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Ravello is a destination that certainly deserves a stop during your stay in Positano. It is located about 7 km from Amalfi, on a promontory offering spectacular views of the Amalfi Coast. To reach it, you can follow the SS 163 toward Amalfi and then take the turnoff for Ravello: a scenic road that is easy to ride on a scooter, with the great advantage of not having to worry about parking.Setting off by scooter from Positano, Ravello is an ideal half-day destination. The ride to Amalfi takes 30–40 minutes, while the climb from Amalfi to Ravello adds 15–20 minutes of panoramic ascent. Traveling by scooter lets you avoid heavier traffic and stop along the way to take photos or enjoy sea views.Once you arrive in Ravello, you can spend time exploring the historic center and its famous panoramic terraces, take a break at one of the cafés with a view, or plan a longer stop before heading back toward Positano. A scooter excursion also allows you to combine Ravello with other stops during the day, such as Amalfi or the villages of Minori and Maiori, while maintaining complete freedom in your schedule and movements. Visiting Ravello from Positano by scooter is a practical and enjoyable choice, perfect for discovering one of the most charming corners of the Amalfi Coast.
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A little bit of Ravello history
The legend traces the origins of Ravello back to the 5th century, when the Barbarians who sacked Rome founded a refuge on the hills. However, it is certainly more probable that they found an already populated centre and decided to stay there. The history of Ravello acquires greater documentary consistency from the creation of the Maritime Republic of Amalfi in 839, when the territory around the coastal centre became a Duchy. The town grew thanks to the art of wool and to trade with the Mediterranean and Byzantium, and reached its highest splendour from the ninth century, under the Amalfitan Republic and the Principality of Salerno.
Having a walk through the streets of this enchanted village, you immediately notice an elegant and refined style. The Arab-Sicilian taste of the palaces and churches recalls the time when trade with the Levant was flourishing, and the town was considerably more inhabited. In the secondary streets, you discover a quieter dimension, linked to rural traditions, with gardens bordered by dry stone walls, rich in vegetation, and well-kept.
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4 places you can not absolutely miss in Ravello
1. Duomo of Ravello
The Ravello Cathedral is located on the eastern side of the homonymous square. Completed in 1086, based on the model of the abbey of Montecassino, it has undergone various alterations over the centuries: the facade is from the 16th century, while the central bronze portal, one of the few left in Italy, dates back to 1179.Particularly interesting is the pulpit, a work of 1272 by Bartolomeo da Foggia. It is supported by six twisted columns, decorated with polychrome mosaics, which rest on marble lions. Mosaics and typical medieval iconography, such as peacocks and other birds, enrich the panels’ decoration.The seventeenth-century chapel of San Pantaleone, on the left of the presbytery, houses the saint’s relics, patron of the city.Moreover, a careful observer could not help but note the floor’s particularity, which is inclined towards the square: a technique used during construction to emphasize the church’s perspective effect.
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2. Villa Rufolo
South of the Duomo, there is Villa Rufolo, a splendid historic residence famous for its gardens overlooking the sea. The Villa was built in the thirteenth century by the Rufolo family, which for over two centuries was the symbol of the economy and the political leader of medieval Ravello. The power of the family ended in 1285, when they opposed the Angevins during the Sicilian Vespers. The Villa was built by combining Arabic and Byzantine architectural and decorative typologies, with elements of local culture, and, over time, it was also used as a residence by various popes and King Roberto D’Angiò. In the nineteenth century, the Villa was abandoned, but the Scotsman Francis Nevile Reid decided to buy it and completed the restoration, creating the spectacular terraced gardens, enriched with splendid flowers (which reach their maximum splendour from May to October). Someone says that, after visiting these gardens, the famous composer Richard Wagner was so impressed that he took it as a model for the setting of the second act of Parsifal.
The thirteenth-century Torre Maggiore currently houses a museum that illustrates the history of the Villa, enriched by an exhibition of works of art, archaeological finds, and ceramics. An internal staircase leads to a terrace which offers a splendid view of the Amalfi Coast.
Today, Villa Rufolo hosts an annual summer classical music festival.
