Best Beach Clubs in Capri
La Fontelina at the foot of the Faraglioni is the famous one and worth every bit of the fuss, reachable only by boat or by descending several hundred steps. Il Riccio in Anacapri is the one to book for lunch, since it holds a Michelin star. Bagni di Tiberio is the family answer, calmer and cheaper, built over the ruins of Tiberius's villa. Lido del Faro is the only place on the island where you can watch the sun set over the sea. Expect €40 to €60 per person for a bed and umbrella, considerably more once you have eaten.
The first thing to understand about swimming in Capri is that there is barely any beach. What Capri has instead is a beach club culture that has been refined over a century, built on wooden platforms and terraces bolted to the rock, with ladders down into water that is clearer than anything on the mainland. You pay for a lounger, an umbrella, and access. Swimming off a platform into forty feet of blue water beneath the Faraglioni is better than any beach on the Amalfi Coast.
The second thing to understand is the daily rhythm. Capri absorbs an enormous volume of day visitors from Naples and Sorrento, concentrated between roughly ten in the morning and four in the afternoon. Arrive early or come late and the same place is a different experience. And be sure to read our full list of best hotels in Capri before your stay.
La Fontelina
The most famous beach club, La Fontelina sits at the base of the Faraglioni, the three rock stacks that are the island's defining image, on terraces stepped down to the water with the stacks rising directly out of the sea in front of you. You either take a boat from Marina Piccola, or you walk down from Via Tragara, which is several hundred steps and beautiful and a genuine effort in the heat. Most people walk down and take the boat back, which is the correct order.
Lunch is the reason people book weeks ahead. It is long, unhurried, and served on the terrace above the water, and the wine list is far better than a beach club needs.
There is no sand, no shallow entry, and the swimming is off ladders into deep water. Small children will struggle here.
Book ahead in July and August. This is the hardest reservation on the island.
Da Luigi ai Faraglioni
Next door to La Fontelina, under the same rock stacks, and the one locals often prefer. Slightly more relaxed, slightly less scrutinized, with the same extraordinary position and a restaurant that is nearly as good. Same access via a boat from Marina Piccola, or the walk down from Via Tragara.
Il Riccio
On the cliff above the Blue Grotto, and the only beach club on the island with a Michelin star. It belongs to the Jumeirah Capri Palace, all white and blue, with a bathing platform below and a restaurant above. The food is incredible. Seafood done precisely, and a dessert room, the Temptation Room, that you are walked into to choose from rather than being handed a menu. It is theatrical and it works.
Book lunch even if you are not taking a lounger. It is one of the best meals in the Bay of Naples.
Bagni di Tiberio
The family answer and the calmest club on Capri. It sits on the Marina Grande side, over the ruins of Tiberius's villa, with actual shallow water and a small strip of sand, which is close to unique here. Reachable by a short boat from Marina Grande or a walk of about twenty minutes. Considerably cheaper than the Faraglioni clubs, more relaxed, and the food is simple and good rather than ambitious. If you are bringing children, this is where to go.
Lido del Faro
Punta Carena in Anacapri, at the lighthouse on the southwest tip, and the only place on Capri facing west. That means it is the only place on the island where you can watch the sun set over the sea. A saltwater pool cut into the rock, terraces down to the water, and a crowd that skews far more local than the Faraglioni clubs. Best value on the island and the most relaxed atmosphere. Stay for sunset. It is the single best thing to do on Capri in the evening.
La Canzone del Mare
Marina Piccola, and the historic one. Gracie Fields opened it in the 1950s and it became the place the film crowd swam, with a saltwater pool, terraces, and a view straight across to the Faraglioni. More formal than the others, and the sense of period is genuine rather than decorated. The pool matters if you have anyone who does not want to swim in open water.
Torre Saracena
Marina Piccola is small, and the most private of the group. A handful of terraces on the rocks below a Saracen watchtower, a good restaurant, and far fewer people than anywhere else on this list. The pick for a couple who want quiet and are willing to pay for it.
