Once a month, Luxus Magazine sets sail for a destination in France or elsewhere to discover the most elegant places to visit. Characterful hotels, fine dining, rare boutiques, cultural getaways… Our notebook is like a treasure trove of keys for discerning travelers. This month, we’re heading to Capri!
Perched off the coast of Naples, Capri has been fascinating visitors since ancient times. With its glamorous villas, secret coves, and dolce vita lifestyle, the island combines timeless elegance with wild beauty. A favorite destination for fashion brands, artists, and jet-setters, it offers an enchanting escape where the deep blue sea rivals the marble and lemon trees. No, Capri… it’s not over yet!
🔑 Key to History : The Emperor Tiberius
The island dates back to Roman times. It was here, between cliffs and turquoise sea, that Emperor Tiberius chose to live in exile and govern the Empire in secrecy. Capri, then an imperial sanctuary, was home to baths, temples, gardens, and observatories. After the Empire, the island experienced a slow decline before being reborn in the 19th century thanks to writers and aristocrats who were seduced by its mystery and in search of discreet luxury and timeless beauty. Today, this Mediterranean gem combines ancient history, wild nature, and an elegant lifestyle with its original splendor intact.
🔑 Key to sleep : La Palma
The first hotel in Capri, opened under the name Locanda Pagano in 1822 and reinvented in 2023 by the Oetker Collection, the legendary Hotel La Palma combines period charm with contemporary elegance. Maltese interior designer Francis Sultana has infused it with a chic Riviera spirit, featuring subtle frescoes, a bright color palette, and custom-made furniture.
🔑 Key to the must-stop : Tiberio bar
The Bar Tiberio on the Piazzetta (Piazza Umberto I), a Capri gem founded in the 1950s, embodies the island’s relaxed elegance. With its panoramic terrace and benches hidden under parasols, the bar is the perfect place to start the day with a ristretto in a refined and relaxed atmosphere to the sound of the bells of Santa Stefano.
🔑 Key to the secret escape : Via Krupp Promenade and Augustus Gardens
A spectacular paved walkway carved into the cliffside, connecting the Gardens of Augustus to Marina Piccola (1.3 km, 100 m elevation gain), the Via Krupp is the work of industrialist Krupp, dating back to 1902, and has recently been renovated. As for the Gardens of Augustus, the manicured terraces nestled in a Mediterranean green setting were created in the 1930s by Friedrich Alfred Krupp, offering spectacular views of the famous Faraglioni (coastal and ocean rock formations eroded by the waves).
🔑 Key to a Successful Beach Bag : Backgammon by Johanna Ortiz, Compact sunscreen by Té, and Dry oil by Casanera
The backgammon by Johanna Ortiz combines a playful spirit with refined craftsmanship. Designed for travel, it rolls up elegantly and closes with leather finishes.
Te’ Chorok 35 is a mineral-based sun cushion with SPF 35 PA++. It is lightweight, moisturizing, and has a natural tone. It comes in a powder compact with a mirror.
Casanera’s 100% natural dry oil, made from organic Corsican immortelle and with the delicate scent of the Corsican maquis, is regenerating and nourishing for the body, face, and hair.
🔑 Key to a relaxing and chic beach experience : La Fontelina
La Fontelina, an exclusive beach club located in Località Faraglioni, offers breathtaking views of Capri’s famous Faraglioni rocks. Open by reservation only, it can be reached via a downhill path or a shuttle boat (Gianni’s boat). The island’s must-see spot to see and be seen.
🔑 Key to the best pizza in town : L’Aurora
If you prefer to have lunch in town, Ristorante Pizzeria Aurora has been embodying Capri tradition for over a century with its famous pizza all’acqua, which is ultra-thin, light, crispy, and cooked in a wood-fired oven. With its refined Italian cuisine, fresh produce, elegant décor, and wine cellar boasting over 300 wines, the atmosphere is lively and the wait is well worth it at this legendary island spot!
🔑 Key to a successful beach lunch : A-Ma-Re Capri
Located near the famous Blue Grotto, A-Ma-Re Capri, owned by Jumeirah Capri Palace, offers fragrant and colorful Mediterranean cuisine in an exclusive setting.
🔑 Key to cultural feature : The Villas Lysis and Jovis
Of the twelve villas built by Emperor Tiberius, only three have retained their original form: Villa Jovis, Damecuta, and Palazzo a Mare. Perched on the heights of Capri, Villa Jovis features an imperial Roman architectural style typical of the 1st century, embodying the Roman grandeur of the era.
Meanwhile, Villa Lysis, built in 1905 by Baron Jacques d’Adelswärd Fersen as a neoclassical bohemian retreat, is characterized by its Art Nouveau accents. Perched atop a hill on Via Lo Capo, the two villas offer spectacular views of Marina Grande.
🔑 Key to the architectural discovery : Casa Malaparte
Casa Malaparte, built between 1938 and 1943 on the side of a cliff by architect Adalberto Libera for writer Curzio Malaparte in Punta Massullo, is a private residence designed as an intellectual retreat. An icon of modernist architecture, it is not open to the public but can be seen from the sea. Now owned by the Giorgio Ronchi Foundation, it occasionally hosts artistic and cultural projects in a spectacular setting between sea and sky. Jean-Luc Godard, director of the film Contempt (1963), and more recently, in June 2024, fashion designer Jacquemus immortalized it.
🔑 Key to relaxation : Capri Medical Spa
Located in the Capri Palace Jumeirah in Anacapri, the Capri Medical Spa offers a haven of well-being with an indoor thalassotherapy pool. Renowned for its anti-aging treatments, slimming programs, and patented method for relieving heavy legs (Scuola delle Gambe®) developed by Professor Francesco Canonaco, the spa combines advanced aesthetics, nutrition, and medical expertise.
