The Bay of Naples in four days: Capri, Ischia, Naples
Not everyone needs a whole week: four days in the Bay of Naples are enough to spend a night at Capri, sail round it, see Ischia and finish with an evening in Naples. The start is Marina di Stabia in Castellammare, at the foot of Vesuvius and half an hour from Naples airport. About 66 miles, legs of 12–23 miles and a new place every evening. Short charters usually begin the evening before: a night aboard in the marina, then away in the morning.
Day by day
Castellammare di Stabia
- Marina di Stabia (Castellammare)40.719, 14.471
Take over the yacht the evening before the first sailing day and spend the night in Marina di Stabia. Provision in town and stroll the Castellammare seafront — Vesuvius is almost overhead here.
Castellammare → Capri
- Capri (Marina Grande)40.557, 14.244
- Sorrento (Marina Piccola)marina40.630, 14.377
West along the Sorrento coast and across the strait to Capri. Berth in Marina Grande — book ahead, and expect to pay a lot. By day, the funicular up to town and the Gardens of Augustus; in the evening, the Piazzetta once the day-trippers have gone.
Capri → Ischia
- Faraglioni40.541, 14.256
- Blue Grotto40.562, 14.206
- Ischia Porto40.747, 13.942
In the morning, round Capri: the Faraglioni and the south-coast grottoes, then the Blue Grotto on the north-west side (entry only in a local boat, closed in any swell). Then across the bay to Ischia; the night in Ischia Porto, a former crater lake the Bourbons opened to the sea in 1854.
Ischia → Procida → Naples
- Procida (Marina Corricella)40.761, 14.030
- Naples (Molosiglio)40.834, 14.255
- Baiamarina40.818, 14.072
- Naples (Mergellina)town quay40.829, 14.223
Through the Procida channel with a lunch stop off Marina Corricella, then past Capo Miseno and along Posillipo into Naples. Berth at Mergellina or Molosiglio and spend the evening in town — pizza where it was invented.
Naples → Castellammare di Stabia
- Marina di Stabia (Castellammare)40.719, 14.471
Across the bay to the foot of Vesuvius, refuelling and handover.
Coordinates are approximate, for the harbour or bay. Paste them into Google Maps or a chartplotter, and check the chart and pilot book before you moor or anchor.
Good to know
- Timing: the plan assumes four sailing days plus boarding the evening before. Check-in and check-out times for short charters vary — confirm them when booking, as they decide whether the last morning is enough for the run from Naples.
- Traffic: this is the busiest stretch of the Italian coast — ferries, hydrofoils and launches run almost non-stop between Capri, Ischia, Sorrento and Naples. Plan no night passages, and give way to big ships early at harbour entrances.
- Berths: Capri, Ischia Porto and the Naples marinas are the most expensive in the bay and are booked weeks ahead in season. In a southerly swell Marina Grande on Capri gets uncomfortable — the fallback for the night is Sorrento or back to Stabia.
- Reserves: Punta Campanella, which takes in part of Capri's shore, and Regno di Nettuno round Ischia and Procida. Anchoring is banned in the A zones and never allowed on posidonia; the base has the zone limits.
How to get to the marina
- Marina di Stabia, Castellammare di Stabia
- Naples (NAP) — 32 km, 35 min by carSalerno (QSR) — 50 km, 45 min by car
35–60 min · €70–95 per car
Taxi rank outside arrivals at Capodichino; about 35 minutes to Castellammare on the A3 motorway without traffic. Agree the fare before you get in.
35–60 min · €60–90 per car
Pre-booked transfer with meet-and-greet in arrivals at a fixed price; a 6–8 seat minivan costs only a little more than a saloon.
1.5–2 h · €8–12 per person
Alibus from the airport to Piazza Garibaldi, then the Circumvesuviana Naples–Sorrento line to Castellammare di Stabia (about 40 minutes), and a few minutes by taxi from the station to the marina.
Circumvesuviana trains are packed in season and cramped with luggage — for three or more people a taxi or transfer saves time and costs little more.
Prices are autumn 2026 estimates in euros; times are without traffic. Bus and ferry timetables change with the season, so check them before you travel.
When to go and what it costs in Italy
Median € per berth per week from the agent's latest check, monohulls; each month's page has both boat types, a chart and boats departing that month.
Discounted boats in Italy
All boats in Italy
How long is the Castellammare di Stabia — Capri route and where do you stay overnight?
5 days and about 66 nautical miles in a loop, starting and finishing in Castellammare di Stabia. Overnight stops in order: Marina di Stabia (Castellammare), Capri (Marina Grande), Ischia Porto, Naples (Molosiglio). The longest leg is day 3, 23 nm.
How do I get to the marina for the Castellammare di Stabia — Capri route?
The route starts and finishes at Marina di Stabia, Castellammare di Stabia. The nearest airport is Naples (NAP), 32 km away. Fastest: taxi, 35–60 min, €70–95 per car. Cheapest: train and metro, 1.5–2 h, €8–12 per person.
When is the best time to sail the Castellammare di Stabia — Capri route?
Italy's season runs May to October. June and September give the best balance of weather and price; July and August are the peak, with expensive, busy marinas, which is why in Sardinia you anchor out. May and October are the shoulder months: cooler water, cheaper boats. By the agent's latest checks (monohulls), the cheapest month is November: a median of ≈€254 per berth per week. The most expensive is January, at ≈€280. The most boats with 20% off or more are in November: 52%. The agent checks the current month and the next five; each month has its own page with the numbers.
How much does a yacht for this route cost?
A whole boat in Italy for a week starts from €780 in the agent's current selection: the cheapest discounted week departing in the next three months. Prices per berth by month are higher up the page; the boats are under “All boats in Italy”.
Do I need a licence to charter a yacht?
For a bareboat charter (no skipper or crew provided), yes: a skipper's licence and, as a rule, a VHF radio certificate. Without a licence, we add a skipper, paid separately from the boat price.
What's included in the boat price?
Just the boat, for a week. Usually paid separately: transit log and final cleaning, fuel, marina fees, the security deposit (or deposit insurance), a skipper, cook and hostess if you need them, and extras (SUP board, on-board Wi-Fi, coffee machine, child safety netting).