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3. Villa Cimbrone
From the centre of Ravello, a 10-minute walk through the pleasant streets of S. Francesco and S. Chiara brings you to this marvellous 11th-century residence, now a luxury hotel. Until the 1970s, the villa was known as a place frequented by artists, actors, and illustrious guests, including Virginia Woolf, Winston Churchill, Salvador Dalí, Rossellini with Bergman, Grace Kelly, Jackie Kennedy, and many others.
From the famous Belvedere Cimbrone (also called Belvedere of the Infinite) you can admire one of the most beautiful and evocative views of the Amalfi Coast, framed by classical busts with a background of coast and colourful villages. The gardens were redesigned at the beginning of the twentieth century thanks to the precious contribution of the English botanist Vita Sackville West and are characterized by rose gardens, temples, and even a Moorish-style pavilion. It is one of the most important examples of Anglo-Saxon landscape and botanical culture in southern Europe.
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4. Camo Coral Museum
This place can look like a shop-laboratory that sells cameos of precious workmanship, made mainly with coral and shells. Instead, it is a small museum that houses a collection of some valuable pieces, such as a Roman amphora of the third century AC, a Madonna Assunta of the sixteenth century, and a Christ of the seventeenth century, both in Italian coral. The museum was founded in 1986 by the will of Giorgio Filocamo, who made available his expertise in working coral in his workshop under the Cathedral and generously shared with the public the valuable heritage left to him by his grandfather.
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Where to eat in Ravello
3 simple solutions for an enjoyable meal!
Contrary to all expectations, in Ravello there aren’t many places to stop for a meal, but the few restaurants available offer good food and a pleasant atmosphere!
In addition to the spectacular panorama its terrace offers, Da Salvatore serves fabulous dishes, prepared with local products, with creativity and elegance, accompanied by a wide selection of wines. In the evening, part of the restaurant becomes an informal pizzeria serving excellent wood-fired pizzas, considered by many to be among the best in the area.
Concerning pizzas, the Ristorante Pizzeria Vittoria also offers exceptional specialties: you can choose from 16 different varieties of pizza or high-level seafood dishes.
Finally, at Cumpà Cosimo, an ancient family-run trattoria from other times, you will find simple but very tasty dishes, such as rabbit with cherry tomatoes and grilled shrimps.
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Ravello Festival: a summer of music and… more!
From the first days of July to September, the centre of Ravello becomes the stage of the Ravello Festival, inaugurated in 1953 and dedicated to the composer Richard Wagner. In this period, symphonic and chamber music concerts, ballets, film screenings, and art exhibitions are held, often in suggestive places with the sea as a backdrop.
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The Limoncello
Since the Middle Ages, the Amalfi Coast has been rich in lemon groves.Lemons were first used in the diet when it was realized they could help treat scurvy, a disease caused by vitamin C deficiency. Since that moment, it has been part of the Mediterranean diet and is used as a condiment, in sweets, and in liqueurs.The famous Limoncello, in fact, is a liqueur obtained by soaking the lemon peel in a solution of alcohol, water, and sugar.It is usually served cold as a digestive and has quickly spread throughout Italy and abroad. -
Itinerary suggestions in Ravello
A couple of walks from Ravello
Ravello is the starting point for many trails, some of which follow ancient itineraries through the surrounding Lattari Mountains.
- More experienced hikers can descend to Minori, following a graceful path made up of steps, hidden paths, and olive groves that passes through the picturesque village of Torello: it takes about 45 minutes over about 2.5 km, starting from Villa Rufolo.
- Alternatively, you can decide to go the other way, towards Amalfi, passing through the ancient village of Scala, known for being the oldest settlement on the Amalfi Coast. This small village was once a thriving religious center that had more than 100 churches. Today, it is a tiny, silent inhabited centre, just 2 km from Ravello.
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Conclusion
If you’re planning your excursion from Positano to Ravello and want to organize your timing, stops, and routes as efficiently as possible, our advice is to rely on Positano Scooter. Ask for personalized suggestions on scenic itineraries, the most convenient parking options, and all the useful information about scooter rentals. The staff will be happy to recommend the best solution to help you move freely and experience the Amalfi Coast in a simple, enjoyable, and stress-free way.
