I left the ticket line at Villa Rufolo and turned right instead of left. Two minutes later, I was standing in the Giardini della Principessa di Piemonte, looking at the same stretch of Tyrrhenian Sea I had just been admiring through a crowd of selfie sticks — except now I was alone. The garden is public. It costs nothing to enter.
The Giardini della Principessa di Piemonte sits near Ravello’s town hall with free entry and uninterrupted coastal views — a two-minute walk from Villa Rufolo’s ticket booth.
Ravello has two famous villa gardens — Villa Rufolo and Villa Cimbrone — and they pull in most visitors. That makes sense: Villa Rufolo’s terraced gardens inspired Wagner, and Villa Cimbrone’s Terrace of Infinity is one of the most photographed spots on the Amalfi Coast. But the Giardini della Principessa is not famous. It is a short public garden near the town hall, planted with the same bougainvillea and lemon trees, offering the same coastal views, and nearly always empty. This article is for anyone who wants one of Ravello’s best viewpoints without queuing for it, including families with small kids who do not want to pay an entry fee for five minutes of attention span.
Yes, the Giardini della Principessa is worth your time — and yes, it really is a two-minute walk from Villa Rufolo. If you are short on time or traveling with kids who will not appreciate 12th-century horticulture, skip the line and come here.
Budget travelers
Families with young kids
Photographers avoiding crowds
The public garden two minutes from Villa Rufolo
Giardini della Principessa di Piemonte is the garden path I keep coming back to.
I walked past it twice before I realized it was a public garden. The entrance is not marked with a sign the way Villa Rufolo’s is. You just see a gate near the town hall, steps leading down to a paved terrace, and a few chairs someone left out. The day I finally went in, Lily and Ethan sat on the low wall and pointed at boats on the water while Michael checked the bus schedule. Nobody shushed them. Nobody told them to stay off the plants. It was just a garden in a small Italian town, used by people who live there.
The garden is mentioned in several travel guides as “Giardini della Principessa” but locals I asked just called it “the garden by the comune.” If you get turned around, head for the town hall — the entrance is on the side facing the sea.
San Giovanni del Toro and other quiet corners
Beyond the Giardini, Ravello has several spots that reward a short detour.
The Church of San Giovanni del Toro sits on a side street off Via Roma, about five minutes from the main square. Its interior is plain compared to the Duomo — ancient stone walls, a few candles, no tour groups jostling for space. I stepped in on a recommendation from a local ceramic shop owner and found it empty except for an elderly woman arranging flowers. The church dates back to the 11th century and has a calm atmosphere that made me want to sit down. Ethan asked if we could light a candle. We did.
The path toward Torello village starts near the Giardini and descends about 30–45 minutes downhill through terraced lemon groves. It is not a fancy trail — just an old stone path with valley views opening between the trees. I would not recommend it with a stroller. The surface is uneven and some sections are steep. But for a quiet walk before or after the garden, it gives you a different perspective on Ravello’s landscape, away from the villas and the souvenir shops.
San Giovanni del Toro is open in the mornings and briefly after siesta. Check around 10:00 or 16:00. The church is not always staffed, so times can vary.
The Auditorium Oscar Niemeyer, a modern concrete structure by the Brazilian architect, sits on a ridge just outside the historic center. It has unobstructed sunset views over the coast and is far quieter than the villa terraces at that hour. The building itself is controversial among locals — some call it an eyesore, others a masterpiece — but the viewpoint from its plaza is undeniably good. I photographed the sunset there without a single person in my frame.
Eating off the main path
Ravello’s side streets hold better food than Piazza Duomo delivers.
Piazza Duomo is where most people eat — it has the views, the outdoor tables, the pasta advertised in English. But the smaller streets off Via Roma and Via dei Rufolo have trattorias where the clientele leans local. A typical meal at these places runs around €25–€40 per person, according to local guides, and the menu changes with what came from the market that morning. I had scialatielli ai frutti di mare at a restaurant down a stairway near the town hall. The pasta was hand-cut, the seafood came from a boat that morning, and the bill was €28.
Some of these side-street restaurants close between lunch and dinner service (roughly 14:30–19:00). In the shoulder seasons, they may also close one day midweek without warning. Check Google Maps the morning of your visit or peek in the window before committing.
For a picnic — which makes sense with the Giardini’s benches — the salumerias near Piazza Fontana sell cured meats, fresh mozzarella, olives, and bread. A few euros buys enough for a simple lunch with a view. I grabbed supplies from a shop on Via San Francesco and carried them in a leather backpack that has held up through years of travel — the kind with a padded laptop sleeve and enough compartments to organize a day’s worth of kid snacks, camera gear, and a water bottle.
