continued our ascent.
After about TWO HOURS (not twenty minutes) we reached an archway that marked the end. What relief we all felt! And the view! While the climb was long and exhausting, we all felt it was well worth the view of the marina, Capri, and the gulf from the heights we achieved. After checking it out, we continued along the paved walkway toward shops and a city center, and were greeted by another friendly street cat who offered a high five!
At this point, one of us pulled out our phone to research what we just experienced. “Scala Fenicia” — also known as the Phoenician Steps — is a famous 921 step stairway connecting Capri and the much more elevated town of Anacapri. And we did the thing!
Unfortunately, our visit to Anacapri was a bit anti-climactic. Aside from one souvenir boutique and a gelateria, most of the shops and restaurants were closed. But it did happen to be the first place we found a mail box we could send off a few postcards!
With that taken care of, we waited about 20 minutes for a small, crowded bus to shuttle us back to the marina. And that was a thrilling adventure too! Imagine just 15 minutes clinging to hand poles, being flung back and forth and trying not to land on a stranger’s lap while the driver zips down and around switchbacks.
We ended our time on Capri with a quick bite to eat before catching the ferry back to Naples, which turned out to be yet another thrill ride. By that time, the wind had picked up, and we huddled exhausted in our seats as the boat sped back to the port, crashing into white caps.
Once back on land, we found a place to carb up with pasta before heading back to the hotel for the evening. In the morning, we would be off to Rome!
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