10 Things to Do in Capri in September
September is the last month of summer, so it's a good time to get to know the beaches. Here are some of the things you can't miss during this month on the island.
From Marian festivities to simply enjoying a stroll through the streets of Capri, this island has a lot to offer during the ninth month of the year. With the arrival of September, the temperature starts to drop, but it's still a great time to enjoy the beaches.
That's why in this article I'll show you some of the best things to see and do in Capri during this month. If you're already planning to travel to the island in September, you're sure to find some amazing things to do, and if you're still not sure when to travel, I recommend you do it during September.
1. Take a trip along the coast of Capri
This is definitely the best time of the year to visit Capri because it's still summer, but autumn is approaching, so the days are still warm but not as hot as in the previous months of July and August.
In that sense, September is a good month to go and enjoy an excursion along the coast of Capri, and even take some of the best boat trips in Capri, the kind that take you all along the Amalfi Coast, Salerno, or any other nearby place within Naples, thanks to the temperatures that help you stay comfortable with the island.
On the other hand, during this season, you have the opportunity to enjoy the most beautiful landscapes of the island more clearly, because still during the month of September, the sunny landscape allows you to see clearly the sea of Capri like a postcard.
As for emblematic places that are much more pleasant in summer, I can't fail to mention the Blue Grotto, which, while it's true that it's a good plan to visit in summer, during the month of September it's even better, thanks to the fact that the influx of tourists is much lower than during the warmer months.
2. Walk around the town of Capri and Anacapri with few people
Another of the things you can't miss during the month of September on this island, is to go for a walk through its streets, get lost among its shops and take advantage of eating in each of the most famous restaurants on the island, since during this month it's time for price reductions and you can easily find bargains.
September is a month when visitors start to leave the island, and this gives you the opportunity to walk around the streets without crowds, enjoying yourself at your own pace. On the other hand, something that favours touring the island during this month is undoubtedly the temperature.
For this month of the year, summer is starting to be left behind, so the temperatures drop a little, but the days are still sunny, so you can walk around the island without any problems, without drowning in the heat.
Thanks to these weather conditions and the influx of tourists, you should include in your holidays during the month of September, some of the best tours of the city of Capri, to learn more about the history and culture of the island beyond the coast.
3. Attend the Anacaprese Settembrata
One of Capri's most famous pagan festivals is the Settembrata Anacaprese, held between the last week of August and the first week of September. It is the feast of the grape, celebrating and remembering the ancient peasant practices of cultivation and care of this prodigious fruit in Italian gastronomy.
The event began to take place in 1923, when a group of artists agreed that they wanted to honour the people of Anacapri for all their hospitality. More to the present day, the festival has taken on the task of reviving the lives and beliefs of the people of the early 20th century.
The celebration also serves as a window to show locals and visitors the agricultural and artisan habits that are still used today to produce grapes and all their derivatives. The main celebration is basically a great festival with grape products, including sweets, confectionery, wines, fresh fruit, among others.
With this amount of history on its shoulders, visiting the Settembre Anacaprese has become one of the best things to do in Capri during the month of September, because it gives you a clearer idea of the level of culture and traditions of this Mediterranean island.
4. Go for a swim at the beaches of Capri
One of the must-do things to do during the month of September is to go swimming at some of Capri's best beaches, not only because of the mild weather, but also because during this season you won't find as many tourists as you would in any other month of the summer.
By September water temperatures are still around 22°C, so you can still go for a swim and enjoy the Mediterranean coastal climate. There are some private beaches that close their doors between the last week of September and the first week of October and reopen around December, however, public beaches are open all year round.
Some of the most recommended beaches to visit during the month of September in Capri, are: Marina Grande, Bagni di Tiberio and Maria Piccola. Each of them has its own charms and you're sure to want to stay long enough to enjoy the sand and sun.
5. Enjoy the celebration of Santa Maria Della Libera
The celebration of Santa Maria Della Libera is one of the most popular Marian traditions in Capri, and is celebrated on the Sunday after the 8th of September, so as not to coincide with the festivity in honour of Tiberius during the first weekend of September.
In the middle of the religious celebration, the Caprians take the opportunity to organise all kinds of activities for adults and children. The festival lasts for about three days during which you can not only see pilgrimages, a beautiful procession and praises to the virgin, but you can also enjoy concerts and other musical activities.
To know a little about the history of this tradition, you should know that the devotion to the virgin dates back a long time, and according to the parishioners it started after the people made a prayer to ask for the release of their relatives who had been taken as prisoners.
The statue of the Virgin can be seen in her church in Marina Grande, while the celebrations take place in the Villa Marina. Part of what you'll love about this religious celebration is the decoration of the streets, which are bathed in coloured lights throughout the day to welcome the procession that starts at midday.
6. Celebrating the Nativity of the Virgin
The Nativity of the Virgin Mary is celebrated in many parts of the world as part of the Marian celebrations of the Catholic Church. Capri is no exception, with the Virgin Mary being honoured in the small rock church on the slopes of Monte Solaro.
