Tropea is Italy’s hidden coast with some of the most beautiful water I’ve ever seen!
Everything here is my own opinion and I received no compensation for this post. It also contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. If you have any questions about this, just click here! All content copyright Where’s Emma Now 2012-2026.
Tropea feels like a relatively undiscovered area by foreign tourists. They’re here, but the city isn’t choked with them. Combined with it having some of the most beautiful water I’ve ever seen, that makes it an incredible spot to spend a few days!!
Tropea is the regional capital of Calabria – the region of Italy at the toe of the boot. For a capital city, it’s small. That means it’s super walkable!
Getting to Tropea
You can fly into nearby Lamezia or Reggio Calabria, or train in from major Italian cities north! When we went, we opted to fly into Lamezia and then built a train trip going north to Rome, Florence, and a few other stops.
Tropea is also close to Sicily! You can take ferries via Messina (the shortest) or via the Aeolian Islands.
Where to Stay in Tropea
I recommend staying in the historic district within Tropea’s historic are. There’s something so magical about looking out your window to cobblestone streets and being steps from the sights!
We stayed at Le Due Sicilie and loved it! The building is a historic palazzo, but with all the modern amenities you want on vacation. Our room had a private balcony overlooking a quiet street, and it was lovely for people watching when you need to get out of the sun. They also have the most lovely breakfast patio setup!
Planning your Time in Tropea
Tropea sits on a bluff above the water. This means amazing views! But also means to get to the beach or marina, you need to take about 75-100 steps down (and then back up). Keep that in mind if you’re traveling with kids or folks who don’t do well with stairs! Time of year matters as well.
While Calabria is warmer than Italy’s northern cities, it’s still cooler than you may predict in shoulder season. Early May will still be cool enough that you’ll want a sweater in the evenings and may not be up for swimming. However, it warms up fast after that! Check the averages for that time of year before you book.
What to Do in Tropea
Tropea is small enough to do all the main “things to do” in a day. The appeal of the city is in the slowing down!
The most iconic thing to do in Tropea is see the church on the island! Santuario di Santa Maria dell’Isola di Tropea is a small church and monastery that sits on top of the promontory – not technically an island, but distinct from the mainland nonetheless. The church itself is small, but the garden is beautiful and the views of Tropea and the coastline are incredible!
A few reminders: Bring cash for the few euro entry fee in case their credit card machine is down. Make sure to check the hours before you climb; it closes for riposo for several hours every afternoon! And be sure to dress to visit a church: cover your shoulders and knees so you don’t get turned away.
Around Tropea, give yourself a few hours to wander the streets of the old town. Piazza Ercole is the main city square, so you’ll be sure to pass through here a bunch. You can feel how this used to be the heart of the city 100 years ago.
Tropea’s Duomo is called the Cattedrale Maria Santissima di Romania. The interior is pretty pared back compared to some cathedrals, but it is a little crazy to go see the inert missile mounted in the corner. I can’t remember which war, so if you go, let me know!
Beaches
Calling it Italy’s hidden coast means you know the water is unreal. Here are some of the beaches to explore locally!
If you’re looking for a good free beach, start with Spiaggia del Convento/Mare Piccolo! It sits right below the island rock formation. Keep in mind that a couple hours before sunset, the whole thing is shaded (depending on the temperature this can be a good or bad thing).
At low tide, you can climb out to Grotta del Palombaro – the cave that’s on the sea side of the rock outcropping. As always, know your swimming and climbing capabilities before you decide to do something like this, and check on high/low tides! Water shoes or sandals that strap on are a must – I like these.
There are a ton of sea caves in the area if you like that kind of thing! Many are labeled on Google Maps so you can find them without much searching. Look for the word grotta: that’s cave in Italian.
Spiaggia del Cannone is another good beach especially at sunset! This one is mostly paid beach club spaces.
Tropea beach is another good stretch along the sea with free sections and beach clubs. If you’re here with a car, there’s parking down here.
