Costa Viola

From swordfish to the little Venice of the South

Sea

Chianalea di Scilla - Regione Calabria

The last stretch of the Tyrrhenian coast of Calabria, in the province of Reggio Calabria, is known as the Costa Viola (Purple Coast), due to the presence of a particular type of seaweed that, especially at sunset, tinges the surface of the water with purple hues.

A magical place of myths and legends (Scylla and Charybdis, Colapesce, etc.), the Costa Viola is the stretch of sea overlooking the Strait of Messina, where the so-called "Morgana Effect" occurs, when the shores of Calabria and Sicily are reflected so clearly that they seem to touch each other.

The best way to discover the Costa Viola? By boat! A boat trip along the Costa Viola allows you to enjoy the dozens of sea caves and heavenly coves that characterise the coastline from a different perspective, as well as admiring the skyline that features the most beautiful towns on the Costa Viola: the swordfish fishing villages of Bagnara Calabra and Scilla (the last one with the unmissable village of Chianalea, the little Venice of the South!), after visiting the towns of Palmi, home to the Varia, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the Tauriani National Archaeological Park, and Seminara, the 'City of Artistic Ceramics'.

The tour of the Costa Viola ends between Villa San Giovanni and Reggio Calabria: the first one, also known as the "Gateway to Calabria", is where you can board hydrofoils and ferries to Sicily and the Aeolian Islands; the second one, with its "most beautiful kilometre in Italy", is home to the important National Archaeological Museum, which houses the Riace Bronzes.

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What to know about Costa Viola

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Scilla