Capri

One of Italy's dazzling islands

Capri rises from the Bay of Naples like something mythical. Limestone cliffs, whitewashed villas, gardens thick with Mediterranean scents. For 2,000 years, people have been drawn here – emperors, artists, writers, the well-heeled and the wandering alike.

Roman Emperor Tiberius chose Capri for his retreat in 27 AD. He built 12 villas across the island, ruling the empire from this rocky outpost. Villa Jovis remains the most intact – perched at the island’s eastern edge. Its terraces command views that will stop you mid-step. Walk these ruins and you’re following imperial footsteps, quite literally.

The town of Capri clusters around the Piazzetta. A tiny square that somehow fits cafés, people-watching, and an outsized sense of glamour. Wander the lanes beyond and you’ll find the Arco Naturale – a natural stone arch carved by wind and time, framing the sea below.

For the full panorama, take the chairlift from Anacapri to Monte Solaro. At the summit, the Amalfi Coast unfolds to the south, Vesuvius broods to the north, and the entire Sorrentine Peninsula stretches between them.

The food keeps things simple. Caprese salad was born here – buffalo mozzarella, tomatoes, basil, nothing more. And yes, limoncello, made from those lemons that seem to grow everywhere on these sun-soaked terraces.