Arco Naturale
Capri
KnownNature
The story
An arch of rock suspended among the holm oaks, sheer above the sea, all that remains of an ancient collapsed cave, at the end of a path above Matermania.
Access
FREE
The story
The Natural Arch (Arco Naturale) is one of the geological symbols of Capri: a great arch of limestone rock, what remains of an ancient collapsed sea grotto, suspended on the eastern side of the island. A bridge of stone shaped over geological ages by erosion, facing the open sea.
What to see
The arch of rock framed by the Mediterranean scrub, with the sea in the background: one of the most photographed views of Capri. The path that leads to it offers continuous glimpses of the eastern coast and, a little below, touches the Grotta di Matermania.
How to get there
- Hydrofoil
- Ferry
Hours and prices
Free entry.
Tips
It is reached on foot from the centre of Capri by a scenic path and many steps: reckon on the walk and the climb back on the return, with comfortable shoes and water. To be combined with the Grotta di Matermania and the belvedere of Tragara, on the same side.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Natural Arch of Capri?
A great arch of limestone rock on the eastern side of the island, what remains of an ancient collapsed sea grotto: one of the natural symbols of Capri.
How do you reach the Natural Arch?
On foot from the centre of Capri, by a scenic path and several steps; it is best to reckon on the walk and the climb back.
What is near the Natural Arch?
The Grotta di Matermania, a little below along the path, and the belvedere of Tragara over the Faraglioni.
More gems in Capri
History & archaeologyVilla Jovis
Capri
On the highest, loneliest point of the island, the ruins of the villa from which Tiberius ruled the empire for ten years, among cisterns, terraces and the emptiness of the sea all around.
MuseumsVilla Lysis — Jago Museum Capri
Capri
A 1905 Art Nouveau villa by the poet Fersen, dedicated to love and sorrow; since June 2026 it houses the Jago Museum Capri, with Jago's sculptures in the historic rooms high above the sea.
◆ NatureGrotta di Matermania
Capri
A great cave that the Romans turned into a nymphaeum, with niches and traces of stucco facing the dawn, perhaps consecrated to the Magna Mater from which it takes its name.
- Views & panoramas
Salto di Tiberio
Capri
The sheer cliff beside Villa Jovis, from which legend says Tiberius had those who betrayed him thrown into the sea: three hundred metres of void beneath your feet.
- Nature
Pizzolungo
Capri
The path that runs along the hillside among the myrtle bushes, passing beneath Malaparte's house until it opens onto the Faraglioni seen from above.
- Views & panoramas
Belvedere di Tragara
Capri
At the end of the lane lined with villas and bougainvillea, the terrace where the Faraglioni line up perfectly, three rocks rising from the blue like the island's signature.
More gems: Nature
◆ NatureOrto Botanico
via Foria
Founded in the Napoleonic age, the botanical garden on via Foria lines up glasshouses, palms and rare species across twelve hectares: a green breath a step away from the traffic.
◆ NaturePedamentina di San Martino
Vomero→centro
A fourteenth-century stairway dropping from the hill of San Martino down to the city: hundreds of steps through vegetable plots, gardens and glimpses of the bay — one of the finest urban paths in Naples.
NatureVilla Comunale
Riviera di Chiaia
The garden stretched out along the sea at Chiaia: avenues of holm oaks, benches and old statues, with the gulf breathing beyond the iron railing.
NatureAcquario Anton Dohrn
Riviera di Chiaia
The oldest aquarium in Europe, opened in 1874 inside the Villa Comunale: historic tanks inhabited only by the fauna of the Gulf of Naples, behind the glass.
NatureSolfatara
Pozzuoli
The ground breathes: hissing fumaroles, mud that boils up and a smell of sulphur reminding you how alive the earth is beneath the Campi Flegrei.
- ◆ Nature
Vigna di San Martino
collina S. Martino
One of the largest urban vineyards in Europe, worked by the Carthusians since the fourteenth century: seven hectares of vines, citrus and olive trees hanging over the bay, a step from the city's chaos.