Tropea, Italy

 
I wasn’t sure what to expect from Calabria. The Italy aficionados I knew spoke in excitable, knowing whispers about the many under-valued and ‘undiscovered gems’ to be found in the mezzogiorno - the southern part of the country that used to form the Kingdom of Naples. But for all their enthusiasm, no one seemed to know much about Calabria - the ‘toe’ of Italy’s ‘boot’, apart from the fact it had a reputation for roughness and there weren’t many Michaelangelo’s to ogle.

I booked a flight anyway and was immediately enchanted by the region’s capital, Tropea - a town well known to many Germans and Northern Italians as it turns out, who come here during summer to laze on the sandy beaches, stroll through the city’s well-preserved medieval centre and use it as a convenient base to explore the rest of the region.

Teetering above the south Tyrrhenian coast, the city (founded by Hercules, legend has it) was once used as a residence for the Italian nobility. Mooching through the charming, cobbled centre, it’s easy to believe. A jumble of architectural styles pay tribute to the region’s waves of invaders and settlers – Normans and Bourbons, Byzantines and Arabs – while its cliff-top location commands a Royal sea views.
 
Tropea’s not a large city. Most of its key sights can be seen during a morning or afternoon stroll. In fact, since I was staying at Il Convento, a renovated former convent built literally into the cliffs, I was fortunate enough to have an eye-popping view of one of the main draws without leaving my chair - namely the striking Benedictine monastery of Santa Maria della Isola, which sits out to sea on a ridiculously idyllic rocky promontory.

There are other historical and cultural sights, such as the imposing Norman cattedrale, whose interior displays a couple of unexploded US bombs from World War II (thankful prayers to the Madonna are attached to each) but really, Tropea’s allure is strongly connected to its natural charms: that glorious azure sea, the long, sandy beach and the views of Stromboli, which, along with other Eolian islands, can be visited by motorboats throughout summer.

The city’s naturally relaxed demeanour is also an attraction, though you won’t find much of that if you visit the city in August. Italians holiday en masse during this month and many ‘northerners’ decamp directly to Tropea. If you don’t mind fighting with dozens of sprawling Italian families and boisterous beefcakes in spray-on trunks for your few square feet of sandy beach, fine. Otherwise, you might want to consider a different month.

That said, if the beaches are over-crowded, fear not. This stretch of coast isn’t called the Costa degli Dei (Coast of the Gods) for nothing. Head north to Pizzo, or south to Capo Vaticano and Nicotera and you’ll find more secluded beaches, sweeping cliffs and lush Mediterranean maquis than you can shake some Versace shades at. The Capo Vaticano area – just 15 minutes from Tropea by bus – is a particularly good source of hidden bays, though you may have to pester the locals to get directions.

Tropea does a great line in food too. There are plenty of itsy kiosks selling local staples like sweet onions (which make a surprisingly delicious jam) and peperoncino (hot peppers), while the city’s restaurants tend to knock up fantastic seafood like swordfish and baccala; dishes featuring porcini are popular too thanks to the nearby Sila region, which boasts an abundance of the famed fungi.

Specific eateries deserving of mention are Da Cece, a family-run eaterie set in a romantic piazza offers wonderful traditional dishes like spaghetti con cipolla (spaghetti with red onion); the funky Hosteria Italiana, which has artists in the kitchen and fantastic wines in the cellar; La Munizione, which boasts expansive vistas across the marina, serves excellent Italian food and hosts vivacious DJ parties on the concrete courtyard below. Ah, and you must try the pizzas at Vecchio Forno, which are fired in a century-old wood oven. They’ll give you a taste of old Tropea that you won’t forget in a hurry.

Sadly Tropea isn’t inundated with stylish hotels and boutique b&bs to sleep in, but the afore-mentioned Il Convento and the slick Residenze Il Barone in the centre are both highly recommended. It’s also possible to enjoy a some luxurious solitude by staying slightly out of town at refined four- and five-stars such as Panta Rei and Pirto Pirgos. Here you’ll find swimming pools, lush, private gardens and impeccable service – with regular lifts into town should you need one.

A long weekend is probably enough time to enjoy tiny Tropea and its surroundings, but if you have more time it’s worth considering a trip to the bucolic Sila National Park. In just a couple of hours you can be exploring a contrastive terrain of lush forests, abundant wildlife and ancient villages deep in the heart of the Calabrian countryside. That's of course without mentioning the historical towns of Gerace and Stilo in the east, the Greek ruins at Locri, the rugged Il Pollino National Park further north and the coastal towns of Scilla and Reggio di Calabria in the south.

True, you won’t come across many Michaelangelo’s and the locals may be brusque on occasion, but you’ll mostly discover friendly, down-to-earth people and nature, history and culture in abundance.