Blue Grotto

Blue Grotto

Blue Grotto
3.5
About
The Blue Grotto is hidden inside a small sea cave. To enter, you'll have to ride on a rowboat and lean back in order to fit through the mouth that’s only 6.5 feet wide. Upon entering, a stretch of darkness opens to a hushed cavern, dappled with silvery reflections and filled with sparkling blue water. An entrance fee is required, which is paid to a floating boat just before you enter. The grotto is also only accessible via a tour of the islands, either from Capri, Sorrento, or Naples. Plan to visit during off-peak season for fewer crowds and shorter waiting times. – Tripadvisor
Duration: < 1 hour
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  • ごり
    Japan67 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Waiting time 0 minutes
    Mid-April. We were able to enter without any problems. First of all, the madam at the inn predicted the day before that "You'll be able to enter tomorrow because the waves have been calm recently," and we really were able to enter despite the cloudy sky. When we went, construction was underway at the bus stop closest to the cave, so we took a taxi to the closest spot and then walked 20 minutes to the cave. We were wondering whether to go by land or sea, but we saw a review a week ago that said people had to wait 2 hours at sea, so we chose to go by land. In the end, both the land and sea routes were empty that day and there was no wait time, so either would have been fine, but considering the cost, I think the land bus route is cheaper. Maybe because it was a slow day, we didn't share the ride with anyone we didn't know, and we went around the cave twice for a 2 euro tip, and there was even a song.
    Visited April 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written April 30, 2024
  • Michela A
    42 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Blue Cave
    It's not the first time I've gone to Capri and the Blue Grotto, the first time I saw it in 78 and then I happened to come back and visit it. I was lucky enough to be able to swim to it and bathe in it. Now it's possible seeing it only with local boats, but despite everything, it is always worth it, it is a wonderful and unique place
    Visited April 2024
    Traveled with friends
    Written May 1, 2024
  • David & Tricia
    Greater Sydney, Australia961 contributions
    3.0 of 5 bubbles
    Heavily promoted & visited when open.
    Whilst many operates promote the Blue grotto, do not get trapped, it is only open when the seas are calm. They show entrance is 18 euro, that may the true but there is a big cost getting there. We were lucky to be on a boat trip to Capri & they were advised at 11 am it was open. It cost us 41 euro each to get a private bus with 14 others included entry to the cave. The entry is via small wooden boats the takes 5 plus the oarsman, you lay down, & get pull by the Oarsman through the small tunnel top being about 3 ft above sea level into a cave , there will be about 8 other boats in there, you are in & out in about a minute, Is it worth it, no, it is an experience.
    Visited May 2024
    Traveled with family
    Written May 27, 2024
  • Antonio D
    15 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Amazing experience
    The Blue Grotto in Capri is a magical and unforgettable experience. The stunning blue glow that fills the cave creates a unique atmosphere. Though the entrance is narrow, the boat ride adds excitement to the visit. I recommend going at midday for the best light show. Don't miss it if you're visiting Capri!
    Visited June 2024
    Traveled with family
    Written June 7, 2024
  • Priscilla G
    15 contributions
    3.0 of 5 bubbles
    Overrated
    I thought it was cute, but not essential. The kind of place you go to because everyone talks about it. A long queue, expensive (18 euros pp) a hassle to get in, a very uncomfortable boat and a very rude boatman who charged the tip as soon as we boarded the boat, before the service was provided.
    Visited June 2024
    Traveled with family
    Written June 17, 2024
  • twg49
    Oxfordshire, United Kingdom7 contributions
    3.0 of 5 bubbles
    Pretty place spoilt but unable to cope with visitor numbers
    A potentially pretty place spoilt by overselling, excessive tourism and boatmen hassling for tips. There are nicer places on Capri that have blue water and are not spoilt by tourism. It was good to visit once but would not go again.
    Visited June 2024
    Traveled with family
    Written June 20, 2024
  • Mika
    Osaka Prefecture, Japan9 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Mystical Blue Ocean
    We took a day trip from Rome to Capri. The Blue Cave was a very beautiful blue ocean. From Marina Grande, take a shared boat to Blue Cave and transfer to a smaller two- or three-seater boat in front of the cave. The boatman of the small boat suddenly asked me if I wanted to swim in the cave. Give them a little more chips and let's go to the cave. Because I was not wearing a swimsuit, I swam in the blue cave in my summer dress. Great. If you want to swim, I think it's up to you to negotiate with a small boatman. It was midsummer, so I sunbathed in peach for about half an hour with my clothes on and it dried out naturally.
    Visited August 2023
    Traveled solo
    Written July 5, 2024
  • BritAbroadz
    Glasgow, United Kingdom68 contributions
    3.0 of 5 bubbles
    Not worth the excessive cost
