BOAT-COMPARATOR Guide

Boat rental in Sorrento, Capri and the peninsula

Hire a boat in Sorrento to reach Capri, the Blue Grotto and the Sorrentine peninsula: budgets, boat types, anchorages and the best sailing windows.

Sorrento looks down from its cliffs over the Bay of Naples, facing Vesuvius, with Capri closing the horizon to the south-west. It is one of Italy's most spectacular stretches of water, where a deep-blue sea meets tuff cliffs pierced with caves. Hiring a boat here buys the freedom to approach Capri by sea and to trace a peninsula best discovered from offshore, far from the coast roads that clog up in summer. It is also a sailing of contrasts, between sheer cliffs, tiny coves and sea caves that you enter at a crawl, and every stop feels like a change of scene rather than simply more of the same stretch of shore.

The Sorrentine peninsula

Setting out from Sorrento, you follow a coast of cliffs and small marinas: Marina Piccola, the Crapolla fjord, the Baths of Queen Giovanna, a natural pool cut into the rock. Rounding the Punta Campanella, you swing to the south side toward Positano and the Amalfi Coast, another world of hanging villages covered in our Amalfi Coast and Capri guide.

Capri and the Blue Grotto

The crossing to Capri takes a little under an hour by day-cruiser. There you circle the island: the Faraglioni, the three emblematic rocks you pass through an arch, the Natural Arch, the White Grotto and the Green Grotto. If sea and crowds allow, you can try entry into the famous Blue Grotto, reachable only by small rowing boat and in a very calm sea. Anchoring around Capri is regulated by zone: ask your operator for the permitted spots.

Which boat, what budget

For the crossing and the circuit of Capri, a day-cruiser (250 to 900 €/day) offers speed and comfort; a RIB (200 to 600 €/day) threads more easily along the cliffs. A skipper (150 to 350 €/day) is strongly advised on this busy water, amid traffic, hydrofoils and mooring zones. On the same boat, the gap between platforms often reaches 10 to 25 %: Boat-Comparator compares SamBoat, Click&Boat, GlobeSailor and Boataround live, service fees included.

Lunch and swimming

Plan lunch aboard or a stop at Capri's Marina Piccola, at the foot of the Faraglioni, where you can anchor for a swim in unreal blue water. On the Sorrento side, the protected bay of Ieranto is one of the finest anchorages on the peninsula. Bring mask and snorkel: the clear seabeds and caves are perfect for snorkelling between stops.

Timing

Leave early: the Blue Grotto closes as soon as swell enters, and traffic surges by midday. The morning gives a flatter sea for the crossing and a quieter tour of the island. From May to October the water is warm. Check the permitted area and the cancellation policy, which varies by owner, before you confirm.

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