The most beautiful beaches in Calabria

What are the ingredients of your favourite holiday? Relaxation, clean sea, nature? Fun, sunsets on the beach, nightlife? Calabria has it.

Almost eight hundred kilometres of coastline overlooking the Ionian and Tyrrhenian seas, five marine parks, white sand, caves, promontories, cliffs and villages clinging to the rocks. And here is an overview of some of the most beautiful beaches you cannot miss.

It is called the "pearl" of the Tyrrhenian Sea, and not by chance. You say Tropea and immediately the turquoise water and golden sand come to mind, iconic images of the Costa degli Dei.

Tropea is one of the most sought-after tourist destinations, so much so that, according to the authoritative Daily Telegraph newspaper, it is to be preferred to the Amalfi Coast. Here one can enjoy the enchantment of nature from spring to late autumn, and it is easily reached by train or plane, thanks to the nearby Lamezia Terme airport.

Now all that remains is to choose between the beaches, which can also be accessed via the steps leading from the old town to the seafront. Near the San Leonardo rock is the renowned Rotonda beach, popular with snorkellers for its surprising seabed. Those looking for a less crowded spot will choose the free Cannone beach. From the Marina dell'Isola beach, on the other hand, it is possible to reach the Palombaro Cave. Here you can secure a place in the sun at the magnificent "A linguata", which owes its name to the shape of the sandy shore, narrow and long.

Between Pizzo (where you can taste the famous truffle ice-cream in one of the many bars in the small square) and Tropea, a stop in Zambrone is a must, preferably equipped with mask and snorkel.

The time to walk along a long path and a surprising scenery opens up on the beach known as Il paradiso del sub: crystal-clear sea, inlets and reefs and a seabed that does not disappoint the expectations associated with the beach's name. One moves among the coves and rocks with the strangest shapes, such as the "Lion's" one.

Destination Costa degli Aranci: golden sand, turquoise waters, surprising seabed.

We stop in Soverato, known for its beaches but also for the vitality of its seafront promenade, full of clubs that make it a popular stop for summer nightlife. 

You will be spoilt for choice among the foreshortened coastline overlooking a crystal-clear sea. Caminia is one of the most popular beaches with tourists for its fine sand, Pietragrande is known for its cliffs and rich marine fauna, and on the beach of San Sostene you can enjoy the white sand. An experience not to be missed is certainly a visit to the Hippocampus' Bay, a protected area in whose depths swim numerous seahorses (or seahorses, in fact), indicators of the good health of the sea.

Let's make a bet: you will leave Scilla taking with you the memory of a place you will never forget.

Visiting the fishermen's village, Chianalea, with the scent of the salt spray and the sound of the undertow, you have the feeling of being outside of time. And if all this were not enough, the magic of Scilla's historic part blends with the beauty of its coastline: crystal-clear water and an atmosphere steeped in history and myth.

Not to be missed is the wonderful beach of Marina Grande, from where - if you are lucky - you can see the profile of the Aeolian Islands beyond the Strait.

It is not often in life that one lands on a small deserted island. In Praia a Mare, a tourist centre on the Tyrrhenian coast of Cosenza, this can also happen.

Set in the frame of the Riviera dei Cedri, in fact, Dino Island dominates the landscape and offers tourists the possibility of excursions to natural caves (such as the Blue Cave or the Lion Cave) or to its seabed rich in biodiversity.

The island can be reached by boat, but those who remain "on land" can still count on free or equipped beaches, with more than sixty lidos available and, why not, decide to experience the adventure of paragliding by flying over the sea launching from Mount Cancero.

If you want to experience a literal fairytale holiday, then Isola Capo Rizzuto is the destination, because here, for a start, you will be welcomed by a Castle.

A fortress on the sea, where you can still hear the cries of the pirates who have attacked it several times in history. The peculiarity of Le Castella is precisely its position; it is accessed through a narrow strip of land and seems to float on water.

But Isola Capo Rizzuto is a paradise for those who love the sea, which can be admired here in its approximately forty kilometres of coastline, among promontories and coves. Sovereto, Le Cannella, Cavallucci beach, Capo Piccolo and Capobianco are all worth a visit. 

The Marine Protected Area Capo Rizzuto, where dolphins and turtles swim, is the largest in Italy and here history and nature find a wonderful synthesis, between land and sea. The seabed can be admired with guided scuba diving, but also through excursions by boat, which has a transparent bottom.