    I admit to being a little sold on the instagram hype but it definitely wasn’t worth the money and the time. I googled before so I knew to expect a wait on the boat before getting into the rowing boats but it was close to 90 mins for 5 mins max in the grotto. I also knew the guides of the rowing boats would tell us about an “extra charge” so we firmly said no to that! When you get into the little rowing boats they take you to another boat to pay for boat fee and entry fee which was about €18 each. The guides were saying “their” charge was €20 per person!! We genuinely had no cash but I also knew it was a play but I couldn’t believe the people handing over wads of cash when they had already paid. I don’t mind a small tip but €80 for 5 mins as a tip is laughable. The grotto itself is fine. Kinda cool and looks good in pictures but it was in no way a life changing experience. I’m disappointed that we wasted two hours of our day trip to Capri on this and wouldn’t do it again.
    Visited July 2024
    Traveled with family
    Written July 11, 2024
  • gopcs
    Nashville, Tennessee60 contributions
    3.0 of 5 bubbles
    Beautiful, then harassed for a tip.
    The Blue Grotto is a unique visual experience. Very pretty. We were on a tour that included the Blue Grotto. Our tour guide warned us that the boat driver might ask for a tip, but there was no obligation to comply. The boat driver harassed us to give 5 Euro. I gave 1 and a half Euro, and he was not pleased. "This is not church!" HA! We had already paid 18 Euro each.
    Visited April 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written July 17, 2024
  • MSQ45
    Houston, Texas12 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    A Divine experience.
    Although waiting time was about 1 hours but it was well worth it. Tour from capri was well organized. Visited last time in 1998. This time came with my son and daughter who missed it last time.
    Visited July 2024
    Traveled with family
    Written August 18, 2024
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TimWandMelG
Austin, TX327 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2023 • Couples
The Blue Grotto on Capri is of course one of the must-do attractions on the island. Whether you enjoy it or not depends on how well you plan and whether you like spending time on the water. Here’s some hints and tips. This attraction can have huge wait times and if you don’t like boats it’s better for the wait time to be on land. Many people take a guided tour which involves a boat ride from Marina Grande around the island, waiting on the sea at the entrance to the grotto (which can take hours), transferring to one of the little row boats that are small enough to enter the cave entrance, 5 mins in the grotto and then the reverse trip back. This can take half a day and of course the cost is quite high. You can cut down on time and cost by 1) going as early as possible in the morning, 2) taking the overland option. We decided on the overland option which involved a bus from Marina Grande to Capri town, a second bus from Capri town to Anacapri, and a taxi from Anacapri to the Blue Grotto jetty at 40°33'39.4"N 14°12'19.4"E. There are a number of concrete steps down to the little pier where the row boats collect you and you pay the boat owner directly in cash. You still need to wait your turn to enter the cave (involving lying flat in the boat since the entrance is really low) before your 5 mins in the beautiful grotto marveling at the iridescent luminous blue water, and then back outside again. There is actually a bus that runs from Anacapri to the Blue Grotto and back so we took that on the return journey. The entire journey from start to finish would have taken about two hours (of which most of the time was spent in line on the concrete steps down to the jetty). It’s definitely worth doing but make sure you choose the option that is right for you.
Written August 22, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Raffaella V
Naples, Italy771 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2023 • Couples
Suggestive and beautiful cave, a little too crowded in August but equally beautiful. It would be better to be able to admire it in silence but perhaps the beauty of the place would make it disturbing and surreal so I understand the shouting and singing that break an enchantment so great that it cannot be tolerated in silence. The price is 18 euros per person, you pay on the boat before entering. I recommend the route from Anacapri by bus to the small staircase which leads to the boats via an easy walkway. It is easier than transferring by sea and I believe it is also safer. Definitely an experience to have, at least once in your life. Not recommended for claustrophobic people and/or with mobility difficulties.
Google
Written August 24, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Christian De Lucia
Santa Maria A Vico, Italy18 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2023 • Couples
The boat ride to get there is spectacular, the problem arises as soon as you arrive at the cave. Endless queue, we waited an hour and they told us that we were also lucky with the weather... quite high price for about 3 minutes per day. inside the cave, we had a 5 person canoe and we couldn't fit in it, very uncomfortable. The cave is beautiful, but personally I wouldn't do it again
Google
Written August 16, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Rase S
Barcelona, Spain18 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2024 • Family
A cashier!!!
