We’ve reached that point of the year when it seems like everyone you know is in Italy. A Tuscan wedding here, a Sicilian cooking class there. All that’s left is for you to privately wonder is, “How is everyone affording all this?”
I love sweaty spritzes by a blue lagoon as much as the next person, but I didn’t understand the propaganda around an Italian summer until last week, when a vacation to the Amalfi Coast disarmed me. But it wasn’t colorful Positano or flashy Capri that won me over. It was Ravello, a medieval municipality north of the coast that feels lifted from a sleepy fairytale.
Perched on the hills of the Amalfi Coast, Ravello is a scenic town closest to Amalfi and Maiori. To get there, you have to zip through cliffside roads up the hilltops and get dropped off at the town’s main passageway. Cars aren’t permitted beyond this point — Ravello is pedestrian-only, given the fact that its streets are a constant stream of stone steps. With no direct beach access and little in the way of nightlife, daytrippers are gone by evening and the town is left with a laidback crowd of travelers seeking more Cinema Paradiso, less Mamma Mia.
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It may feel counterintuitive to head to the Amalfi Coast and stay somewhere without immediate access to the water, but listen: What you get in exchange are the most stunning views overlooking the glittering Mediterranean sea. On my first evening, we randomly stumbled into Ristorante Sigilgaida, the rooftop restaurant of Hotel Rufolo. We were ushered onto a terrace with a jaw-dropping panorama of the coast, and we were sipping Aperol Spritzes right as the hazy sunset set behind rocky mountain vistas.
Little did I know on that first night that breathtaking views aren’t hard to come by in Ravello. Quiet street corners and nearly every al fresco dining option offered some kind of vantage point.
That isn’t to say the beach is totally inaccessible. Cabs and shuttles are available around the clock, but a scenic alternative is to hike to a neighboring coastal town. The picturesque Ravello-Amalfi hike is an easy to medium-level two-hour trek that passes the streets of Ravello, through walls of ivy, paved pathways and steep stone staircases. You catch glimpses of the dotted beach towns and expanse of water as you head down to Atrani and conclude in Amalfi. We were the only people on the path the morning we went, but it’s a popular enough walk that all we had to do was follow ceramic tile signs pointing us in the right direction. Locals even leave out bottles of lemon water with tip jars for hikers.
Understated Glamour in the Clouds
Don’t be fooled by its provincial charm. Between the bed and breakfasts and local ceramic shops, Ravello is the backdrop for sprawling villas, lavish hotels and Michelin-starred fine dining restaurants.
Most visitors come for the famous Villa Rufolo and Villa Cimbrone, two cliffside estates that once belonged to powerful noble families dating back to the 13th and 11th centuries, respectively. The former’s garden is where you’ll find Ravello’s most famous view of a pine tree draping over the Chiesa dell’Annunziata basilica domes. Villa Cimbrone has since been converted into a luxury hotel, but its lush gardens are still open to the public.
For a luxurious retreat, Palazzo Avino is instantly recognizable for its pink-washed walls and 20-meter pool overlooking the beach below. The hotel is home to Rossellinis, an elegant one-star Michelin restaurant, as well as the Lobster and Martini Bar. There’s also the palatial Caruso, A Belmond Hotel with its original frescoes and arched windows. Their Ristorante Belvedere offers two tasting menus: “Earth,” rooted in land products like Campanian mozzarella, and “Sea,” centered on the daily catch.
Where the Amalfi Coast Still Feels Local
Even with its glamorous veneer, what charmed me the most was Ravello’s overall laidback air you might assume no longer exists on a coastline so infamously glitzy and tourist-swarmed. There are tucked-away courtyards at every turn and local shops selling homemade limoncello and hand-painted ceramics. My most memorable (and slow-paced) dinners were at unfussy, family-run spots: Mimi Pizzeria and Cucina served the fluffiest pizza I’ve ever had, packed with the natural sweetness of cherry tomatoes, and Osteria Ravello made a prosciutto and buffalo burrata appetizer I still think about.
Even Piazza Duomo, the town’s central square, is surprisingly serene. Most evenings, we’d end up sitting on the church steps devouring gelato next to fellow people-watchers. Local children played against the backdrop of rocky hills, diners lounged al fresco and the occasional American wedding party sauntered through. Amid the quiet, Ravello made it clear: There’s still a quaint charm to be had on the Amalfi Coast.
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