Gradola
Best for. Value minded swimmers and quiet seekers who want a calm, cheap dip in clear water away from the famous beaches, ideally paired with the Blue Grotto nearby.
Best spot. The free public rocks for the swim, with the small rock lido kept for a lounger or a relaxed lunch at the restaurant above if you want comfort.
Know this. It is rocks and ladders into deep water, not sand, so bring shoes and treat it as a swimmer's cove, and the bus from Anacapri makes it cheap and simple.
Gradola is the Capri beach most visitors never find, and the value savvy traveller is glad of it. It is a small rocky cove tucked on the quiet northwest coast below Anacapri, just along the shore from the Grotta Azzurra, the Blue Grotto, and it trades sand and scene for calm, clear water and a price tag close to nothing. There are free public rocks to swim from, a small lido with sun terraces if you want a lounger, and a casual restaurant above the cove. It is one of the few corners of this famous island where you can still have a quiet, cheap day by the sea.
The honest value read is that Gradola does one thing very well and knows it. The water here is deep, glass clear and usually calm, and you slip into it off flat rocks and ladders rather than wading from a beach, so it is a proper swimmer's cove. Because there are free rocks you can do the whole day for the cost of the bus from Anacapri, bringing your own water and a mat, and keep the lido and the restaurant for a lounger or a lunch only if you want them. It pairs beautifully with the Blue Grotto, which is best visited on a calm morning, so the smart plan is the grotto early and a long, quiet swim at Gradola after, well away from the day tripper crush at the Faraglioni.
Who should skip it? Families with toddlers and anyone who needs a sandy shore or shallow water, because this is rocks and deep water from the start. It is small, so it can feel full on a busy August afternoon despite its remoteness, and there is little here beyond the swim and the lunch, which is exactly the point. But for couples, for swimmers and for anyone watching the budget who wants the clear Capri water without the Capri prices or crowds, Gradola is one of the quietest and best value choices on the island. Go for the calm and you will not be disappointed.
Clubs near this beach
A single small rock lido shares this quiet cove with free public rocks, so you only pay for a lounger or a lunch, never for the swim itself.
Photo: Gradola via GoogleThe Gradola lido
A small, casual rock lido on the cove, with sun terraces and loungers over the flat rock and a relaxed restaurant above serving lunch in season. It is one of the more low key and better value bathing spots on the island, lovely for a quiet day, though still a Capri price. Rates to be confirmed.
The free public rocks
Beside the lido are free public rocks where you can swim and sunbathe in the same clear water for nothing, the rare free bathing in this corner of the island. There is no service, so bring your towel, water and shade, but it is the value pick for a quiet swim near the Blue Grotto.
Northwest coast, by bus from Anacapri
Gradola lies on the quiet northwest coast below Anacapri, just along from the Grotta Azzurra. Take the local bus from Anacapri toward the Blue Grotto, get off nearby and walk down a flight of steps to the cove. There is no road right to the water and no sand, so wear sensible shoes for the stairs and the rocks, and the trip is short, cheap and usually uncrowded.
Bring water, a hat and a mat for the rocks, and come on a calm day for the clearest water. Swim free off the public rocks and keep the lido and restaurant for a lounger or a relaxed lunch only if you want them. Pair the cove with the Blue Grotto on a settled morning, doing the grotto early and the swim after, and you have a quiet, good value day.
Photo: Gradola via GoogleNot ready to book?
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Common questions about Gradola
Is Gradola beach in Capri free?
Yes, in part. Gradola has free public rocks where you can swim for nothing, and it is the only free bathing spot in this corner of the island near the Blue Grotto. There is also a small lido with sun terraces, loungers and a restaurant for hire if you want comfort, but the swim itself costs nothing, which makes it good value for a quiet day.
How do you get to Gradola beach?
Take the bus from Anacapri toward the Grotta Azzurra, the Blue Grotto, get off nearby and walk down a flight of steps to the cove. There is no road right to the water and no sand, so wear sensible shoes for the stairs and the rocks. It is a short, simple trip and the cove is usually quiet.
Is Gradola near the Blue Grotto?
Yes, it sits just along the coast from the Grotta Azzurra on the northwest side of the island below Anacapri, and the old name Gradola once referred to the grotto's landing place. It makes a natural pairing, a visit to the Blue Grotto in the calm morning followed by a quiet swim and lunch at Gradola away from the crowds.
Is Gradola good for swimming?
Yes, for confident swimmers. The water is deep straight off the rocks and very clear, with ladders to get in and out, so it is excellent for a swim and a snorkel on a calm day. It is not suited to small children or weak swimmers, as there is no shallow sandy shore, so families wanting gentle water should choose elsewhere.
Is Gradola worth visiting?
Yes, if you want a quiet, good value swim away from the famous beaches. It is one of the calmer and cheaper spots on Capri, a small rocky cove with clear water, a relaxed rock lido and a restaurant above, and it pairs well with the Blue Grotto. It is not the place for sand or a scene, but for a peaceful day it is a smart local choice.
