Blue Grotto Museum

Address: Grotta Azzurra (Blue Grotto), southwest coast of Capri - access by boat from Marina Grande, Capri, Italy

Hours: Visits dependent on sea and weather conditions; usually daytime only

Admission: Access by small rowboat; entry/boat fees vary by season-typically charged per person (commonly in the range of €14-€20 for rowboat entry, plus boat transfer)

The Blue Grotto (Grotta Azzurra) is a sea cave on the northern shore of the island of Capri noted for its intense blue interior light created by sunlight passing through an underwater cavity. It is one of Capri’s most famous natural attractions.

Visitors enter the cave by small boats when sea conditions allow, passing through a restricted low opening to reach the main cavern where the blue light effect is most visible. The cave can only be visited during calm weather and is closed at higher sea states for safety.

The grotto was used in antiquity and later became a tourist attraction from the 19th century as part of the island’s development as a travel destination. Its reputation rests on the optical effect produced by submerged openings and the cave’s enclosed geometry.

Situated along Capri’s rugged northern coast, the Blue Grotto is reached by boat from Capri’s harbours or by sea excursions that include the island’s coastline.

• Access: Access into the grotto is by small rowboats and is dependent on calm sea conditions; boats enter through a low opening requiring passengers to lie flat during entry.
• Best time: Morning light on calm days produces the most vivid blue illumination inside the cave; visits can be canceled when the sea is rough.

The Blue Grotto (Grotta Azzurra) is on the island of Capri. From Naples (Molo Beverello/Calata Porta di Massa) or from Sorrento take a ferry or hydrofoil to Capri’s Marina Grande. From Marina Grande you transfer to small rowing boats to enter the grotto when sea conditions allow, or take a local bus/taxi toward Anacapri and then the short walk/downhill to the grotto access point; entrance by boat is weather- and sea-condition dependent.

• Aim for around midday when the sun is highest - that's when sunlight entering the cave produces the brightest electric-blue effect, weather and sea permitting.
• Get to Marina Grande early in high season to avoid long waits for the small rowboats that shuttle visitors into the cavern; rough seas will close the grotto, so have a backup plan for the day.
• Buy boat tickets and pay the cave's entry fee only at the water's edge through the official operators - private attempts to enter are unsafe and the grotto is only accessible by the regulated rowboat system.