Want to know the very best Tropea beaches? You’ve come to the right place!
Tropea has an embarrassment of riches when it comes to beaches.
The pretty clifftop town is the most popular destination on the Costa degli Dei (Coast of the Gods), and in addition to its own fantastic beaches below the historical centre, you can take your pick from perfect white sand, romantic coves, gorgeous family-friendly stretches, hard-to-reach bays tucked away under the cliffs, and glorious secluded spots for swimming and snorkelling.
And all of them are blessed with those divine Calabrian blues of the Tyrrenhian Sea, which really do need to be seen to be believed.
Here at Along Dusty Roads, we say that Calabria has the best sandy beaches we’ve ever visited in Italy - but Calabria’s very best beaches are all to be found in and around Tropea.
So, when planning your Calabria road trip or stay in the town, you better make sure you set aside a few days to head out and enjoy them!
However, Italians have a wonderful propensity to turn any collection of rocks, square metre of sand, or crumbling concrete structure into a ‘spiaggia’ - a beach - and so squinting and scrolling at a Google Map or relying on generic travel guides doesn’t really help you narrow down which of the dozens around Tropea are actually unmissable and a good fit for your travel style.
That’s where this guide comes in.
We’ve curated everything down to a list of our 14 favourite beaches in Tropea - those we still dream about and would make a beeline for when we’re back in Calabria. Starting with Tropea’s own trio of gorgeous beaches, we’ve then included those no more than 45-minutes to the north and the south, which are ideal for day trips or alternative coastal bases to the popular town.
And it’s not just about Capo Vaticano!
Importantly, as some can only be reached via stairs or trails down steep cliffs - a real feature of the Calabrian coast - or have very limited parking, facilities, and public transport connections, in addition to the essential information + inspiration you need to visit each, we’ve included advice on acesss so those of you travelling with poor mobility, children, or no rental car, will be able to avoid nasty surprises.
These are the 14 best beaches in and around Tropea.
A Quick Note On Parking, Public Transport & Beach Clubs
Parking at Tropea Beaches
For most of these beaches, you’ll need to pay to park close by in a private car park or on the paid blue line spaces, and we’ve included Google Maps links to help you find them.
Prices are typically €1.50 or €2/hour, but some offer a better value day rate. An increasing number of parking meters accept card payments, but you should always carry small change for them. Alternatively, the easypark app is commonly used across Calabria, and offers a convenient way to find parkings spots and pay via your mobile, but sometimes charges more than the meter.
Note that parking is limited and often at capacity during peak holiday season and summer weekends; arrive early in the day to increase your chances of finding a well-situated space. Free parking is possible for some of the beaches, but can’t be guaranteed.
We recommend looking + booking your hire car via Rentalcars.com or AutoEurope, and reading this post will save you money and reduce stress: 9 Essential Car Rental Tips for Travellers
Public Transport to Tropea Beaches
Whilst there is an adequate train service (and a limited bus service) that connects Tropea with the small towns and villages in this part of Calabria, using public transport to access our beaches will always, always necessitate a walk - sometimes long, sometimes short, often down a steep hill.
Trains are often your best option, and you can find timetables on Trenitalia.
Unfortunately information regarding the bus services is a little difficult to come by, with scant resources online besides the quite indecipherable and impenetrable (for a non-Italian speaker at least) Ferrovie della Calabria website. If you take buses from Tropea to any of the beaches we feature, please do share more information in the comments to help travellers like you.
Beach Clubs
Lastly, you’re going to read about ‘lidos’ a lot in this post. In short, these are private beach clubs where you pay to rent a bed, umbrellas, and use the facilities. Ranging in quality and amenities, they are ubiquitous and take up the majority of space on lots of beaches in Tropea and elsewhere - and many non-Italians don’t like them. Costs here can range from €20 for an parasol + two chairs, to upwards of €60 for the most popular or exclusive.
To find out more about how they work, read The Art of The Italian Lido
You can however access and use all the beaches we feature for free.
Beaches in Tropea
As is common across the coast of Calabria, the historical centre of Tropea is perched upon a clifftop and its three beaches lie beneath it.
They’re easily accessed via a set of stairs from the town or from the car parks along the Via Lungomare, and ideally situated for those staying in Tropea or visiting on a day trip.
SPIAGGIA DELLA ROTONDA
We think Rotonda beach is the best of the trio.
With the backdrop of the pastel peach and pink buildings of the old town rising above it, it's very easy on the eye from any angle, and has wonderful, calm water for swimming. There are also plenty areas of 'free beach', so you can always find a spot to lay your towel down.
Find Rotonda beach here on Google Maps.
GROTTA DELL'ISOLA & SPIAGGIA DI TROPEA
Carved by nature into the rocks beneath the Santuario, it’s easy to miss this hidden little grotto and the small, secluded area of sand reserved for those in those in the know.
