The Amalfi Coast is one of the most beautiful regions in Italy. Stunning views out to the sea, plunging cliff faces, towns built in to the steep slopes. It’s breathtakingly beautiful and one of the most picture perfect regions of the world I’ve ever visited.
We were in the region for a week and one of the areas I enjoyed most was the absolutely stunning Ravello, and the small towns of Minori and Maiori. These places were more off the tourist track than Positano or Capri, and I found them to be the most authentically beautiful part of our trip.
How to get to Ravello, Minor & Maiori
The best way to get to Ravello is by car, especially if you want to visit other places near by too. We hired a car in Sorrento and drove to Ravello in around 1.5hrs. The parking was easy as there was a huge underground car park, though the drive itself wasn’t – the roads were windy, narrow and absolutely insane.
If you’re not a confident driver, then there other options – the SITA bus can get you from Sorrento or Naples to Ravello, or you could hire a private driver or join a tour to visit. I’m glad we drove though to make the most of our time there.
Ravello
Ravello was definitely the highlight of the trip, and is worth a full morning of your time. We started by visiting the gorgeous Villa Rufolo which is a private residence built in the 13th century – the highlight of which is the stunning terrace garden with incredible views out over the sweeping coast line.
There is also a little exhibition on site, and you can also do a guided tour to learn more about the history and current use of the Villa.
After a couple of hours at the Villa Rufolo, we headed to the main square where we visited The Duomo. It’s a simple church but beautiful and peaceful. The main square is also home to a number of restaurants so we treated ourselves to some lunch.
After lunch, we strolled round Ravello town, and visited some of the many ceramic shops – our favourite was Pascal. We also perused the shops and enjoyed a final drink in the sunshine before heading on to our next destination at about 2.30pm.
Maiori and Minori
Maiori is a fishing town, and is famous for its beach – one of the largest on the whole of the Amalfi coast. In 1954, the town was flooded and the city centre destroyed but it’s been beautifully rebuilt. The whole town is Maiori is dominated by the Castle of San Nicola de Thoro-Plano, rebuilt in the 15th century and which is well worth a visit. In total we spent about 2 hours in Maiori.
Just down the road is Minori – another beautiful little town, which is home to the Villa Marittima Romana, an ancient Roman villa which is an important monument and still conserves a number of its original frescoes and mosaics.
There is also a lovely cathedral in the town, but the main draw of Minori is its famous pasta so we finished our day off with an incredible dinner served in a small restaurant between brightly painted houses as the sun went down- it felt so authentically Italian and there wasn’t another tourist in sight.
This was one of my favourite days on our Amalfi coast trip because it was so nice to get off the tourist crazy path. My photos really don’t do justice to the beauty of the region.
Thank you for reading and I hope this post has inspired you to visit some of the lesser known places on the Amalfi coast if you’re planning a visit one day. But for now, stay safe and happy travelling!
Saasdia Travel Gid
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