Ravello's Cliffside Villas Are the Amalfi Coast's Quieter Luxury

Where Positano and Amalfi cling to the shoreline itself, Ravello sits well above it, on a ridge some 365 metres up, reached by a narrow switchback road rather than a coastal one. That extra elevation has kept it quieter and considerably less congested than its neighbours in high season, while giving it arguably the best views on the entire coast, looking down over the Gulf of Salerno rather than along it.

A town built around two gardens

Ravello's character is shaped by two historic villas open to the public, Villa Rufolo and Villa Cimbrone, both originally medieval residences later reworked into the layered, terraced gardens that define the town today. Villa Rufolo's gardens so struck Richard Wagner on a visit in 1880 that he reportedly used them as the model for the magic garden in his opera Parsifal, and the villa's grounds have hosted the Ravello Festival's summer concert series, staged on a platform built out over the cliff edge, since 1953.

The Terrace of Infinity

Villa Cimbrone's Terrazza dell'Infinito, a stone balustrade lined with classical busts and set directly above a sheer drop to the sea, is the single most photographed spot in Ravello and one of the most recognisable views on the Amalfi Coast. The villa itself, largely rebuilt in the early twentieth century by the English peer Lord Grimthorpe using architectural fragments gathered from across Italy, now operates as a hotel, with several of its guest rooms opening directly onto the gardens.

View on Google Maps →

Staying above the crowds

Ravello's handful of hotels, several occupying former monasteries or noble residences, lean into the town's elevation rather than the beach access Positano sells, with infinity pools and terraces positioned to frame the coastline below rather than to reach it. The trade-off is a longer, winding drive down to the water, which is exactly what keeps Ravello's piazzas and lanes noticeably calmer than the coast road in August.

Traveller tips

• Ravello has no direct sea access from the town itself; a shuttle bus or taxi down to Amalfi or Minori takes roughly 20 to 30 minutes each way.
• The Ravello Festival runs through the summer months, with concerts staged on Villa Rufolo's cliffside platform; tickets are worth booking well ahead.
• Villa Cimbrone and Villa Rufolo both charge separate entry fees and are worth visiting early in the day, before coach tours arrive from the coast.
• The drive up from Amalfi is narrow with tight hairpins; travellers prone to car sickness may prefer the local bus.