MYTHOLOGICAL LEGENDS describe the petite island of Capri as the Isle of Sirens, where tantalizing temptresses once lured sailors to the island’s shores, located just off the Sorrentine Peninsula, with nothing more than their beauty. Nowadays, the sailors do the luring, and one company in particular, Gianni’s Boats, offers truly bespoke boat tours that bring visitors around — and even inside — this charming Italian island for a beautiful immersion into Capri’s culture and history.

Gianni’s love for sailing began when his family first arrived on the island of Capri decades ago, and he found himself on the sea as often as possible between lectures at the University of Naples. Although he quickly made a name for himself as a student of economics, his reputation on the water rapidly grew as he became legendary around Italy for his famous “gozzo parties.”

He soon turned his passion into his career, and with the support of his family he opened a private tour company fittingly named Gianni’s Boat. He offered private tours to visitors looking to explore around the island, capping off each excursion with a toast of his mamma Rita’s homemade limoncello. People were immediately drawn to his charming personality, and word quickly spread about the charismatic captain’s uncanny ability to get access to lesser-known coves and grottos in the area. Pretty soon Gianni added an “s” to the company name, turning the multi-vessel Gianni’s Boats into the top-rated tour company on Capri.

Today Gianni operates a fleet of boats and a broad range of tours around Capri and the Amalfi Coast for groups of all adventure levels and sizes (frequently arranging for multiple boats to accommodate large group requests). His most popular excursion, a three-hour tour around Capri, brings guests around the entire island on an authentic gozzo boat. The tour, of course, stops in the celebrated Blue Grotto, where Gianni knows the ropes on how to avoid the line at the entrance, but it also takes guests to the lesser-known grottos around the island as well as a few hidden coves and secret swim spots timed perfectly between afternoons in the sun.

Visitors on Gianni’s boats are treated like family, often sampling homemade snacks and treats from Mamma Rita’s kitchen or hearing tales about Gianni’s father, Antonio, and his brother Paolo’s sailing adventures … and a few of their misadventures, too. Guests are encouraged to throw their used linens and towels into a large bin after their voyage to make it easier for Mamma Rita to collect the laundry, which she still does by hand.

Special add-ons include fresh fruit, onboard massages, onboard picnics, serenades and Champagne with seasonal fruit or oysters. And, of course, as Gianni would say, “If you want something, just ask. Anything is possible!”