Marina Grande is the main port of the island of

Capri Capri ( , ; ) is an island located in the Tyrrhenian Sea off the Sorrento Peninsula, on the south side of the Gulf of Naples in the Campania region of Italy. A popular resort destination since the time of the Roman Republic, its natural beauty ...

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

, to the north of the main town of

and at the foot of Mount Solaro.

History

The

Marina Piccola Marina Piccola ("little harbor"; also Marina di Mulo) is located on the southern side of the island of Capri. It is near the Faraglioni sea stacks to the southeast. The Via Krupp is a historic switchback paved footpath which connect the Charterh ...

, on the island's southern shore, preceded the Marina Grande; it was used by

Augustus Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian (), was the founder of the Roman Empire, who reigned as the first Roman emperor from 27 BC until his death in A ...

and

Tiberius Tiberius Julius Caesar Augustus ( ; 16 November 42 BC – 16 March AD 37) was Roman emperor from AD 14 until 37. He succeeded his stepfather Augustus, the first Roman emperor. Tiberius was born in Rome in 42 BC to Roman politician Tiberius Cl ...

. An ancient fishing port, the Romans used the Marina Grande as a port during Augustian times, and built the Palazzo a Mare nearby. Tiberius fortified and reinforced Marina Grande. Capri was also the first point in

Campania Campania is an administrative Regions of Italy, region of Italy located in Southern Italy; most of it is in the south-western portion of the Italian Peninsula (with the Tyrrhenian Sea to its west), but it also includes the small Phlegraean Islan ...

in which the Greeks landed and women on Capri are still said to "still sometimes show distinctly Grecian features". In the seventh century, Bishop Costanzo died near Marina Grande and became the island's

patron saint A patron saint, patroness saint, patron hallow or heavenly protector is a saint who in Catholicism, Anglicanism, Eastern Orthodoxy or Oriental Orthodoxy is regarded as the heavenly advocate of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, fa ...

; the

Chiesa di San Costanzo The Chiesa di San Costanzo (Church of Constantius) is a monumental church of Capri. Named after the patron saint of the island of Capri, San Costanzo, it was the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Capri from 987–1560. History The exac ...

is situated between Marina Grande and Anacapri.

Geography

Marina Grande is located on the northern side of the island. Travel between the Marina Piccola and the Marina Grande occurs by circling around the

Faraglioni In Italian, (; ; singular in both languages) are stacks, coastal and oceanic rock formations eroded by waves. The word may be derived from the Greek ' or Latin ("lighthouse") and is cognate with the Spanish . They are found at the coasts of ...

stacks. Before 1928, docking took place directly in the bay, but it has since been developed into a port and seaside resort with a notable beach, which is the largest on the island. A small square overlooks the port surrounded by "the characteristic houses of Capri, rendered typical by the terraces, the balconies, the open galleries and the multi-coloured facades of the town, brightened by the "Pompeian red", which is one of the most intense notes of colour along the whole Neapolitan coast." The town is also characterized by steep terraced slopes with

Mediterranean flora Mediterranean forests, woodlands and scrub is a biome defined by the World Wide Fund for Nature. The biome is generally characterized by dry summers and rainy winters, although in some areas rainfall may be uniform. Summers are typically hot in ...

. A Corinthian capital lies on a high pedestal at the end of the western wharf, testament to the Roman presence in the area.

Transport

Boats operate between Marina Grande and

Naples Naples ( ; ; ) is the Regions of Italy, regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 908,082 within the city's administrative limits as of 2025, while its Metropolitan City of N ...

on the mainland, and also on excursions to visit the Blue Grotto. Funicolar, the cableway which is run by SIPPIC, connects the harbour to the city centre's Piazzetta; as does bus with

Anacapri Anacapri () is a ''comune'' on the island of Capri, in the Metropolitan City of Naples, Italy. Anacapri is located higher on the island than Capri (about higher on average)—the Ancient Greek prefix ''ana-'' meaning "up" or "above". Admini ...

. As of 2012, the price of a one way railway ticket to Capri town was €1.50.

Tourism

Notable hotels include Villa Marina Capri, Hotel Excelsior Parco Capri, Relais Maresca, and Hotel Bristol. Ristorante Pizzeria Lo Zodiaco lies on the harbour front. An annual festival in honour of the Madonna della Libera is held on the Marina Grande in the middle of September.

References

External links

Marina Grande

Ferry Time table Naples - Capri and other harboursMarina Grande di Capri
A cluster of colorful houses, home to Capri's fishermen, and the island's biggest beach. Hotels
JK Place Capri websiteVilla Marina Capri website
{{coord, 40, 33, 19, N, 14, 14, 26, E, type:landmark, display=title Ports and harbours of Italy Capri, Campania Resorts in Italy