Punta Carena Lighthouse Capri

The Pun­ta Care­na Light­house is a his­toric bea­con locat­ed on the south­west­ern tip of Capri, at Pun­ta Care­na. It became oper­a­tional in 1867, mak­ing it one of the old­est and most sig­nif­i­cant light­hous­es in Italy. Designed by Bour­bon engi­neers dur­ing the King­dom of the Two Sicilies, it was strate­gi­cal­ly posi­tioned to guide ships nav­i­gat­ing the Tyrrhen­ian Sea, par­tic­u­lar­ly around the per­ilous rocky coast­line of Capri. The light­house stands on a rocky promon­to­ry and fea­tures a white and red striped tow­er, mak­ing it a rec­og­niz­able land­mark. Its light is one of the most pow­er­ful in the Mediter­ranean, with a range of near­ly 25 nau­ti­cal miles, ensur­ing the safe­ty of sailors in one of Italy’s busiest mar­itime regions. It is the sec­ond-largest light­house in Italy, fol­low­ing the famous Lanter­na in Genoa. His­tor­i­cal­ly, the light­house played a cru­cial role in facil­i­tat­ing mar­itime trade and trans­porta­tion in the Bay of Naples, espe­cial­ly dur­ing the late 19^th cen­tu­ry, when the region was a hub of eco­nom­ic activ­i­ty. Over the years, it has wit­nessed var­i­ous peri­ods of tech­no­log­i­cal advance­ment, from oil lamps to elec­tric-pow­ered lights, reflect­ing the evo­lu­tion of light­house tech­nol­o­gy. Pun­ta Carena’s loca­tion has also made it a strate­gic point dur­ing wartime, serv­ing as an obser­va­tion post dur­ing World War II. Its rugged sur­round­ings, com­bined with the stun­ning views of the open sea, have made it not only a func­tion­al struc­ture but also a place of cul­tur­al and his­tor­i­cal sig­nif­i­cance. Today, while still an active aid for mar­itime nav­i­ga­tion, the light­house has become a pop­u­lar tourist attrac­tion. Vis­i­tors are drawn to its strik­ing archi­tec­ture, fas­ci­nat­ing his­to­ry, and the serene beau­ty of its sur­round­ings, includ­ing breath­tak­ing sun­sets and nat­ur­al swim­ming spots nearby.

The light­house can be reached by bus or taxi from Anacapri or through a pri­vate boat or yacht tour orga­nized by Sor­ren­to Voy­age. These tours depart from Sor­ren­to, Posi­tano, Amal­fi, or Capri itself, offer­ing a scenic and exclu­sive experience.

The Pun­ta Care­na Light­house is renowned for its strate­gic loca­tion on the south­west­ern tip of Capri, offer­ing panoram­ic sea views and vibrant sun­sets. Its his­tor­i­cal sig­nif­i­cance and prox­im­i­ty to nat­ur­al swim­ming spots make it a pop­u­lar des­ti­na­tion for both his­to­ry enthu­si­asts and nature lovers.

Yes, with Sor­ren­to Voy­age, you can book a pri­vate boat or lux­u­ry yacht tour to the light­house. These tours are ful­ly cus­tomiz­able and include depar­ture points from Sor­ren­to, Posi­tano, Amal­fi, or Capri, offer­ing a unique way to explore the island.

The best time to vis­it is in the late after­noon, just before sun­set, to enjoy the vibrant col­ors reflect­ing on the sea. Sun­set boat tours with Sor­ren­to Voy­age offer an unfor­get­table view of this icon­ic site.

Bring sun­screen, com­fort­able cloth­ing, and a cam­era to cap­ture the views. If you’re on a boat tour, pack swimwear and tow­els for a quick dip in Capri’s crys­tal-clear waters.