Capri Boat Tour from Piano di Sorrento

The second option is Piano's real signature: a private charter departing from Marina di Cassano itself. Cassano is a small working port — fishing boats are unloaded onto the same quay where you board — and avoids the Marina Piccola crowds entirely. We arrange gozzos, day cruisers and yachts for two to twelve guests, each with a licensed skipper who has grown up on this coast. From Cassano the crossing to Capri is fractionally longer than from Sorrento (35–50 minutes) but you skip the road transfer, gain a more authentic embarkation and have complete control of the itinerary — arriving at the Blue Grotto before the tour boats, dropping anchor wherever the water looks best and ending the day with an aperitivo on deck rather than the rush to dock. Explore private boat charters.

Piano di Sorrento itself rewards exploration. The town spreads across a plateau between Meta and Sant'Agnello, with the Basilica di San Michele Arcangelo in the centre, the elegant Villa Fondi park overlooking Cassano, and a thriving food scene that locals prefer over Sorrento's tourist restaurants. The walk down to Marina di Cassano via the steep Via Trinità takes fifteen minutes and reveals a southern Italian harbour that has barely changed since the nineteenth century — colourful houses stacked above the water, nets drying on the seawall, an espresso bar where boat captains still meet at dawn. If you are spending nights in Piano, base yourself near Corso Italia for shops or above Cassano for sea views. Find Sorrento holiday homes.

Logistics and timing: shared tours depart Marina Piccola 08:30–09:30 and return 16:30–17:30; private charters from Cassano are more flexible — typical full-day windows are 09:00–17:00 with a sunset extension on request. Bring high-SPF reef-safe sunscreen, a hat, polarised sunglasses, a waterproof phone pouch, light layers for the return, and €15–20 in small notes for the Blue Grotto rowboat. Lunch options range from a quick stop in Capri's Marina Grande to a full seafood meal at Da Paolino, the legendary lemon-grove restaurant in Marina Piccola di Capri (book well ahead). More things to do near Sorrento.

BlueKeys operators follow the Gulf of Naples National Park guidelines — no anchoring on protected seagrass, no single-use plastics aboard, motors off during swim stops. The Blue Grotto can close in rough seas (8–15 days a season); the skipper checks conditions the night before and offers the White Grotto, Green Grotto and extended swim stops as alternatives. Children of all ages are welcome on shared tours; child life jackets are provided.