Bagni Internazionali
Marina Piccola, the most casual and the cheapest. Loungers, a bar, simple food, and easy access from the bus and taxi drop. Where to go if you want a swim and a sandwich rather than an occasion. Also the most practical if you are visiting Capri for the day.
The argument for staying overnight
This is the thing most Capri guides skip, and it is the single most useful piece of advice about the island.
Capri between ten and four in high season is difficult. The Piazzetta is full, the Via Camerelle is a queue, and the beach clubs are at capacity. Then the last ferries leave, the day-trippers go, and the island becomes something else entirely. The evening passeggiata, dinner without a scrum, and the walk out to Tragara at dusk are the Capri people fall in love with, and none of it is available to a day visitor.
If you are choosing between a day trip and two nights, take the two nights. It is a different island after four in the afternoon.
How this fits the wider picture
If you are weighing Capri against the mainland, our guide to the best hotels on the Amalfi Coast covers the other side of that decision. For the island alternative, our best hotels in Ischia guide covers the larger, greener, cheaper option across the bay, which has the thermal springs Capri does not. And for the value comparison further south, our best hotels in Puglia guide covers the masserie in the heel of Italy.
BEST TIME TO VISIT AND BOOK
The Capri season runs roughly April through October, and most beach clubs open from late April or early May through early October. Outside that window many close entirely, along with a large share of the island's hotels and restaurants.
June and September are the two best months. The water is warm in both, September more so, and the day-trip volume drops noticeably after the first week of September. May is beautiful and the sea is still cool.
July and August are the peak and the island is at capacity. If you are coming then, book beach clubs well ahead and plan your swimming for early morning or after four, when the day boats have gone.
On cost: expect €40 to €60 per person for a lounger and umbrella at the Faraglioni clubs, less at Bagni di Tiberio, Lido del Faro, and Bagni Internazionali. Lunch adds substantially, and at La Fontelina or Il Riccio a full day with food will comfortably pass €150 a head.
On getting around: there are no rental cars for visitors on Capri. You move by bus, funicular, taxi, or boat, and boat is often both the fastest and the most pleasant. Boat taxis run between Marina Piccola, Marina Grande, and the Faraglioni clubs.
On booking: La Fontelina and Il Riccio need two to three weeks ahead in July and August, and longer for a good lunch table. Da Luigi is similar. The others take same-day bookings most of the season, and Bagni Internazionali and Lido del Faro will generally take walk-ins.
FAQ
Does Capri have beaches? Barely. There is grey shingle at Marina Grande and a small beach at Marina Piccola. Almost all swimming on Capri happens from beach clubs built on the rocks.
What is the best beach club in Capri? La Fontelina, at the foot of the Faraglioni, for the setting and the lunch. Il Riccio in Anacapri if the meal matters most, since it holds a Michelin star. Bagni di Tiberio if you have children.
How much do Capri beach clubs cost? Roughly €40 to €60 per person for a lounger and umbrella at the Faraglioni clubs, less elsewhere. A full day with lunch at La Fontelina or Il Riccio will pass €150 a head.
How do you get to La Fontelina? By boat from Marina Piccola, or on foot down several hundred steps from Via Tragara. Most people walk down and take the boat back.
Which Capri beach club is best for families? Bagni di Tiberio, on the Marina Grande side. It has shallow water, a small strip of sand, a calm atmosphere, and lower prices.
Where can you watch the sunset in Capri? Lido del Faro at Punta Carena in Anacapri, the only club on the island facing west. Everywhere else looks east or south.
Do you need to book Capri beach clubs? La Fontelina, Da Luigi, and Il Riccio need two to three weeks ahead in July and August. The others usually take same-day bookings or walk-ins.
Is Capri worth staying overnight? Yes, and it is the best advice on this page. The island empties after the last ferries leave around four, and the evening version of Capri is completely different from the daytime one.