Ravello
Three hundred and fifty metres above the sea, Ravello watches the light fade along the whole Amalfi coastline.
- Best forCouples · Honeymooners · Culture seekers
- In May18°C · 10 rainy days
- Ideal stay3 nights
- Approx. flying time~12h 55m from Los Angeles
- CurrencyEUREuro
- LanguageItalian
- Local time14:101h ahead of the UK
- PlugsType C / F / LBring an adapter
- Drive on theRightOpposite to the UK
- Dialling code+39
Why go
A cliff-top village that turned its back on the coast road and looked at the view instead. Lanes are largely traffic-free, the main square holds a cathedral and a couple of cafes, and two great villa gardens do most of the work. Days are slow by design: gardens in the morning, a long lunch, a concert or a terrace at dusk. It is a place for looking rather than doing.
Getting up here means a winding drive or bus from Amalfi, and that climb is what keeps the crowds thinner than on the coast below. Base yourself here and day-trip down to Amalfi, Positano and Pompeii rather than the reverse. Late spring and September bring warm air and full gardens, while winter closes much of the coast. Beach lovers will be frustrated, since the sea is a long way down.
- Ideal stay
- 3 nights
- The vibe
- Gardens, terraces, quiet and elevated
From our guides
The Terrace of Infinity at Villa Cimbrone — marble busts, sheer drop, endless blue — is the aristocrat of proposal settings. Time it for late afternoon, when the tour groups descend to the coast and the gardens fall quiet. Chamber music drifts up in festival season.
Featured in Ten dreamy sunset spots made for a proposal
Things to do
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Villa Rufolo gardens
Wagner said he found Klingsor's magic garden here, and the terrace still stages open-air concerts above a sheer drop to the water. Moorish cloisters and a tower come with it.
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The Duomo and its pulpits
The cathedral on the main square keeps two carved marble pulpits from the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, one balanced on lions, with a small museum in the crypt.
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Walk down to Atrani
A stepped path drops through lemon terraces to the smallest town in southern Italy, a tight huddle of houses around a piazza and a beach. Take the bus back up.
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Ravello Festival evenings
Summer brings orchestral and chamber concerts to open-air stages above the sea, part of a music programme that has run in some form since the 1950s.
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Scala, across the valley
The oldest settlement on this coast faces the village from the opposite slope, with a small cathedral, very few visitors and paths climbing towards the mountain ridge.
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Path of the Gods
The coast's best-known ridge walk starts at Bomerano above Amalfi and runs high above the sea to Nocelle, ending with a long flight of steps down into Positano.
Getting there
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Fly to
Napoli (NAP)
Nearest airport to Amalfi Coast, about 37km away as the crow flies.
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Then
To Ravello
Salerno (QSR) is close but has very few flights, so most visitors arrive at Naples (NAP) and take a private transfer of about two hours, or the train to Salerno and then a coast bus or ferry.
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On the ground
Getting around
Buses climb from Amalfi to Ravello in about 25 minutes; the village itself is pedestrianised, with Villa Cimbrone a ten-minute walk from the main square.
Public transport: Coast buses and seasonal ferries link Salerno, Amalfi and Positano, and in summer they are quicker than driving the corniche.
Flights
Los Angeles Amalfi Coast, Italy
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Roughly 12h 55m in the air from Los Angeles (LAX), estimated from the distance — check for a direct route. Pick a month to see every available flight with live prices.
Check dates and prices
Pick your departure date, then your return.
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Flight times are estimates; prices open on Google Flights.
When to go
Daytime highs run from about 10°C in January to 26°C in July. Driest in July; wettest in November, with rain on about 15 days.
The year at a glance — pick a month for detail
May18° · rain 10 daysMild with rain most weeks.
Monthly figures averaged from daily records for 2020–2024 at this location (ERA5 reanalysis). Highlighted months are warm and mostly dry — June to August. Live conditions from MET Norway, CC BY 4.0.
Where to stay
Villa hotels with terraced gardens in Ravello, family run pensioni and B and Bs in the coastal towns, and a scattering of apartments. Very few chains and hardly any resorts.
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Best base overall
Ravello
High above the coast, cool in summer and blissfully quiet once the day trippers descend. The price is a winding bus ride to the sea and steps to almost every doorway.
Find stays in Ravello -
Closest to the sights
Amalfi
Down at sea level, with the ferry pier, the cathedral steps and buses in every direction. Busy, noisy and the most convenient base on this stretch of coast.
Find stays in Amalfi -
Best with children
Minori
A gentle seaside town next door with a flat promenade, a sandy beach and pastry shops. Fewer views to boast about, far fewer stairs to negotiate with a pushchair.
Find stays in Minori -
Best value
Atrani
A tiny huddle of houses around a piazza a few minutes' walk from Amalfi, with guesthouses at kinder rates. Parking is essentially impossible, so arrive without a car.
Find stays in Atrani
Worth knowing before you book: The festival season and the summer months sell out by early spring, and three night minimums are common. Most places close from November to March, and porters charge for luggage on the steps.
Search everything else in Ravello by budget. These are indicative budget bands in GBP per night for two people, not live quotes or guarantees of hotel type. Check your dates, guests, taxes and final price on Booking.com.
Good to know
- Getting there
- Naples and Salerno are the nearest arrival points. From Amalfi it is a bus or taxi up a series of hairpins, and ferries reach Amalfi from Salerno and Sorrento in season.
- Luggage
- Cars stop at the edge of the village and the last stretch is on foot up steps and lanes. Pack light and expect to carry bags.
- Timing
- Visit the gardens early or late. Coach day-trippers arrive around the middle of the day and leave in the late afternoon.
- Driving
- The coast road is narrow, busy and slow in summer, and parking here is limited and expensive. Buses and boats are usually less stressful than a hire car.
- Book ahead
- Rooms and concert tickets sell out for the summer months well in advance, and many places close entirely between November and March.
Similar places
Nearby destinations
Amalfi Coast
Italy · 9km away →
Procida
Italy · 51km away →
Ischia
Italy · 57km away →
Puglia
Italy · 173km away →
The Aeolian Islands: Lipari
Salina and Stromboli, Italy · 214km away →
Vis
Croatia · 294km away →Elsewhere in Italy
Related articles
Quick answers
When is the best time to visit Ravello?
For warm, mostly dry days, June to August. That means highs of 20–34°C with rain on six days a month or fewer. Daytime highs run from about 10°C in January to 26°C in July. Driest in July; wettest in November, with rain on about 15 days.
How long should I spend in Ravello?
Our suggestion: 3 nights.
How do I get to Ravello?
Salerno (QSR) is close but has very few flights, so most visitors arrive at Naples (NAP) and take a private transfer of about two hours, or the train to Salerno and then a coast bus or ferry.
Do I need a car in Ravello?
No. Coast buses and seasonal ferries link Salerno, Amalfi and Positano, and in summer they are quicker than driving the corniche.
What currency and language are used in Ravello?
Currency: Euro (EUR). Language: Italian. Plugs: type C and F and L.
Who is Ravello best for?
Best for couples, honeymooners and culture seekers. In a phrase: gardens, terraces, quiet and elevated.