Elizabeth Taylor was in a clandestine relationship with Richard Burton while holidaying on Italy’s Capri. John Kerrison discovers why the star fell in love with the island too. 

Few of us will experience the trappings of life as a Hollywood star but this day trip over aqua blue waters from the Amalfi coast lets you taste that lifestyle for a day. 

So let’s roll the tape.

Our first scene opens in Sorrento in the heart of Spring. The town hugs a steep coast south of Naples. 

The footpaths are lined with orange and lemon trees bearing fruit and they make the air hint of citrus.

Next we cut to a shot of me with my siblings and mother and father walking with beach bags carrying towels and swimmers. 

I’m wearing a polo shirt and dress shorts. Our faces are smothered in sunscreen as we traverse the stone laneways in the early morning light.

A camera drone shot lowers past sweeping cliffs with luxury pastel villas clinging to their edge. 

We see the charming port of Marina Grande where fishers are readying for sea and cafe owners are serving their first hot coffees.

Next, a surprise close up. I’d booked my family on a group boat to Capris with Capitano Ago Tours. 

Our hosts confirm that as a group of five, we can have an exclusive boat trip which is a considerable saving. We felt like Hollywood royalty for real.

“The boat stops long enough for us to jump into the water. It’s cold but we frolick like Liz and Dick may have done. On board, our skipper is preparing drinks. 

Imagine cameras cutting to a jetty where small boats with blue and white canvas covers bob in the Mediterranean. 

Ours is the classic brown wood speed boat named Gozzo Sorrentino with a cruising speed of 21 knots. 

We head south on an eight hour round trip to circumnavigate the Island of Capri and its rugged coastline.

Now for some scene stealers. Along the coast of the island is the famous Blue Grotto. 

To see inside, you’ll have to pay another $20eu and transfer to a shallow boat. We chose not to go inside because our tour includes the White and Green Grotto which are both spectacular. 

The almost neon blue waters in the caves are caused by underwater rock openings that allow the reflection of the light to return to the surface. 

That neon blue against the white limestone is breathtaking. 

The boat stops long enough for us to jump into the water. It’s cold but we frolick like Liz and Dick may have done. On board, our skipper is preparing drinks. 

Our next sweeping shot is a thriller. The Gozzo Sorrento lines up behind several other speedboats and enters the archway of the Faraglioni, a series of jutting peaks. 

The boat leaves a foam wake as it speeds into port at Capris itself. 

Act two brings us by Taxi into Capri’s most famous square called the Piazzetta. From here we meander shaded pathways to fine dining and shopping. 

This script calls for a late lunch with sweeping views so we choose Al Capri via Roma. 

We shared four margarita pizzas between six and the bill was, well, this is a playground for the rich and famous so be prepared to pay like them. 

The service was good and the view was worth it, just.

We approach the finale by catching a taxi back to Capri port where our skipper and speedboat are waiting for us. The Gozzo Sorrento hums again and careens north. 

I think of Taylor and Burton’s affair starting on Capri; the scandal becoming part of the fabric of the island’s lore. 

Joan Crawford and Audrey Hepburn holidayed on Capri. For a day we were a part of the story line. 

The late sun casts shadows across the cliffs of Sorrento which is now in view. 

Roll the credits.