What to do and to see in Scala and Ravello

Ravello and Scala are two small villages perched on the Lattari Mountains, two natural panoramic ledges guarding the Amalfi Coast.

Unlike the other small villages of the Amalfi Coast, Ravello does not directly face onto the sea; it expands vertically overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea. Whether you are in Napoli or Salerno, to reach Ravello by bus you have to get first to Amalfi by the SitaSud buses and then from Amalfi take the bus to Ravello.

If you are in Salerno and travel by car, instead, you have to drive along the Amalfi 163 state road (ss 163) until you reach the junction to Ravello that is signaled by a road sign. By the way, we discourage you from traveling by car especially in summer.

Ravello is very small but really refined and it has always been a beloved destination for the greatest artists and intellectuals in history. Entering Ravello you will instantly notice the Gothic style Cathedral, built in 1179, and Piazza Duomo, the core of the small village.

Right beside the Cathedral of Ravello, there is Villa Rufolo, built in 1200; it is a wonderful Arabic style villa that hosts on its overlooking the sea terrace the famous Ravello Festival, in honor of Wagner. Another amazing villa, as magnificent as the Rufolo one, is Villa Cimbrone that hosts some wonderful gardens and the worldwide famous Terrazza dell’Infinito (Infinity’s Terrace).

There are many other places in Ravello worth a visit, such as the Chiesa di Sant’Angelo dell’Ospedale, not far from the Cathedral and made out of a rock, and the Chiesa dell’Annunziata, with its famous domes, not far from Villa Rufolo, that you can reach walking a steep staircase.

A wide valley separates Ravello from Scala, the oldest village of the Amalfi Coast, whose hamlets are along the mountain side at 450 meters above sea level. To reach Scala by bus, whether you’re in Napoli or Salerno, you need to get first to Amalfi by one of the SITASud buses and from there take the bus to Scala.

If you leave Salerno by car (even though we discourage traveling by car, especially in summer) you have to drive along the 163 Amalfi state road, turn toward Ravello-Scala and follow the road signs. Instead, if you leave Napoli by car,  you have to drive along the A3 highway, take the exit toward Angri, proceed toward Valico di Chiunzi and Costiera, then divert towards Scala.

The six hamlets of Scala are Scala centro, S. Pietro, S. Caterina, Campidoglio, Minuta e Pontone.

Scala is a tangle of narrow and steep roads with the Duomo di San Lorenzo at its centre. This cathedral has a massive bell tower standing out against the Piazza del Municipio (city hall) and on the inside the white rococo style building has frescoes on the walls and ceramics on the floor.

South of Scala, in the hamlet of Minuta on the Valle del Dragone promontory, there is the Chiesa dell’Annunziata, a scenic church with a crypt full of byzantine frescoes and an amazing view on the ruins of the Basilica di Sant’Eustachio.

Moreover, from Pontone you can reach the Torre dello Ziro (Ziro Tower) and the Valle delle Ferriere (Ironworks Valley).