The Terrace of Infinity
Marble busts on the edge with nothing behind but sea.
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**The "Terrace of Infinity" — a rank of marble busts on a cliff edge with nothing behind them but sea and sky** — the most famous view on the Amalfi Coast. ⚠ **The terrace is very nearly the only reason to come**: **a long straight walk** between trees **ending abruptly at the cliff edge**, **lined with eighteen marble busts** looking out over the gulf — ⚠ **and nothing below them for 350 metres**. ✅ **The gardens are extensive**, with small temples, grottoes, rose walks and sculpture. ⚠ **The villa itself is a luxury hotel today** — **and only the gardens are open to visitors**. ⚠ **An English aristocrat restored it** in the early 20th century, **and Greta Garbo stayed here** incognito. ⚠ **It is about a 15-minute walk from Ravello's centre.**
Marble busts on the edge with nothing behind but sea.
A long planted path leading to the terrace.
Ornamental structures and grottoes about the gardens.
Via Santa Chiara 26, 84010 Ravello, Italy
Villa RufoloIn 1880 Richard Wagner climbed up to Ravello, stood on the terrace of Villa Rufo8 minutes walk4.5
Amalfi Cathedral**A cathedral with a striped, coloured front reached by sixty-two steps from the15 minutes walk4.6
The Amalfi CoastThe Amalfi Coast is fifty kilometres of beautiful impossibility: mountains falli18 minutes walk4.6**May, June, September and early October — and July and August are the worst possible choice.** ⚠ **July and August**: ⚠ **the heat and humidity are stifling** on an unshaded coast, ⚠ **the coast road is paralysed by traffic**, ⚠ **prices are at their peak**, ⚠ **beaches, boats and restaurants are full**, ⚠ **and rooms are booked months ahead**. **Nothing works well in those two months.** ✅ **May and June**: ✅ **the best overall** — **warm rather than hot**, **the gardens at their height** (⚠ which matters particularly in Ravello), **the sea beginning to warm in June**, **the boats running**, ✅ **and the crowds bearable**. ✅ **September and early October**: ✅ **the sea at its warmest** after a full summer, **crowds falling away quickly after mid-September**, ✅ **and the light better for photographs**; ⚠ **though some services begin to close in October**. ⚠ **⚠ November to March**: **many hotels, restaurants and boats close entirely** — ⚠ **the coast is intensely seasonal**; ✅ **the gardens are bare**; ⚠ **and there are no ferries**. ✅ **Unless you want an empty coast at low prices** and accept that.