Every September 7th, ceremonies dedicated to the Nativity of the Virgin are held in that church, where pilgrims simply thank the Virgin for her blessings and pray for their families and for the health of the entire population of Capri in general. In addition, these religious activities serve as a prelude to the other Marian traditions of the first days of September.
In the end, all these manifestations end with a mass and the pilgrimage of the faithful and devotees, starting from the centre of Anacapri, to the road that leads to the Cetrella Valley and the church of Santa Maria.
7. To go to the mass in honour of Santa Maria del Soccorso
After celebrating the Nativity of the Madonna, during the morning of September 8th, the mass in honour of the Madonna of Santa Maria del Soccorso is held as part of the beginning of the Tiberian festivities, one of the most important celebrations in Capri.
Nowadays this festivity has changed a lot, although you can still go not only to enjoy the mass, but also to share with the locals who stay outside the temple after the mass, as part of the religious traditions. At that time you can take the opportunity to taste some traditional flavours, snacks or regional sweets.
Once upon a time, this Festa di Santa Maria del Soccorso was particularly respected by couples, who considered it an opportunity to confirm and renew their oath of love, so that the following year they could get married. After the famous religious ritual, all those present would organise dances throughout the night in the midst of a verbena, to celebrate the Madonna.
8. Eating traditional dishes at the Tiberian Piedigrotta
Undoubtedly, this is one of those celebrations that mix the religious and the pagan and that are part of the culture and tradition of the island. It is celebrated on the 7th of September, when tourists and islanders enjoy traditional popular events where different folkloric manifestations of the Neapolitan region can be seen.
This celebration is special because it is organised by the Tiberiani themselves, who are the inhabitants of Tiberio Street. These residents have been organised under a committee for more than eighty years. Participation in the committee is passed down from father to son, so that generation after generation, they keep the values of agricultural civilisation alive.
In order to preserve this tradition, the committee organises the Piedigrotta Tiberiana, which is nothing more than a gastronomic display in honour of the Madonna del Soccorso, which is spread along via Tiberio. During the event, you will be able to taste typical dishes of the region, including maruzze, which are special preparations because the recipe is known only to the women of via Tiberio.
You will also taste other traditional dishes such as rabbit in hunter's style and aubergine parmesan, all accompanied by red wine from the region's vineyards. At the end of the day, you can enjoy musical performances which are also prepared by the organising committee.
9. See the Gulf of Capri-Naples Marathon
In the first week of September, Capri hosts one of the most special and important marathons on the island and in the world of swimming. It is a competition in which the skills and physical competences of swimmers from all over the world are put to the test as they seek to become world champions in long-distance swimming.
The competition is held specifically in the Gulf of Naples, which becomes a racing venue par excellence. The race itself starts in Marina Grande, one of the most beautiful beaches of Capri, although on four occasions it has started in different places, for climatic reasons.
One of the characteristics that make the Gulf of Capri-Naples Marathon one of the most special is the incredible duration of almost 12 hours that the participants spend swimming. In fact, among the things that are evaluated during the event is that the marathoners swim in unnatural conditions.
10. Appreciating art at the Paesaggio Festival
The Festival del Paesaggio is one of the activities you should definitely enjoy in the city during the month of September because it showcases the artistic creativity of the participants. It is an exhibition of different artists who show how they see the island from their own perspective. It is an event in which only artists from Capri participate.
Although only Capriese artists participate, you will surely love to go and see the different artistic representations that are displayed during the exhibition. Year after year, the exhibition changes its focus, but not its theme, the intention always being to showcase the island of Capri through art.
The exhibition is held each year at the Villa San Michele in Anacapri, and generally lasts about a month, beginning during the first week of September and ending during the first week of October.
Temperatures in Capri in September
By September, as I have already told you at some point, the weather is much more pleasant than during the summer, even more pleasant than during the rest of the year, and it is still possible to go for a visit to the coasts and a swim at the beach. By the ninth month, temperatures begin to drop, welcoming autumn.
However, during the first days of the month you can still feel the summer weather, while it is possible to feel a much more autumnal climate towards the end of the month. Temperatures throughout the month are between 20º and 31º. They can rarely drop below 20º or rise above 30º.
Between 14:00 and 21:00 the temperature is usually much warmer, while between 5:00 and 9:00 it is cooler. Along with the change in temperature also comes the rains, so you'll need to pack rain gear in your suitcase in case you get a rainy day on your trip.
Of course, the rainy season arrives in earnest around November, so you should still pack enough summer clothes in your suitcase in September to enjoy the Caprese sunshine.
Capri's tourist crowds in September
The peak tourist season on the island is undoubtedly the summer, which runs from July to September, but by the latter month, the crowds begin to thin out noticeably. During the first week of September the weather is still considerably more summery than autumnal, so you'll find more tourists during this time.
From the second week of September until the end of the month, you can enjoy the island without crowds, and it is still possible to find enough hotel rooms and make reservations in restaurants all over the island, because tourists start to leave Capri.
If you want to take a boat trip, September is also a good time to do so because the yachts and boats are still anchored in the harbour, but there are fewer tourists looking to get on one.