A horrible experience. We share a pot entrance to the grotto with another couple, the two parties wanted to pay by card, they tell you that only payment by card of one per pot is allowed.
They charge you in two different dataphones, in our case 24 euros and another of 12 euros... yes! gentlemen and ladies 18 euros per person for 4 minutes counted, so that the boatman when leaving asks you "the tip of the sailor". It's creepy how they take your money to see blue water in sunlight, inside a dark cave.
I recommend 100% not to make that visit, it has been a monumental tease.
Automatically translated
Written October 25, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Melly Mel
32 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2024 • Family
As you are probably doing now, I went back & forth with the decision to attempt this or not. This was my second attempt as last year our boat tour was cancelled due to weather conditions. This year I decided to skip the boat tour & attempt it on foot. Happy to say, we made it inside of the infamous beautiful blue grotto. Once arriving in port, we took a convertible taxi to the land entrance of the blue grotto(taxi doubles as a mini tour up the hill so enjoy it.) We walked down the stairs towards the grotto, arriving to a line. We arrived approximately @11 am, entering the blue grotto @12:15. The wait was actually fun. We met a bunch of people in line, all were friendly & everyone was sharing travel experiences. The excitement of wondering if you will get in before the tide rolls in was fun in itself. Tip: check the tide report. This day, tide was coming in approximately around 1. The tide report is extremely accurate, as we left the grotto the line was already closed off. Our boat guide was friendly & even serenaded us. The inside is truly breathtaking. I've never seen anything like it. For us, it was worth the minimum time spent to get in. The boat guides work very hard to get everyone in. It is a max of 4 to a boat, so it is a tedious process. In my opinion, they worked harder to get the land line of people in as opposed to the tourists on the boats. At least it felt that way. The cave is beautiful, the blue color is nothing like I've seen before. The cave is dark, only being lit by the bright blue light reflection. Schools of fish swimming all around. Don't focus too much on recording it with your phone...enjoy the actual moment.
Written December 10, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Dobromir M
1 contribution
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2023 • Friends
Absolutely not recommended!!!! First went there for 21 euros per person, then 18 euros per person for a 3 minute ride inside and the captain is totally cheeky and asks for a tip 20 times and if you give him 10 euros he starts yelling because he expects more. Very unfriendly staff, just a rip-off!!! That was the worst experience so far! You wait 2 hours until you really see anything and it's nothing special!!
Google
Written September 16, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Michael K
San Jose, CA1,139 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2024 • Couples
If you really want to see the Blue Grotto, do not take the large boats that stop by the Blue Grotto and also throw in a scenic cruise around the island. The fine prints say the captain reserves the right to cancel the Blue Grotto stop if there are too many people waiting. When we got to the Blue Grotto at about 11, there were many boats waiting their turn besides the line of people ashore (coming by land from Anacapri) and so the captain cancelled the stop. Our boat was not the first one for the day, and we didn't see any big boats waiting at the Blue Grotto. So the company should know that their earlier boats did not stop at the Blue Grotto because of the long wait. They should have warned us before we purchased our tickets so we can make alternate plans. This is being dishonest by fooling us into believing that there will be a Blue Grotto stop when clearly there is no chance. In hindsight, we should have taken a small boat that goes to Blue Grotto only, or take a bus to Anacapri and tranferred to another bus to the Blue Grotto. As it happened now, it was a big disappointment.
Written May 22, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Wanderer380367
23 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2022 • Couples
We booked a group boat (Capri Bell) tour around the Capri Island that included the visit and optional Blue Grotto boat experience. I recommend to take the tour as early as posible, we went in the 9:30 am tour (consider “island time”…they depart whenever they want). But it is worth, the trip is nice for a 20 Euros fee and will take you to the Blue Grotto. Be prepared to wait since every boat has to wait it’s turn to disembark the people to take the little boats that takes you inside the Grotto. The fee for this is not included and you have to pay 15 euros cash to the local boat. The experience is amazing, they take you in and if you are lucky enough they can let you swim inside the Grotto. If you are in Capri this is a must do.
Written August 17, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Natasha P
29 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2024 • Couples
We stopped at the Blue Grotto as part of a private boat tour of the island. The boat crew didn't want to influence us, but after asking for their opinion, they told us it was not really worth it. Some of the people on our boat really wanted to, though, so we ended up doing it, and it was not worth the money and time!!!

