Marina Piccola (Capri), Italy, Mediterranean Cruises Port Profile

Italy is a popular destination for tourists, thanks to the historical, cultural, culinary and romantic lore associated with the country. You’ll hardly come up with a better idea than going on one of the Mediterranean cruises to Italy whether on a romantic vacation with your partner, a family vacation or just a simple getaway with a few friends. Mediterranean cruises stop at several ports along the way and one of these is Marina Piccola, the little harbor that leads to the island and the city of Capri. Although it’s lesser known than its counterpart the Marina Grande, Marina Piccola is actually one of the most enjoyable tourist destinations on Mediterranean cruises.

Marina Piccola is entrenched in history as the setting for Homer’s famous Ulysses and you should probably watch out for the sirens, they might still be around serenading people! The bay of Marina Piccola is also the location of some of the most beautiful beaches in all of Italy and you can count on having a memorable experience here.

Arrival in Marina Piccola

Once the cruise docks at the harbor, you will find several buses or taxis waiting to carry tourists to the Piazetta, the center of Capri but to savor the delightful atmosphere, it’s better to take a stroll as it only takes 15 minutes to walk there. While Marina Piccola on its own offers enough delights to thrill visitors, it will be a shame not to visit Capri, so in essence, consider this stop as a 2-in-1 package.

Getting Around

There are several means of transportation in Capri and by extension, Marina Piccola, and reaching any destination won’t be a problem. Considering the fact that the harbor is not so big, it’s best navigated on foot. For forays into and within Capri, there are buses that cost 1.30 Euro per ride, 2.80 Euro for 60 minutes and 6.70 Euro to be used for a whole day (there’s a refundable 1 Euro deposit). Taxis are also available.

For places where you have to go over water, well, why are you on a cruise ship! There are several boats waiting to transport you anyway. It costs 80 Euro to rent a boat large enough for 5 people for two hours.

Places to Visit

There are several places of tourist attractions in Marina Piccola and also in Capri and time will probably not allow you to explore them all but you shouldn’t leave without touching the following places.

• Scoglio Delle Sirene: this rock was made popular by Homer’s Iliad and has sometimes been referred to as Homer’s “flowered meadow of the sea”. Scoglio actually divides the inlet into two: the Marina de Mullo to the right and the Marina di Pennauro to the left.

• Faraglioni Rocks: referred to as the sea giants of Capri, these three rocks have been through testing turbulences including erosion, atmospheric corrosion and coastal landslides, yet they stand tall. Named Stella, Faraglione di Mezzo and Faraglione di Fuori (Scopolo), these three rocks continue to attract and inspire people from all walks of life. A cruise to the three costs 12 Euro and you may be lucky to see the famous blue scaled lizard of Faraglione di Fuori, the Lucertola Azzurra (Podarcis sicula coerulea). Hold your camera, you might just get a picture for National Geographic!

• The Church of St. Andrea: this quaint little church built in 1990 continues to receive lots of visitors.

• Piazza Umberto I: Referred to as the most fashionable square in the world, it’s also known as the Piazetta and it would be a shame not to visit this heart of Capri where you can just sit down under umbrellas, eat, shop or just enjoy the idyllic views.

Eating in Marina Piccola

Marina Piccola offers a variety of options for dining including several top restaurants. The restaurants are particularly delightful because they offer great views of the bay and the rocks such as La Canzone del Mare (which serves simple Mediterranean dishes), the Torre Saracena (specializes in serving seafood) and da Gioia. For more informal chops, you can check out one of the numerous snacks bars scattered all over the harbour. You mustn’t leave the island without tasting the local liqueur, Limoncello.

Shopping in Marina Piccola

Shopaholics won’t be content without a visit to the heart of Capri, the Piazetta. Most of the shops, art stores and departmental stores can only be found in the heart of the city. For perfumes, check out Carthusia-Profumi di Capri, where locally made exclusive perfumes (sometimes referred to as collector’s items) are on sale—since 1948. To know more about them, a trip to their lab on Vialle Parco Augusto would be of great help.
There’s a plethora of jewelry stores and these offer good bargains, some of which include: Mamma Olympia (started in 1936), Alberto e Lina (started in 1950), Gioielleria Pierino (started in 1960), Claudia Gioielli, D.L. Capri AND Desiderio Gioielli.

For footwear, L’Arte del Sandalo Caprese offers some of the best sandals and is located on 75, Giuseppe Orlandi. Canfora (started in 1946), located on Via Camerelle 3 also offers custom-made footwear at good prices and is particularly known for its Capri sandals.
There are hundreds of boutiques where you can buy clothes from including Mariorita Store, Daniel’s Boutique and Quisi Sport. If you are not the boutique type, there are numerous other shops in the Piazetta selling clothes. The Atlantide Fine Art Gallery and Libreria La Conchiglia (also in the Piazetta) sell beautiful art pieces at good prices.

Other Useful Tips

You should get a phrasebook that will teach you a few necessary Italian phrases. These will come in handy when moving around since the major language is Italian.
Be careful when swimming or hiking and you should particularly be careful of any stray dog you see on your path; they are generally not friendly to strangers
 Marina Piccola is generally safe but you should still take some normal security measures. The emergency police help number is 113 and the fire department number is 115.

 Original Article Written for www.mediterraneanfuncruises.com