You'd be well advised not to stay overnight on CA?pri: in peak season space is extremely limited, and the prices are through the roof; day-trips here from Naples or Sorrento are in any case easy. If you are keen to stay, however - and the island certainly is a lot quieter after the day-tripping crowds have gone home - you could try the Quattro Stagioni , Via Marina Piccola 1 (tel 081.837.0041; L200,000-250,000/103.29-129.11), or the centrally placed Stella Maris , Via Roma 27 (tel 081.837.0452; L120,000-150,000/61.98-77.47). If they are full, La Prora , very appealingly situated up above the Stella Maris on Via Castello (tel 081.837.0281; L200,000-250,000/103.29-129.11), is an exceedingly pleasant place to stay, as is the excellent Villa Esperia on Via Sopramonte (tel 081.837.0262; L200,000-250,000/103.29-129.11), a former Englishwoman's villa that has been recently renovated and has lovely views from its rooms, some of which have their own terrace. If you don't mind staying in AnacA?pri, the Villa Eva , Via La Fabbrica 8 (tel 081.837.1365, villa@capri.it ; L120,000-150,000/61.98-77.47), is perhaps the best-value place to stay on the island, a welcoming family-run hostel/hotel; phone from Piazza Vittoria and they'll pick you up. Otherwise go for the reasosnable and extremely friendly Alla Bussola di Hermes (tel 081.838.2010, bus.hermes@libero.it ; L60,000-90,000/30.99-46.48), on Via Traversa La Vigna; it's basic but clean.

Even if you don't stay, eating can be an expense, and you might prefer to knock yourself up a picnic lunch: in CA?pri town there are a supermarket and a bakery a little way down Via Botteghe off Piazza Umberto, and well-stocked salumerie at Via Roma 13 and 30. For sit-down food, one of the best places is Da Gemma , under the arches of old CA?pri at Via Madre Serafina 6 (Oct-Feb closed Mon), a friendly, long-established place with a windowed main room overlooking the bay - good for seafood, and not that pricey. Down below, Di Giorgio is a surprisingly inexpensive restaurant in a good location (closed Tues), while on the other side of Piazza Umberto, Pizzeria Aurora , on Via Fuorlovado (closed Tues) - the continuation of Via Botteghe - is pretty good value too. In AnacA?pri, Materita on Via G Orlandi, off Piazza Diaz (no closing day), is a fairly reasonable place to eat, and those staying at Villa Eva can get a bargain "tourist menu" at Il Cucciolo (no closing day), five minutes' away at Nuova Traversa Veterino 50. Somewhat nicer, though, Da Giovanni , near the Blue Grotto, is a great-value place to eat, especially by CA?pri's standards. Take the cliffside path to the left of the Blue Grotto bus stop, away from the Grotto; ignore the pricey seafood places along the way, and follow the path right to the end. Giovanni is an artist who has set up a small restaurant under awnings on the cliff ledges here; his food and local wine are good and very reasonably priced and it's open daily in summer.