Are you one of the many who dream of visiting the Blue Grotto (Grotta Azzura) on the Isle of Capri just off of the Amalfi Coast in Italy? I was too.

The Blue Grotto is a seemingly magical cave on Capri. When inside, the light coming from outside the cave reflects off of the white cavern floor giving the water a fluorescent blue color that seems to have been sent from the heavens. It should be on everyone’s list of places to see before they die. Unfortunately, most tourists are sent home disappointed, as the grotto is frequently closed due to high tides or rough seas. It’s too bad they did not know the secret.

Transferring from Our Yacht to the Rowboats

The typical method of visiting the Blue Grotto is to arrive on Capri at the Marina Grande and take a small shuttle boat to the vicinity of the cave. At this point, the visitor is transferred to one of 10 or 20 canoe-style rowboats, each holding up to four passengers and the captain, equipped with two oars. The opening of the cave is too small for more than one boat to go in or out at the same time, so the entry and exit is carefully choreographed to avoid accidents!

Approaching the Entrance to the Blue Grotto

As the boat arrives at the mouth of the cave, the passengers lie flat on the floor, the captain waits for a wave to pass, grabs the chain hanging from the top of the cave, and quickly pulls the boat into the grotto before the next wave arrives. If a wave hits as the boat is entering the cave, everyone would get wet and the captain would most likely hit his head on the cave entrance.

Keep Your Head Down!

Once in the cave, the passengers sit back up in the boat, only to be greeted by a bright white spotlight emanating from the cave entrance, and a bright turquoise color bouncing off the cave floor.

Each boat makes two turns around the inside perimeter of the 200 foot by 80 foot grotto, giving all passengers ample opportunity to take photos and enjoy the peace and serenity inside the cave. Did I say peace and serenity? At any one time there are between 6 and 12 boats inside the cave, and each captain breaks out into song – not the same song as the others, either!

Here is one of the secrets of the Blue Grotto: While it is forbidden to swim inside the grotto, virtually all boat captains will ignore this rule if you give them a tip, and ask them if you can swim. It’s quite an experience to swim in this sacred place – make sure you do it! Just don’t stay in the water too long – there are other boats waiting to get in, and many oars in the water in a dimly lit cave. Jump in, look at the reflection underwater, and get back in the boat!

That's Me!

After your two turns around the grotto, it’s time to duck down again into the rowboat for the quick exit back into the open waters and the transfer to your shuttle boat.

Perhaps you will be one of the fortunate people who will find the Blue Grotto closed when you arrive. Maybe the tide will be too high or the water just a bit too choppy for the small rowboats.

Did I say fortunate? Yes, because herein lies the next secret of the Blue Grotto: You don’t need a rowboat to get in! When the tourist operation is closed and the rowboats are gone, the grotto is as pristine and natural as the day it was discovered. Get a taxi, and ask the driver to take you to the Blue Grotto. The driver will bring you to the top of the stairway leading you to a snack food / bait shop catering to locals fishing off the stairs. [I first discovered this entrance when, while taking a taxi tour of the island, the taxi's brakes faied, leaving us stranded at the top of these stairs!] Have the driver wait for you (you won’t be long). Continue down to the small platform at the water’s edge and 10 feet to your right is the entrance to the Blue Grotto – all for you alone!

C'mon in! The Grotto's Fine!

Just jump in, swim through the opening and enjoy the true serenity of the light in your own private moment. When you exit and return to the platform, there is a ladder for climbing back on the stairway. You had the Blue Grotto all to yourself, and it was free, too!

When we host our Amalfi Coast Tours each year, we take our guests via private yacht directly from Positano to the Blue Grotto. In this fashion, we can transfer directly to the rowboats, or if the rowboats are not operating we can swim directly into the grotto from the yacht.

The Green Grotto

There are also many other nice grottos to visit. One of my favorites is the green grotto, where we swim through the grotto and come out the other side. In the mean time, the yacht has motored to the exit as well, ready to pick us up and take us to lunch!

Thanks for joining me, here on the coast of Capri!

Click here to see a great blog entry with VIDEO of the Blue Grotto.

Ciao – Barry