We tried to beat the crowds to this stunning Italian island – it didn’t go so well

Capri finally emerges from the horizon like a rough-cut diamond, white limestone cliffs glowing in the late morning light. Soon roads encircling these towering columns appear, roads that my partner and I hope soon to be riding along. Our ferry churns through the spangled water and I’m glad to see the activity is languid in the Marina Grande. All is going to plan: late March and I calculate the heat will be on the rise while the workers are still moored to their desks, much like the yachts ahead.

Hiring a scooter in Capri off-season isn’t as easy as it looks.Credit: iStock

Then, a hint of mistiming: a chilly wind picks up and cuts through the ferry’s cabin. The clear plastic awnings flutter. Unperturbed, the ferry backs slowly wharf-side and soon we’re blinking outside in the sun.

The first leads for scooter rental come to nought. Vincenzo, firmly endorsed by our accommodation as a lover of Australia, does not respond to WhatsApp. “He must be out to lunch. Try again at 4pm,” the manager says. I’m growing impatient. It’s taken hours from marina to villa and the day is waning. The second lead is closed for off-season. Scooters arranged in rows wait beyond reach in the shadowy shopfront. Then a rental company responds. To get there we return along the winding narrow road we should be tearing along to the Marina Grande. At least it’s a chance to descend the Scala Fenicia, mossy steps attached to the cliff that leads through the back alleys to the bay. While stunning, the rocky faces have begun to provide cover for a sinking sun and the entire island starts to feel exposed.

“Forty euros for the bike till six,” says the scooter rental owner in a thick Neapolitan accent. Wiping his hands on a grease-stained rag, then his nose with the rag. “I was not supposed to open up until next week,” he says. “Sign here, here and here.” Outside he swings around a yellow scooter, a Kymco 50cc, made in China. “Have you ridden one before?” he asks as the scooter splutters to life.

Marina Piccola, Capri.Credit: Getty Images

It’s clear this scooter has had a lifetime of serious abuse. Resentful on climbs, it refuses to accelerate beyond a jog and has a note as hoarse as a brutalised leaf blower. We earn glares from locals and holidaymakers paying for tranquillity in the season’s first sun.

At the island’s south, the Marina Piccola is where neat restaurants are beginning to open. There’s money at this marina, free of ferries belching exhaust and dispensing crowds; it’s here that small boats are hand-pushed across white stones to glide out to the coves and grottos.

We tear on, across to the island’s west to see Faro Beach, a limestone bay of brilliant turquoise water. It’s far too cold to swim now but this would be a spectacular place in summer, where the rocks arrange a forum for flaunting tanned features. Today, it’s sullen and waiting. Next is Pino Fort, a lighthouse that gazes out to the sea.

Up the cliffs again, the scooter begins to register distress, its panel lighting up, red for oil, orange for low fuel, shutting off only on a downhill run. The town centre is inaccessible by vehicle; an automated camera will send a €100 fine straight to the rental company and this cuts off half the island, leaving us one final stop, Grotto Azzurra.

The Blue Grotto is one of Capri’s biggest attractions.Credit: iStock

The words for blue in Italian take cues from sea and sky. This blue water reflects on the grotto’s roof, a spectacle sadly inaccessible by road. Standing waterside in final direct sun are two fishers, faces leathery and peaceful, that have long accepted whatever season may come.

Back at the shop, the guy is shutting up. “I have to make the last ferry,” he says. We leave the exhausted scooter to rest and later catch the bus to the town centre; the funicular is under repair. The centre is a warren of narrow staircases and alleys. After a hot day, this would be a reprieve but tonight, when the wind picks up, they channel the chilly gusts. These are the final signs, if any were needed, that sometimes it pays to follow the crowd.

The details

Visit
Around twice an hour, Capri can be reached by ferry from Port Naples (with, of course, a big break for lunch). Less frequent are ferries from Sorrento. Return tickets about €50 ($80). In summer, they should be booked ahead. See capri.com/en

Fly
The closest airport is Naples International Airport, serviced by most major airlines. Naples is also serviced by fast trains from major Italian cities; see trenitalia.com/en

Stay
The island hosts a wide array of hotels and Airbnbs. Those on a budget should tend towards the town of Anacapri.

The writer travelled at his own expense.