Ask the salumeria to slice the meat fresh, not pre-packaged. They usually will. Grab a bottle of local lemonade or a small limoncello from the shop next door — Ravello’s lemons are some of the best on the coast.
Villa Rufolo vs. Giardini della Principessa: a comparison
Both offer coastal views. One costs money and takes planning. The other does not.
| Factor | Villa Rufolo | Giardini della Principessa |
|---|---|---|
| Entry cost | €10–12 per adult | Free |
| Crowds (peak season) | Heavy, especially 11:00–15:00 | Light — mostly locals passing through |
| Stroller access | Limited — stairs in the garden | Paved, mostly flat, stroller-friendly |
| Best time to visit | Morning opening or just before sunset | Any time — never crowded |
| Views | Terraced, multi-level, floral displays | Single wide terrace, same coastline |
| Kid appeal | Moderate — kids may enjoy the tower and fountains | High — open space to move, benches, no pressure to be quiet |
I am not saying skip Villa Rufolo entirely. If you appreciate garden design or want to see the Wagner connection, it is worth the entry fee. But if your main goal is a coastal viewpoint in Ravello, the Giardini della Principessa delivers the same panorama for zero cost and zero wait. On a tight itinerary — especially with kids — that difference matters.
- The Giardini della Principessa di Piemonte is a free public garden with coastal views, two minutes from Villa Rufolo.
- San Giovanni del Toro church and the Torello path offer quiet alternatives within a 5–10 minute walk of the center.
- Picnic supplies from local salumerias cost a fraction of a restaurant meal and work perfectly with the garden’s benches.
Before you go to Ravello’s quieter side
Is the Giardini della Principessa easy to find?
Yes. Head for Ravello’s town hall on Piazza Vescovado. The garden entrance is on the sea-facing side of the building, down a short flight of steps. There is no large sign — just a gate and a paved terrace below.
If you stand in front of Villa Rufolo’s entrance and walk toward the town hall, you will reach it in under two minutes.
Is Villa Rufolo overrated or just too crowded?
The garden itself is beautiful. The problem is the number of people. In peak season, the main terrace feels like a concert venue during intermission. If you visit, go at opening time (09:00) or within an hour of closing.
For a comparable view without the crowd, the Giardini della Principessa is the smarter choice.
Can I visit Ravello with a stroller?
Ravello’s historic streets are paved but steep in places. The Giardini della Principessa is stroller-friendly — flat and wide. The path to Torello and San Giovanni del Toro church are not.
Plan your route to avoid the steepest descents, especially in the heat of the afternoon.
Is the Giardini della Principessa suitable for a picnic?
Yes. There are a few benches and low walls to sit on. The garden is public and uncrowded, so you will not feel rushed. Grab supplies from a salumeria near Piazza Fontana.
Just take your rubbish with you — there are no public bins in the garden.
Do I need to pay for the Auditorium Oscar Niemeyer viewpoint?
No. The plaza outside the auditorium is public and offers a wide, unobstructed view of the coast. It is especially good at sunset.
The building itself sometimes hosts exhibitions with an entry fee, but the outdoor terrace is always free.
Why I keep coming back to the quiet garden
I have visited Ravello three times now, and each time I end up at the Giardini della Principessa. Not because it is the most impressive garden on the coast — it is not — but because it is the one that feels like it belongs to the town, not to tourism. On my last visit, Ethan sat on the wall and pointed at a ferry leaving Salerno while Lily tried to photograph a lizard on the bougainvillea. Nobody told them to stop. That is the kind of travel moment I want more of. For a deeper dive into Amalfi Coast towns that balance popularity with quieter corners, this guide to Positano and its neighbors covers the trade-offs honestly.
Sources and further reading
ITImaker.com. “Ravello Hidden Gems and Secret Spots.” 🔗
Secret Locale. “Ravello’s Lesser Known Attractions.” 🔗
SorrentoReview.com. “Gardens of the Amalfi Coast.” 🔗
Related reading on Emily in Italy
Fall on the Amalfi Coast: Fewer Crowds, More Lemons — A practical guide to visiting the Amalfi Coast in autumn, with tips on weather, ferry schedules, and which towns stay open late in the season.
Discover Family Fun on the Italian Amalfi Coast — Suggestions for kid-friendly activities along the coast, including beaches, easy walks, and restaurants that welcome children.
Salerno Airport Unlocks a Quieter Amalfi Coast — How using Salerno instead of Naples changes the pace of a trip and opens up less crowded access to the coast.