The Classic Walk from Ravello to Amalfi

Today we are going to take the 50 minute walk from Ravello down to the seaside town of Atrani, the second smallest town in Italy, and then onto the main town on the Amalfi Coast, Amali.  The route we are taking is the one that locals used before the construction of the main road in 1935 and parts of it are not in the best of shape.  However, we made it down without incident.  This was a longer walk than our previous one and were not prepared to hike back up, especially after spending a few hours exploring Amalfi and so we took the public bus, which was a unique experience in its own right as it navigated its way back up the very narrow and windy road to Ravello.  All in all it was a very nice day out exploring. 

On the way down were lots of lemon orchards and houses, all with spectacular views of the Med. 


The iconic St. Mary Magdalene Bell Tower guiding us down the last remaining steps into Atrani 


 Originally built in 1274, the church has seen several restorations.  The Baroque Rococo facade was completed in 1669 and is the only one of its kind on the Amalfi Coast.  In stark contrast, the Bell Tower was added in 1753 and today both are considered major showpieces of the region

The lovely community of Atrani, at just under 30 acres (12 hectars) in size, is the smallest in Italy and has a permanent population of about 850.  The houses and buildings have conserved their ancient medieval structures and its a real treat to make your way through the narrow streets, stairways and arches of this very small town. The Amalfi Coast Road curves around the base of the St. Mary Magdalene Church on an arched bridge that was literally built across the front of the town in the mid 1800's.  The town itself is pedestrian only and you access the beach through the bridge arches.

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