Capri floats ring of steel to thwart A-listers and tourists
The yachts draw up each summer to the pristine coves and sparkling waters of Capri.
But under plans put forward last week by the mayor of the Italian island, they will soon be barred from sailing too close.
Frustrated with hordes of tourists clogging up famous sites such as the Blue Grotto, Franco Cerrotta, the mayor of Anacapri, is is proposing a barrier of 40 buoys be placed 100 metres (330ft) offshore for a distance of 6 kilometres (3.7 miles) around the western rim of the island.
A-list visitors like Beyonce, Leonardo di Caprio and Kendall Jenner will be forced to drop anchor outside the perimeter, while tour operators ferrying day-trippers to the Grotto will find their path blocked.
Like Venice, this island off the coast of Naples is joining the list of Italian destinations establishing measures to keep people away.
“No-one has the right to damage the environment or risk hurting children in swimming areas,” Mr Cerrotta told The Telegraph. “There is too much traffic and motorboats are travelling too fast. We have to stop boorish behaviour and defend the sea.”
Tourists have been drawn to Capri for at least 2000 years, following in the footsteps of Tiberius, the Roman emperor, who built a sumptuous hilltop palace here.
But their number now tops that of the entire population over the summer months, with 16,000 foreigners visiting the island in May and June, compared to the 13,000 residents.
No place is more popular with tourists in peak season, according to the Italian travel and tourism body, Federaturismo.
Last week, the mayor met port officials from Naples to discuss his council’s proposal – but it is unlikely to take effect before 2025.
Boat rental companies are furious, saying the move will damage their business. One boat operator, who declined to be named, accused the mayor of acting “as if he was Mussolini” referring to Italy’s former fascist dictator.
During the summer holiday season boat operators earn a premium charging up to €100 (£85) an hour to take visitors on scenic cruises around the island. They claim the buoys would hamper their business and drive tourists away.
“Capri depends on tourism,” the unnamed boat operator said. “We need to respect existing laws and regulate boat speeds in swimming areas, not just make unilateral decisions.
Holly Star, an Australian who runs the Michel’angelo Cooking School with her husband, Gianluca, said: “The volume of day trippers puts pressure on the island’s infrastructure, resources and community and doesn’t enable those travellers to experience the true essence of Capri.
“It’s impossible to grasp the natural beauty and rich culture here without devoting more time.”
Lorenzo Coppola, a hotel owner who heads the local hotel association, said the tourists congregate in key areas that are overcrowded and the inflow needs to be managed more effectively because infrastructure and resources were already stretched.
Capri was forced to temporarily suspend tourist arrivals when its water supply broke down in June and it collapsed again last week. Ferries and buses are crammed with daily arrivals.
The island has doubled its visitors’ fee from 2.5 euros to 5 euros but some say that is not enough to protect the future of Capri and its residents.
Teodorico Boniello, the head of the local consumers’ association, told The Telegraph: “Capri is becoming a dormitory for tourists and residents are being forced out.
“There are more people coming here than we can cope with and families can’t afford to stay. The national government needs to take urgent action to protect the community and the island’s future.”