Augustus Gardens Is a Capri Must-Do
Off the coast of Naples, Italy, the island of Capri is a major tourist destination. It's known for gorgeous beaches, epic views, and, of course, the famous Blue Grotto (among other grottos). However, tucked away at the bottom of the super-ritzy Via Federico Serena, the Gardens of Augustus is a really charming botanical garden with truly unbeatable views.
How to Get to the Gardens of Augustus from the Capri Cable Car
This is a great destination for the garden itself, for the views, and for the walk down. To get to Augustus Gardens from the cable car, you have to walk through the main stretch of downtown Capri. Here is a link to the Google Maps directions for getting to the Gardens of Augustus on foot. This walk is great for window shopping, seeing some gorgeous architecture and landscaping, and obviously grabbing a tasty gelato on the way.
And, by the way, I don't see how Google Maps thinks this is a nine-minute walk. I guess if you sprint, maybe... It takes more like 20 if you meander and admire the sights along the way. When you arrive, you will first see the stairs leading up to the entrance to the garden, but hopefully you will also see the sign pointing you to the ticket booth, which is just past the entrance. There is a manned booth as well as self-service machines. You can also buy a ticket using your phone and save the 40-meter walk.
The Amazing Views from the Gardens of Augustus
The best part of Augustus Gardens is obviously the panoramic viewpoint, shown as the endpoint on the map seen above of my suggested walking path. There are stunning views of the Mediterranean, and they are uninterrupted since this backside of Capri faces away from mainland Italy. You can see there are a lot of boats hanging out here, and this is where we went swimming the day before on our boat tour around Capri.
If you look in the opposite direction (photos below), you can see a visually stunning Via Krupp, followed by Marina Piccola (where the boats are), and beyond that, the other side of Capri, Anacapri.
Via Krupp is an awesome walking trail that hairpins its way down the mountainside, offering (as some people claim) even better views than those here at the Gardens of Augustus. I can't vouch for that because I didn't do the walk; however, I would bet that it's probably true. Keep in mind if you want to walk Via Krupp that you'll either have to walk all the way back up or continue the whole two kilometers to Marina Piccola and hail a cab from there to wherever you've come from. This is a more remote area of an extremely cliff-ridden island, so there aren't a ton of options for giving up and leaving halfway through a hike.
What to See in the Gardens of Augustus
While the viewpoints are definitely why most people visit this part of Capri, I have to say, don't sleep on the rest of the garden! There are a number of statues, other small art installations, and this really gorgeously painted tile bench that makes for a great photo op.
I really enjoyed the combination of some more traditional sculptures with the modern or abstract art installations. It felt like there were little touches all around the garden waiting to be discovered if you took the extra moment to give everything a proper look. I especially enjoyed the weird ceramic... sea urchins, perhaps?... in the middle-right photo, as well as the adorable hand-painted tiles instructing viewers about what herbs were planted there.
Is a visit to Capri's Augustus Gardens worth it?
The ticket to enter the Gardens of Augustus is less than 3 euros, making it extremely worth the visit. While it only takes about half an hour to walk around the full garden (it's not too big area-wise), you may find yourself staying a lot longer if you want to snap some good photos or just sit and admire the view. So while it may be a little off the beaten path compared to other Capri attractions, I highly recommend enjoying a stroll down Via Federico Serena to check out this awesome garden with quite a view.
