Blue Grotto - Capri

The Blue Grotto is a marvellous sea cave located on the islnad of Capri in Italy. Just like all things Italian beginning from food to cars and girls, The Blue Grotto has its own charm. Because there is no headroom, visitors must lie on their backs in the bottom of the rowboats as they clear the entranceway. Once inside, the grotto is quite roomy and it is possible to sit upright, until conveyed back out through the same tiny hole. When the weather is fine, waterborne traffic jams frequently occur outside the grotto, as the rowboats jostle for positions to enter the cave in single file

Sunlight, passing through an underwater cavity and shining through the seawater, creates a blue reflection that illuminates the cavern. the light comes from two sources. One is a small hole in the cave wall, precisely at the waterline, that is perhaps a meter and half in diameter. This hole is barely large enough to admit a tiny rowboat, and is used as the entranceway. In photographs taken from within the cave, the above-water half of this hole appears as a spot of brilliant white light. The second source of light is a second hole, with a surface area about ten times as large as the first, which lies directly below the entranceway, separated from it by a bar of rock between one and two meters thick. Much less light, per square meter, is able to enter through the lower opening, but its large size ensures that it is, in practice, the primary source of light.

History of The Blue Grotto

 Due to colonization of other continents the best kept history is found in Europe. The grotto was known by the Romans, as proved by the antique statues which were found in the Grotto. This discovery, the remains of an ancient landing place and the work on an underground tunnel, create an image of a natural cavern adorned by statues. The grotto was known to the locals under the name of Gradola, after the nearby landing place of Gradola, but it was avoided because it was said to be inhabited by witches and monsters.

The Island of Capri

Capri is an Italian island in the Tyrrhen Sea off the Sorrentine Peninsula, on the south side of the Gulf of Naples, in the Campania region of Southern Italy. It has been a resort since the time of the Roman Republic.
Features of the island are the Marina Piccola (the little harbour), the Belvedere of Tragara, which is a high panoramic promenade lined with villas, the limestone crags called sea stacks that project above the sea (the Faraglioni), Anacapri, the Blue Grotto, and the ruins of the Imperial Roman villas.

Places to visit

1. Anacapri: The most untouched part of the island in its natural splendour along with churches and museums.
2. Faraglioni: It is the greatest feature of the island and is formed by four reefs floating in the blue sea. The first is called Stella or Star and it is 109 meters high; the second is called Mezzo or Middle and it is 81 meters high, the third faraglione is 104 meters high and hosts a blue lizard, a rare animal species; finally the fourth faraglione lies by itself and it is called the Monacone.
3. Gardens of Augustus: The gardens were built among the ruins of ancient Roman Empire. Krupp gave the gardens to the town of Capri and in the garden lies a statue of Lenin by the sculptor Manzu.
4. The White Grotto: The White Grotto and the cave are two wonderful cavities both directly accessible from the sea through a series of very steep steps built in 1901 by two Englishmen.
5. Beaches of Capri: The beaches are soaked in a fantastic atmosphere rich of suggestive natural beauty like a postcard full of coloured building all around with its massive rocks which doubtless remain the paradise described in the novels of the most popular artists and writers who inhabited the Island over the course of centuries.
6. Roman Remains: There are lots of Roman remains on the islands that make it a historical marvel. These include mount Villa Jovis-Mount Tiberio and The Charterhouse of St. Giacomo.

Directions

Capodichino International Airport links Italy’s Campania region with the other national and international airports. Capri is a tiny island just off the coast of the historic southern Italian city of Naples. Planes land at Naples Capodichino Airport and from here passengers can reach the ports either by taxi or bus. Trains arrive at Naples' Stazione Centrale, Piazza Garibaldi and Mergellina railway stations.

Those traveling by car will need to follow signs to the city's ports. It's worth remembering that for almost seven months of the year, the Island of Capri is closed to non-resident traffic and drivers are best advised to park their vehicles in one of the security surveilled car parks in the vicinity of the ports.

Boats heading to the Island of Capri from Naples depart from Molo Beverello and Calata Porta di Massa.

Hydrofoils depart from Molo Beverello, situated in Piazza Municipio and close to the central Via Toledo.

Duration and Accomodation

The trip around Capri can be completed in 2-3 days but many tourists take a leisurely time to enjoy the islands beauty and freshness for a longer period. A lot of luxurious and innovative resorts are situated on the islands itself providing accomodation.

Beauty Level 9/10: The most beautiful of all tourist sports with its clean and transperant water. A definite addition to the list of things to see in and around Italy.

Adventure level 8/10: The endlessness of the sea with vertical cliffs, the clean beaches and the favourable weather provide a lot to explore.

*- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Grotto_(Capri)
*- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capri
*- http://www.capitanoago.com/capri_attractions.php
*- http://www.capri.net/