🔑 Key to frosty delight : Buonocore
Since 1950, Buonocore has been delighting the island with its artisanal ice cream served in warm cones prepared right before your eyes. A true Capri institution, it attracts tourists and locals alike with its traditional and innovative flavors: the lemon almond “caprilù,” Sicilian pistachio, and fig are legendary.
🔑 Key to exhibition : Insula d’Antonio Biasiucci
At the Chartreuse San Giacomo, Antonio Biasiucci‘s exhibition Insula explores the landscape of Capri through some fifty black-and-white photographs, blending memory, nature, and spirituality, until October 31, 2025.
🔑 Key to the soul : Villa San Michele and Philosophy Park in Anacapri
Anacapri, the second town center on the heights of Capri Island, charms visitors with its authenticity, peaceful streets, and whitewashed houses. Less glamorous than Capri, it offers a preserved Mediterranean atmosphere and spectacular views.
Accessible on foot or by funicular, the Villa San Michele of Swedish doctor Axel Munthe combines Roman ruins, antique works and terraced gardens. A museum and artistic retreat, it offers breathtaking views of the Gulf of Naples, Vesuvius and Capri. Located nearby, the Philosophy Park, designed by Gunnar Adler-Karlsson and his wife Marianne, combines Mediterranean nature and timeless wisdom. With its shaded paths and panels engraved with philosophical quotes from the East and West, this place is ideal for meditating and recharging your batteries away from it all, and is close to the Punta Carena lighthouse viewpoint.
🔑 Key to the Aperitivo : Faro Beach at Anacapri
La Plage del Faro, nestled near the Punta Carena lighthouse, offers cascading terraces, a natural pool, and crystal-clear waters. Stay until sunset and enjoy a Bellini or Solaro Gin in a chic, Mediterranean atmosphere.
🔑 Key to culture : Conchiglia bookshop
The La Conchiglia bookshop, founded in 1989 by Ausilia Veneruso and Riccardo Esposito, is an iconic destination for Capri culture. Located in the heart of Capri next to the bustling Piazzetta, it offers a rich selection of books on the history, nature, and culture of the island. In addition to its bookshop, La Conchiglia is also a publishing house, producing limited edition books on local topics. It embodies a space for reflection and sharing, faithful to its commitment to preserving Capri’s identity.
🔑 Key to style : Laboratorio Capri and Costanzo Ruocco
Laboratorio Capri, born from the renowned tailor shop Sartoria Gigino, offers locally made handmade clothing and accessories. With vibrant prints, colorful stripes, and ethnic patterns, each piece is custom-sewn and embodies the authentic spirit of 1960s Capri: chic and unique.
Costanzo Ruocco, founded in the 1960s, continues the art of Capri sandals: each pair is unique, made from Italian leather and adorned with Swarovski crystals, stones, pearls or rhinestones, and custom-made by Antonio Ruocco. He carries on the family tradition started by his father Costanzo and immortalized by famous customers such as Jacqueline Kennedy and Sophia Loren.
🔑 Key to scent : Carthusia store
Founded in 1948, Carthusia offers perfumes, eau de toilettes, soaps, and other products. Each product is made according to the ancestral methods of the monastic formulas of the Certosa, in small batches, with 100% natural ingredients sourced from the island, such as wild rose and rosemary from Monte Solaro.
🔑 Key to the Happy Hour : J.K. Lounge at J.K. Place hotel
At aperitif time, the tourist boats have left, the island returns to its authentic rhythm, and the locals come out of their homes to enjoy the streets… aperitifs are savored on the panoramic terrace of the J.K. Lounge, offering breathtaking views of the Gulf of Naples. In a chic and intimate atmosphere, the bar offers a selection of refined cocktails accompanied by small Mediterranean bites.
🔑 Key to a dinner with local flavor : Da Paolino
Since 1978, Da Paolino has been delighting diners under a dome of nearly 130 lemon trees in the heart of Capri. Founded by the De Martino family, this restaurant has become a must-visit destination, celebrated for its varied antipasti, lemon dishes, and homemade limoncello, all served in a refined, local atmosphere.
🔑 Key to clubbing : La Taberna Anema e Core
The Taverna Anema e Core, founded in 1994 by local singer Guido Lembo, is an iconic spot in Capri’s nightlife scene. Located in the heart of Capri, it attracts an international clientele, from celebrities to locals, thanks to its warm atmosphere and captivating live music. Evenings begin around midnight and continue until dawn, offering an authentic experience of Italian dolce vita. With no strict dress code, the establishment invites everyone to let themselves be carried away by the music, dancing, and energy of the place.
To read : Capri Dolce Vita｜Editions Assouline City Guide
Summer Resort Capri｜Collection Louis Vuitton
Discover Capri through the prism of cinema:
Le Mépris by Jean-Luc Godard (1963), mythical scenes with Brigitte Bardot and Michel Piccoli filmed at the Villa Malaparte
L’Imperatore di Capri by Luigi Comencini (1949), with the Italian comic actor Totò
GOOD TO KNOW 💡
Avoid July and August if you like peace and quiet
Off-season (April/May, September/October) and after 8pm, the island regains its charm
Daily ferry service from Naples from 5:30am to 8pm during high season
No car access in summer; travel is by foot or in open-top taxis typical of Capri
Read also > An iconic stopover… Saint-Tropez
Featured Photo: Peter Thomas/Unsplash
