Blog Stains – What to do when you dare to be Different in Amalfi & Ravello

My neighbour Laura Thayer from Ciao Amalfi blog absolutely loves the town of Amalfi and has spent a good amount of her time living in the Coast walking and exploring the villages surrounding it.

Who would be better to bring you a guest post about the wonderful places the Secret Costiera has to offer in her corner of the Amalfi Coast? Enjoy her wonderful descriptions and drool over her beautiful photos! Thank you Laura!

 

Top 10 Things to do in Around Amalfi

Right up there with Positano, the towns of Amalfi and Ravello are the most visited travel destinations on the Amalfi Coast. I love the Blog Stains series that Rosa has created, and it’s a pleasure to share some of my favorite things to do in and around Amalfi and Ravello. Most of these activities will take you away from the crowds and show you a side of the Amalfi Coast that many visitors miss. Pack a good pair of walking shoes, because there are some hikes you won’t want to miss! Read on for tips on the best beaches, walks and views in Amalfi, Scala and Ravello.

1. The beautiful beaches are one of the main reasons to visit the Amalfi Coast, but the large Marina Grande Beach in Amalfi can get quite busy on summer days. To escape some of the crowds, take a short boat from Amalfi to the beautiful Santa Croce Beach just west of town.

 

Along the way the boat will stop off at the Duoglio Beach, which is a popular spot on the Amalfi Coast for wind surfing. Santa Croce is a little gem of a beach with incredibly blue water and lots of rocks to explore. There are a two local restaurants that also rent umbrellas and sun beds, which are a nice treat on this rocky beach.

 

Swim over to the Arco Naturale, or Natural Arch, just west of the beach. During the summer, you’ll see brave kids scampering up the rocks to jump off the arch.

2. Few of the travelers to the busy towns of Amalfi and Ravello know that located high in the mountains just between these two popular destinations is a sleepy little town called Scala where you can get a taste of quiet daily life in southern Italy.

Scala is located just across the valley from Ravello and stretches out along the mountainside overlooking Amalfi and Atrani. It is composed of a town center and many hamlets that are connected by a road. Follow the road out of the town center and you’ll visit the hamlets of Minuta, Campidoglio and San Pietro before returning back to the center. It’s about an hour walk, and the first half is entirely uphill. But the bonus is that there are no steps along the way and very little traffic.

 

From the top of Scala in the hamlet of Campidoglio, the view overlooking Ravello and the coastline is spectacular. What’s even better is that you’ll have escaped all the crowds and be able to enjoy the view all to yourself.

3. High in the mountains above Amalfi is the Torre dello Ziro watchtower. Built in the 15^th century as part of the castle defending the sea republic of Amalfi, a hike to this watchtower offers fabulous views overlooking Amalfi and Atrani.

The hike to the Torre dello Ziro begins in the hamlet of Pontone in Scala and takes about an hour each way at a leisurely (summer) pace. Bring a picnic to enjoy at the top!

4. Enjoy the gardens and stunning views from the Villa Cimbrone in Ravello. Yes, this one is in the guidebooks, but I’m always surprised how many first time visitors or day trippers to Ravello miss out on enjoying this splendid villa just because it’s not located right in the center of town. Follow the signs from the main Piazza Duomo, which will take you along a quiet walkway through a residential area to the tip of the promontory that the town sits on high above the Amalfi Coast. Plan about 20 minutes for the walk, which does involve some stairs and inclined paths along the way.

Upon entering the gardens you’ll find a little ticket booth opposite a beautiful cloister. You’ll be given a detailed map and all the time you’d like to explore the grounds. The Villa Cimbrone is famous for the Terrace of Infinity (above), with its—literally—breathtaking views of the dramatic, sheer drop down the mountainside and panorama overlooking the Bay of Salerno.

5. One of the most enjoyable and surprising hikes around Amalfi is up into the Valle dei Mulini, or Valley of the Mills, which is located above the town. Along the way you’ll see the ruins of the mills that once produced Amalfi’s famous paper. (To learn more about Amalfi’s fascinating paper history, visit the Museo della Carta, or the Paper Museum, in town.)

Pack a picnic to enjoy next to the cool mountain stream. Even in August it’s freezing cold and wonderfully refreshing to take a dip in.

When you reach the top of the valley you’ll think you’ve taken a wrong turn and ended up in a rain forest rather than the Amalfi Coast. The forests are thick and dark and the waterfalls so very unexpected. This is the other side of the Amalfi Coast that few visitors have the pleasure of discovering!

6. In September, the town of Scala hosts their Scala Meets New York Festival, which presents concerts, exhibits, special events and a memorial service honouring the victims of the terrorist attacks in America on September 11^th. While the Ravello Festival attracts most of the attention, don’t forget to check the schedule for this festival, which also draws some big names.

Last year the star of the festival was the Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli who gave a concert in the main Piazza of Scala. All events for the Scala Meets New York festival are free and open to the public.

7. If you’re up for a lot of stairs, enjoy the hike from Scala to Amalfi, which takes you through the hamlets of Minuta and Pontone.

  

Along the way between Minuta and Pontone, you can see the ruins of the 12^th-century church of Sant’Eustachio. While you can’t visit inside the ruins, you can walk up close and see what remains of the interior walls and columns from the pathway.

 

Below the sleepy little hamlet of Pontone the stairs become steeper as you descend down the mountainside to Amalfi. It’s a gorgeous view of Amalfi from above with the blue sea beyond. When you get to the bottom, it’s time for a swim!

8. If the Marina Grande beach scene in Amalfi is a little too crowded for your taste, walk to the other end of the town’s harbor to the more hidden Le Sirene Beach. This beach has two entrances to the sea between rocks and has strong sunlight until late in the afternoon during the summer.

Swim west just a little ways and you’ll find the Grotto di Sant’ Andrea to explore!

9. Long before the S.S.163—the famous Amalfi Coast road—was constructed in the 19^th century, the only way to move about on the coastline besides by boat was to climb endless numbers of stairs. The town of Amalfi has many small hamlets located up in the mountains surrounding the town, and the walkway connecting them to Amalfi is called the Via Maestra dei Villagi.

From Amalfi follow this walkway west out of town and be prepared to climb up and up to reach the hamlets of Pastena, Lone, Vettica and … up and up to … Tovere located high above the town of Conca dei Marini.

10. Just a short walk from Amalfi is the small village of Atrani, which is much less crowded and chaotic during busy summer days than its better known neighbor. This picturesque little town sits at the base of a river valley and has a wonderfully peaceful feel. If the pebbly beaches of Amalfi hurt your feet, head over to Atrani where you’ll find a black sand beach.

On the right side of town is the colorful Collegiata di Santa Maria Maddalena. On July 22^nd for the feast day of Mary Magdalen, Atrani hosts a fun summer religious festival with a procession and fireworks on the sea.