The Monte Solaro is the highest point on the famous island of Capri off the coast of Naples. From here one has a magnificent view of the island itself, of Naples and Vesuvius, the Amalfi Coast and the Mediterranean Sea.
Monte Solaro Capri
History and description
Monte Solaro is 589 meters high, making the peak the highest point in Capri. From the top of this mountain one can see Naples and the Vesuvius on one side and Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast on the other. At the bottom of the cliff, the so-called Faraglioni rise up from the sea.
Monte Solaro has been nicknamed the “cloud catcher” (acchiappanuvole) because a crown of clouds seems to hang around the summit from time to time.
Transportation
It is possible to go up on foot, but it is more fun to take the chairlift. The journey, over lemon groves, vineyards, prickly pears and other green fields, takes no less than fifteen minutes.
You can take this seggiovia at Via Caposcuro, 10 in Anacapri. A return ticket is 11 Euro, a one-way ticket 8 Euro. Children up to 7 years of age travel free, in the arms of their parents. The chairlift is in service from 09:30 to 17:30 from March to October and from 11:00 to 15:00 from November to February.
What to see
The ruins at the top of Monte Solaro belong to the Fortino di Bruto. This ancient military structure is left over from the time when the French and English troops disputed the island.
The Santa Maria a Cetrella Hermitage is a small medieval church above the Marina Piccola. Sailors used to visit the church in order to pray before going out to sea.
Nearby is the former home of Scottish writer Compton MacKenzie. This home was known as Villa Solitaria and today serves as a study center for the flora and fauna of the island.
It is here that the Passetiello path to Anacapri begins. This very narrow path, before the street road was built at the end of the 19th century, was one of only two access paths to Anacapri.
The Barbarossa Castle allowed the county of Amalfi to keep an eye on what was happening in the Gulf of Naples. Axel Munthe, the famous Swedish physician and founder of the Villa San Michele, transformed it into a bird sanctuary.