Ravello Off The Beaten Path

While we enjoyed concerts in busy Ravello, we had an enchanting more fragrant stay next door in the authentically restored farmhouse at Monte di Grazia in Tramonti. My wife and I, Californians interested in wine, visited for two days in the Spring and plan to return for an extended stay. The rates are less than half that of any hotel, and the accomodations include a room-size balcony, gourmet just-restored kitchen, wood-beamed bedroom and ancient arched-dining room. It is located in a vineyard above a wine-making cellar. To attend concerts in Ravello, we found a quick scenic road that bypasses the commotion along the coast. See www.montedigrazia.it . We found it fascinating to watch the winemaking process by day and then listen to music in Ravello at night.

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It is a strict enclosure convent built in a magnificent position, not far away from villa Cimbrone.

You can only visit the atrium and the entrance where is the gate and the Ruota (wheel) .

The gate is used for the rare contacts between the nuns and the outer world, keeping the figure hidden, and the wheel is used to pass goods in and out from the convent.

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Walking back down is recommended in my Lonely p|anet guidebook and i had seen a couple of signs heading down paths along my routes from Villa Rofolo to Villa Cimbrone and asked the woman at the reception desk at Villa Cimbrone which was the best or the way to follow down to Atrani and therefore Amalfi.

She suggested not to take the path that leaves from near Rofolo and Cimbrone as it has a few tricky spots where there are no signs but several paths so rather than be mislead and lost she recommended to go back to the main square and just past there onto the main road is the best route down.
This was signposted as in the photos ive posted here.

The walk down was lovely but i was rushing as it was taking a lot longer than i was led to believe - it took me about an hour and a half but for a day out enjoying Ravello i would recommend including this in your itinerary! And its downhill all the way to Atrani! I certainly got my pulse rate up - lots of steps! so its great exercise too!

It was fairly well signposted all the way and the path was good all the way. Particularly where it seems small one seater tractor type vehicles for use on these slopes and being used along the paths for transporting picked fruit such as lemons that were being harvested at the time. This was great to see as all the touristy shops had things promoting lemons all around the Amalfi area.
There are houses all the way down built onto the steep slopes or wherever there was an appropriate flat spot by the look of it. and a few ruins of buildings.