This anchorage is practical as well as sensational, because of a
shallow coastal ledge skirting the bay between Positano and Capo
Sottile. This inshore strip has modest depths from 12-15m, so
anchoring is straightforward and secure. Yet not far offshore
soundings plunge to 80m and a mile south of Sottile the submerged
valleys are over 700m deep.
Positano is worth exploring and you can land by dinghy at the
ferry jetty or beach. Many wealthy Italians have holiday villas in the
quieter fringes of Positano, high above the seafront tourist shops.
Here you become pleasantly lost in the meandering upper town,
where cobbled alleys are bright with bougainvillea and lively talk
echoes through open shutters.THE GALLI ISLANDS
These unexpectedly low islands are three miles south-west of
Positano. Italian boats come out to anchor in the clear shallow
lagoons, especially between the largest island and Castelluccia
just east of it. Hardly larger than lonely rocks, the Galli have an
ancient link with Homer’s epic Odyssey, whose obtuse puzzle
of Mediterranean settings has absorbed scholars for over 2,000
years. Most now agree that Isolotti Galli were the fabled islands
of the Sirens – “they who bewitch all men”. It’s certainly worth
going to take a look.OUT TO CAPRI
West of Galli you soon pass the craggy tip of the Sorrento Peninsula
and Punta Campanella lighthouse. Offshore is the beckoning profi le
of Capri, the original ‘idyllic Mediterranean island’ which has kept its
romantic appeal despite centuries of tourist invasion. Arriving with
your own boat is a memorable experience and from Campanella
your fi rst sight of Capri is its almost sheer east coast. Rounding Capo
Tiberio, you follow the north side close inshore towards the main
harbour at Marina Grande.
The approaches are frantic with ferries, hydrofoils, yachts and
speedboats, and there are usually boats anchored west of the
harbour. The marina is inside the pierheads to port, where you lie
stern-to a quay with bows pulled out to a mooring. This east end of
the basin is relatively peaceful and you can enjoy the bustle of
harbour life from a safe distance.
It’s quietest and coolest to explore ashore early morning or
evening. There are cafés and bistros on the waterfront, or take the
legendary funicular railway up to the town centre, high above the sea.
You emerge on to a colourful piazza with views over the harbour and
across to the mountainous west end of the island. There are no cars
up here, making it pleasant to explore the labyrinth of lanes.
Buses run out to the island extremities. On the north-east corner,
the ruins of Villa Jovis perch 350m above the sea, one of Emperor
Tiberius’s many Capri residences. This fantastic site has heady viewsacross the Gulf of Naples, which enemies of Tiberius were able to
savour briefl y before they were pushed over the ‘Tiberius Jump’.
On the west side of the island, the small town of Anacapri is
reached along a hair-raising road with sheer drops on its seaward
side. Be sure to visit the peaceful Villa San Michele, built on the cliff
edge in the 1890s by an eccentric Swedish physician, Axel Munthe.
The garden’s shady paths end in a stupendous pergola walk where
the blue Mediterranean lies far, far below.ACROSS TO SORRENTO
The north side of the Sorrento peninsula is softer and more
populated than Amalfi. This citrus scented coast is popular with
English tourists who come for the wonderful scenery, fi ne old
buildings, to visit Pompeii and make forays into Naples. Sorrento
looks appealing from seaward with its straight-edged cliffs, two
animated harbours and rambling Italianate town. Moor in Marina
Piccola to explore the tantalising prospect of quiet streets, busy
streets, unexpected squares and civic gardens.
Not far west of Sorrento, under the crook of Capo di Massa, you
can anchor off a secluded beach where the water is clear andThis citrus scented coast is popular with
English tourists who come for the wonderful
scenery, fi ne old buildings and to visit Pompeii
Capri’s busy harbour,
the gateway to this
enchanting islandThe view from Sorrento
across the Bay of Naples
and to Mount Vesuvius