We waited about 90 minutes to get in, and during that time, the smell of all the other boats' exhaust was so strong that I personally got sick—and I'm usually pretty strong when it comes to being out at sea! Then, once we finally got into our little boat and into the grotto, we were inside for maybe 2 minutes, and it was pretty underwhelming. The grotto is quite small, and the blue is really just right at the entrance. It was cool to see, and the boatmen sing, which is nice, but not when you factor in the wait time and the cost.

Once you finish and you get back to your boat (if you go by boat), the boatmen bully you into tipping them, basically demanding 20 euros before letting you off. So, it's 18 euros per person, plus the tip for the boatmen, for only about 2 minutes in the actual grotto.

If I were to do it again, I would pull up to see the grotto from the boat, grab a couple of pictures from the boat, and continue around the island to see the Emerald Grotto, White Grotto, and the Faraglioni Rocks (the arches). Those are way more beautiful, less populated, and also FREE!!!
Written May 28, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

COJOWisconsin
Germantown, WI743 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2024 • Couples
Fortunately, we only waited 20 minutes in line at 10 a.m. on Saturday, 9/7 for this disaster. We took a taxi from our hotel which was easy. Everybody on a boat just sat there watching everyone else go in and out. Not one of these boats entered. You enter a row boat then get rowed over to the water ticket stand to buy tickets. They could eliminate this step and sell tickets before the line but I guess they are trying to extend your visit??? The whole “experience” lasted 10-15 minutes and the longest wait was to get OUT of the boat. Once you exit the cave, the rower is constantly saying, tip, tip, tip.

**on a safety note, we had to wait to exit as huge waves were entering the cave during this time. My hubby was completely in the boat in the front, the 3 of us in the back as instructed, and he came within a quarter inch of whacking his skull

Yes the water was blue but not worth this visit. It was on our bucket list so we went but honestly don’t waste your time. Side note: We stayed 2 nights on Anacapri but a day trip would be plenty to see everything on this island.
Written October 1, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Blue Grotto - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2025)

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