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As one of those iconic resorts that’s been featured in books, films and gossip magazines so often, Capri is easy to write off as a destination that has become a caricature of itself, and to wax nostalgically about the days when the Italian island was still “undiscovered” And yet… in the 19th century, the visiting German poet Ferdinand Gregorovius likened it to a “dreaming sphinx,” and even today there’s something soulful and ethereal about Capri, especially its stunning, fragrant landscapes. Sure, for scenesters who want to be part of the action, Capri town is the kind of place where the party never stops, at least during the high season. But those who prefer a more laid-back vacation need walk only a few narrow streets from the cluster around the piazzetta (main square) to find quiet, flower-scented paths leading past huge silent villas with overgrown gardens and ceramic signs heralding names—Isabella, Sarah, Tosca—that sound like those of heroines in a novel.

Capri has two distinct faces: during the day it’s ruled by day-trippers, who arrive at the Marina Grande and pour into Capri town, Anacapri and main attractions like the Blue Grotto. Only after the last ferry has left (if you’re staying at gorgeous new J.K. Place, you get a close-up view as it pulls out of the marina) do locals and visitors staying on the island emerge to partake in a charming nightly ritual. It begins at one of the bars on the piazzetta, where you gather for an aperitif and, more important, to people watch. Dinner, a lengthy affair including homemade pasta and simply prepared fresh seafood, is followed by more cocktails and, finally, dancing at one of town’s many bars. By the time the ferries, and the day-trippers, return the next morning, everyone is safely holed back up at a villa or hotel, ready to while away another day basking in the sun by a pool or at one of the island’s lidos. In some ways, one need only look to Capri’s past and present visitors to understand that the island is a place that’s at once deeply stylish (Maria Callas, Jackie O, Audrey Hepburn), a little moody (Rainer Maria Rilke, Claude Debussy), dreamy (John Singer Sargent) and brainy (Somerset Maugham, Graham Greene, Shirley Hazzard), a touch flashy (Tom Cruise, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Mariah Carey) and, above all, deeply Italian (Rosina Ferrara, Sophia Loren, Gina Lollobrigida).