Relaxation in Ravello
We left a sunny and warm Stansted (always nicer to have that smug feeling when it’s raining and cold when you leave the UK though don’t you think?!) and flew with easyJet to Naples. Our driver quickly got us through the crazy Neapolitan traffic onto the motorway and on our way south through the winding mountain roads to Ravello, a charming hill village set high above the Amalfi Coast - such a scenic drive.
We arrived at our destination, the Belmond Caruso, which is a gorgeous elegant hotel with possibly the best swimming pool I’ve ever swum in – a large infinity pool with breathtaking views across the hills and bay. The only downside was the handful of noisy children playing ball games in the pool, but the sun was so hot they didn’t hang around for too long.
The pool restaurant is so pretty and charming – open from 11am to 7pm with a good choice of food and drink options (if a bit pricey). The pizzas there are delicious and just so Italian – a world away from the cardboard crusts we get over here. The staff are really friendly and helpful (not just in the pool restaurant - every member of staff was amazing). We had learnt from previous stays at Belmond hotels to beware of the drinks prices – if you ask for a “glass of wine” they may well bring you something more expensive than the house wine and you may have a shock! Tip – look at the wine list, order a bottle, have a glass, and ask them to put the bottle back in the fridge for you for later. They are happy to do this and it works out better value that way!
The main restaurant is very good and has a line of outside tables with sea views, but you wouldn’t want to eat there every night – far too formal a menu despite the smart-casual dress code.
We weren’t quite so enamoured with the evening bar arrangements – there is a Ferrari sparkling wine sponsored champagne bar in the gardens which doesn’t have sea views and ONLY serves selected champagnes and Ferrari sparkling wine. We went to this bar unaware of this and I ordered a glass of champagne. My husband wanted a gin & tonic, and it was only after a look of horror on the barman’s face and intervention by another barman that we persuaded them to bring a G&T, though it was made fairly obvious that this was not the norm.
There is an indoor main bar (with a small semi-outside area and a small outside seating area closeby) which does have sea views but was always virtually empty. And a piano bar (indoors but with the front sides open to sea views) but the piano music is quite loud and a little cheesy, with the pianist playing to backing tracks all evening. Far better to do what we did and use the lovely outdoor bar area at the Hotel Palazzo Avino right next door – it’s a martini and lobster bar but they do serve EVERYTHING! The atmosphere is gently buzzing there, the pianist is pleasant, tuneful and more subtle, and there’s a more casual restaurant on the terrace overlooking the bay – as well as the usual fancy dishes you can order a cheeseburger or simple food for your evening meal if you wish. The Avino also has a Michelin starred restaurant, Rosselini’s, so of course we had to try that. The food was good, but a little disappointing compared to the other Michelinies we have eaten in – a large multi-dish complimentary appetiser then really tiny portions followed by a MASSIVE plate of cheese – delicious but far too much! Food presentation was good but nothing spectacular so we didn’t get that real wow factor we have had in the past.
We had a village/garden view room at the Belmond which was really lovely – in a separate building across the road from the main hotel. Very clean and well-appointed, a superbly comfortable bed, and a spacious very private garden with table and chairs and pleasant views across to a neighbouring village and down into the valley.
The Caruso is about a 5-10 minute walk downhill into the town of Ravello (longer coming back uphill so a convenient stop at Luigi’s bar as you get closer to the hotel was one of our better ideas!). The hotel also offers a complimentary shuttle bus into Amalfi several times a day, and once a day into Positano, as well as a complimentary coastal boat trip from Amalfi.
We ventured into Ravello a couple of times and enjoyed the views and the people-watching – and of course the wonderful gelato! Villa Rufolo, an historic mansion dating back to the 13th century, was an interesting diversion, and from its gardens you get to see the view that must be in every Italian brochure – the two domes under the “umbrella” tree.
We also went into Amalfi one day but it was far too hot to wander far – we toured the cathedral which has an amazingly ornate décor and offered much-appreciated shade, and then had a very pleasant lunch at a beachside restaurant. The beach is black shingle and almost totally covered with sunbeds and umbrellas – not our kind of beach but it was lovely to be by the sea with the refreshing sea breeze. We were quite relieved to get back to the peace of Ravello though – the pool was calling us after the crowds and heat of Amalfi.
While we were there there were a lot of forest fires in the hills and a particularly large fire in Vesuvius National Park (the news suggested that arsonists were to blame, shocking – many people had to be evacuated and at its height the smoke was so dense that people thought Vesuvius had actually erupted!). On our last evening the smoke from the fires completely obliterated our view of the other side of the bay. On some days the mountain roads were closed and we were about our journey back to the airport, but all was well though we could see numerous fires still smouldering.
With the Ferrari sponsored bar and a Bvlgari sponsored jewellery event which was set up next to the pool one day it felt as if we had been dropped into a Grand Prix hospitality area or conference – it didn’t feel quite right, but we absolutely loved our stay there despite this and the very high prices, and would definitely love to return one day…. as soon as the arm and leg it cost us have grown back and the money tree has been nursed back to health!
We haven’t got another holiday booked up yet (Panic!!), but I’m on the case - my love affair with Italy continues, I really enjoyed being able to speak the language and was delighted to be frequently complimented on my Italian, so I think Italy it will be then! A presto, ciao!
