Arriving on the island is a pleasant sobering experience – nowhere is boredom as sweet as on Capraia. And that is already a great discovery. Above the harbour and three crooked rocks there is a village. Nothing more. The remaining 19 square kilometres of the island in the Tuscan archipelago are empty and free of cars. Because at every fork there is a sign prohibiting traffic, and on the rest of the island there are only pedestrian paths. The authorship of the ancient roads of the island belongs to the Etruscans.
The paths that lead through the island are wild, with mountains more than 400 metres high, knee-high meadow grasses and fragrant poppies. Even steeper cliffs of dark red volcanic rock lead back down to the sea. Unlike the islands of Elba or Giglio, there are no sandy beaches, no glamorous boulevards and the entire western coast is considered a protected area. Instead, there are sea urchins, herring, colonies of seagulls, seahorses, colourful striped fish, green lizards, a dotted line of rather loud bumblebees and the wild goats that give the island its name. An information board in the village even promises whales.
The island is visited by tourists, bird watchers and sailors. Only in the extreme north-east there are slightly more than 300 registered residents, but only 80 live there. The settlement has everything necessary for life: shops, a restaurant, a cafe, a post office, a campsite, a bus that takes you to the church of St. Nicholas. On the rest of the island there are only fortified towers, which were built to repel attacks by Saracens and pirates. From the top, on a clear day, you can see the islands of Corsica and Elba.
The island's life is based in the port and the village. Here they sell fresh fish, tell the news, meet friends. Up in Piazza Milano, old people sigh about the heat. There is a private helicopter and a landing pad for it. Many things are necessary on Capraia: a supermarket, a bakery, a fresh fish stand, a campsite, a minibus. The rhythm of life is linked to the opening hours of the ferry. Every day it signals its arrival, it is met, laughed at, kissed. The ferry, which travels for about three hours from Livorno to Capraia, is the same as a mailbox and a meeting place.
The conversation about jellyfish is quite important on this cozy island. What jellyfish, how dangerous, when they appear and what to do after a sting. Everyone has their own theory here, from shaving cream to olive oil and a heated stone. Apart from the ferry and the jellyfish, only a few energetic Europeans are of interest. They get a lesson in idleness when they ask the locals for advice. Which of the many bays are worth visiting: Porto-Vecchio, Bagno del Torre, Calla del Cepo or Calla del Zurleto? The road to Porto-Vecchio is part of the island's history: an abandoned colony, 2 chapels and the chief's palazzo, and then only a narrow path leads down to the bay. The smell of wild mint, chamomile, myrrh, pine and the luxury yachts with their arrogant owners visible below in the bay. At the end of the swimming season, in November, when the air is still warm, the island hosts a squid festival, the most magnificent of all festivals of this kind.
