On the eastern side of Capri, a huge stone arch stands on a clifftop overlooking the sea, framing a view of blue water and rock. Unlike most of the island’s famous sights, nobody built it. It is what is left after a much larger structure fell apart.
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The Arco Naturale is the surviving section of a limestone grotto that once stood on this stretch of coast. Long ago, in the Palaeolithic period, the sea eroded the rock beneath the cave, while rain and wind wore away at it from above.
Eventually, most of the roof and walls of the grotto collapsed, and the waves carried the broken pieces away. What remained standing was a single strong section of rock, curved into the shape of an arch. The sea no longer reaches it, but wind and rain continue to slowly shape the stone.
The arch spans about 12 metres and rises to roughly 18 metres above the ground. Boat tours around the island offer a stunning view of it from the water.
Long before it appeared on postcards, the arch already had an audience. In the 19th century, its dramatic shape attracted artists travelling through southern Italy. Thomas Fearnley and William Stanley Haseltine painted it, and Moritz Meurer drew it. Early photographers later made it a popular subject as tourism on Capri grew.
Today, the Arco Naturale can only be reached on foot, along paths that wind past other natural sights on the island.
One popular route runs close to the Faraglioni rocks and the Pizzolungo coastal path. Another starts at the Piazzetta in Capri town and follows Via Matermania. From the arch, walkers see the sea below and the Sorrento peninsula in the distance.