Capri to limit visitors

Capri is tightening how organized tour groups move around the island this summer, with a 40-person cap and stricter rules at the port and in the center. (capripost.it) Capri’s town council approved the changes unanimously on February 6, 2026, by amending the municipal urban police regulation. The new text says guided visitor groups cannot exceed 40 people, excluding children up to age 5. (capripost.it) Groups larger than 20 must use earpieces instead of amplified explanations, and guides must carry a proper paddle or sign rather than umbrellas, scarves or other improvised markers. The rules also bar groups from stopping where they block pedestrian traffic. (capripost.it; touringclub.it) The regulation names Marina Grande, Via Roma, Piazza Umberto I, Via Le Botteghe, Via Fuorlovado and Via Vittorio Emanuele as places where lingering groups can obstruct circulation. It also bans organized groups from waiting on the commercial port’s arrival and departure docks. (capripost.it) Capri is trying to manage day-tripper traffic on an island of 10.4 square kilometers that gets summer peaks of about 50,000 visitors a day. Euronews reported that the island’s resident population is roughly 13,000 to 15,000. (euronews.com; wikipedia.org) The measures are aimed at the organized excursions that bunch up after ferry arrivals at Marina Grande, where visitors often gather before taking the funicular or buses toward Capri town, Marina Piccola and Anacapri. The Touring Club Italiano said the rules were drafted ahead of the coming summer to bring more order to that daily commuter-style tourism. (touringclub.it) Local business groups have backed the move. Federalberghi Capri said the rules are needed to ease pressure on Piazza Umberto I and Marina Grande, while Ascom Confcommercio Capri called them a first step toward improving access during the most congested hours. (touringclub.it) Supporters have framed the crackdown as crowd management, not a ban on tourists. Lorenzo Coppola, president of Capri’s hotel association, told Euronews the goal was to make the island “more livable,” and tavern owner Gianluigi Lembo said visitors are welcome “but not all at once.” (euronews.com) The new rules leave independent travelers largely untouched, but they force cruise excursions and packaged day tours to split up, move faster and use less space on arrival. For Capri, the summer test is whether smaller, quieter groups can keep the island moving without shutting visitors out. (capripost.it; euronews.com; italyonfoot.com)