Tropea Excursions & Day Trips
Boat day to Capo Vaticano
The number one excursion in Tropea is the Capo Vaticano boat trip! We went with this company and it was fantastic. It’s a small group boat trip (the best kind!) so you could chat with the other guests if you wanted, but it wasn’t one big booze cruise.
Ours included three stops: first we went all the way down to Capo Vaticano, an iconic spot along the Calabrian shoreline. It’s a beautiful spot for a swim; full of turquoise water and small fish nearby. You may recognize its shilouette if you’ve ever tried Vecchio Amaro del Capo, the local herbal digestivo – it’s right on the bottle!
Second stop was at some sunken Roman ruins, which was pretty cool! They don’t poke much above water, but the clear water means you can see a shocking amount of detail. Our guide did a great job of telling us about these, so my nerdy heart loved this stop.
Third was just off Tropea, under the island monastery. You could see the iconic dolphin outline in the rock, and the city of Tropea itself is most beautiful when seen from the water.
Any day trips by boat will leave from the marina, so it’s worth noting where that is. There are steps that go directly down from the old town, or you can catch a taxi or drive down.
Aeolian Islands
Another popular option is heading to the Aeolian Islands for a day trip. There are a few options here, and I think this is a maybe on your list. It really depends on how you want to spend your time.
The most popular (and the one we did) was an all-day multi-island trip. Depending on weather, you stop at the islands of Stromboli, Lipari, and Vulcano. Each is interesting in its own right!
Vulcano has a black sand beach you could spend the day in, relaxing with a unique setting. Lipari has a cute well developed town where you could spend a weekend eating great local food, walking charming streets, treating it as a base for exploring the Aeolian islands properly. Stromboli has charming tiny villages and the active volcano itself.
I could do an entire guide on this day trip! We saw a lot and really enjoyed all the islands. That being said, it’s a lot of sitting around on the ferry. So if you tend to get seasick or are traveling with kiddos, this definitely isn’t for you. Even if you’re game, decide if you’d rather spend a day with quite a bit of downtime on the boat to see these gorgeous islands.
Another option is to hike the volcano on Stromboli! This one isn’t all day, but still involves the long ferries. I haven’t done this but it sounds amazing. This is the one I would do. (Keep in mind this one is subject to volcano activity, and may not always be available.)
Nearby Cities
You can also pretty easily get to some of the nearby cities for day trips along Italy’s hidden coast!
Pizzo is a great option for a day trip. It’s a historic city with a castle and cave church, perfect for an hour or two of strolling. The city is most famous for Tartufo, a truffle shaped ice cream dessert with a liquid chocolate and hazelnut center. I’ll share more about that goodie in my restaurant guide coming soon! You can combine a visit to Pizzo with a stop at the nearby beaches of Zabrone.
I already mentioned Capo Vaticano as part of the boat day, but it’s also a cute town for a day trip! It has beautiful views, hidden coves, and plenty of beaches. Its shape means it has seasides on almost three sides! Head to Grotticelle Beach for gorgeous free beach space; it’s considered one of Italy’s best beaches.
Not a city per se, but the Zungri Caves are a unique cultural museum worth a few hours if you have a car. It’s a collection of ancient rock homes that shows local life dating back thousands of years.
Want to go further? Stop as Scilla on the way to Sicily! For the history nerds following along, this is the mythical home of Scylla, the tentacled monster with dog heads from Homer’s Odyssey. It’s another charming town along the coast, but with a bit fewer steps between the beach and the town than Tropea.
A note on transport: there are trains to each of the cities I mention here, but it’s also worth considering renting a car. Calabria’s pretty quiet, so the driving here isn’t nearly as intimidating as some of the other parts of Italy!
Trust me, it’s Italy’s hidden coast. If you want stunning water, beautiful small towns, and great food, Tropea is your place! Check back soon for my restaurant guide to the city.
Planning a southern Italy road trip? Try Ostuni, Lecce or Monopoli in Puglia or Palermo or Ortigia in Sicily!