Users of Instagram will absolutely have seen this photogenic spot (it may even have inspired your own trip to Tropea) but do be aware that the area for sunbathing really is teeny-tiny, even once you include the limestone rocks that edge it; your enjoyment may be shaped by how early you arrive - and therefore how much space you can carve out for yourself. From here, you can also swim round to the even more secluded Grotta del Palombaro (maps)
You can find the grotto here on Google Maps, easily accessed from this small carpark.
SPIAGGIA A LINGUATA
On the left hand side of the rocky outcrop topped by Santuario di Santa Maria, this white sand beach stretches for about a kilometre and is the most developed of the Tropea beaches.
The main drawback of Spiaggia A Linguata is the amount of space taken up by lidos in summertime across the whole stretch, with very few areas left for people looking to just lay a towel down for the day; this is why Spiaggia della Rotonda tends to be more popular with those not wishing to pay for a lido.
Find Linguata beach here on Google Maps.
Plan // For for more details on these beaches, as well as all the information + inspiration you need to plan your time in the town, read our guide: The Best Things To Do in Tropea.
Best Beaches North of Tropea
There are some absolute gems just 10-15 minutes by car from Tropea, as well as a couple of great alternatives to the town’s beaches for those looking for fewer people or a more peaceful setting.
Marina & Marinella Di Zambrone
The two Zambrones are right next to each other, but offer a very different beach experience.
The long, flat white sands of Marina di Zambrone are easy to access and very family-friendly. It’s a great option if you just want a relaxing full day of sunbathing with several options to eat a casual lunch, grab a beer, or rent a deckchair and umbrella, but without the overly cramped or overly developed environment that Italian beaches can sometimes suffer from.
The further to the right you go, the quieter and more rustic it gets.
Attached to a pleasant enough little holiday village, with plenty of decent accommodation options a stone’s throw from the water, it’s a good pick if a beach holiday in Calabria is your priority, rather than staying in historic towns. It offers a similar vibe to Spiaggia di Bivona, a 20-minute drive north, but we preferred this one.
Offering a dramatic contrast is the more difficult to reach Marinella Di Zambrone. Hidden away behind a cliff next door to Marina di Zambrone, this sheltered romantic cove is perfect for snorkelling and absolutely worth the walk to reach it.
Access + Parking | 20 minutes / 10 kms from Tropea.
For Marina di Zambrone, you’ve got lots of parking options. Parcheggio Stazione (maps) is by the train station, and you can pay at the Marinella ice cream bar (€2/1 hour, €4/6 hours, and €10 for the day). There’s a larger car park right by the beach (maps) charing €1.50/hour, and more paid blue line parking on various streets. If you’re lucky you may also find a free space on the roadside. It’s a short, flat walk to the large main beach from all of the above.
To reach the two hidden bays of Marinella Di Zambrone, park by the station and head to the start of the trail located here on Google Maps. It’s a bit of a ramble to get to the beach, involving a walk through dirt fields, down, up and over steps and rocks, and is not really suitable for flip flops (although we had no choice but to persevere) or children. If hoping to spend the day, it’s best to arrive early to get a good spot. There’s also a lido on the far side in summer.
Facilities | Beach restaurants, cafes, and kiosks on Marina di Zambrone, but you’ll need to bring all snacks and water if spending the day on Marinella Di Zambrone
Public Transport | Zambrone train station (maps) has connections with Tropea, with travel time of 10 minutes.
Where To Stay | There are lots of hotel and apartment options nearby to Zambrone train station, but we’d say that Hotel Scoglio Del Leone is probably our pick of the best.
Map | Find Zambrone beach here and Marinella Di Zambrone here on Google Maps
Spiaggia Michelino
This is our star pick for the best beach north of Tropea!
Similar to Marinella Di Zambrone but easier to access for most, these two patches of sheltered, sandy beaches have irresistible clear blue waters for swimming and snorkelling.
Note that it's sometimes referred to as Spiaggia Parghelia and Spiggia Michelino, but the two sections are right next to each other, only separated by a an old concrete bulwark and some large rocks.
Access | It’s 200+ modern stone stairs zig-zagging down to the beaches, and you can access them from Via Michelino (maps). To the right of the stairs start point, there’s a nice new walkway leading to the Belvedere Michelino on the right, offering several places to sit and enjoy the setting.
Parking | 10 minutes / 4 kms from Tropea.
Firstly, under no circumstances park on Via Che Guevara, the street closest to entrance stairs. As there were no blue or yellow lines and seemingly no sign, we couldn’t believe our luck and joined the handful of other cars parked up - only return to a parking ticket a couple of hours later. Incredulous, on much much closer inspection we found a ‘no parking’ sign obscured by some trees.
Reading Google Reviews, we aren’t the first visitor (Italian or foreign) to fall foul of it.
Aware that any sort of infraction the rental car company has to notify you about incurs an extra fee (the cheaper the rental car company, the bigger the fee), we quickly hot-footed it to the local post office to get it settled before it hit their system!
Fortunately, there is a small amount of blue line paid parking on the opposite street (maps) for €2/hour, but this will fill up very quickly and at the time of writing the meter only takes coins. Supposedly the parking attendants are also very vigilant on check parking meter return times here, so factor that in for the walk back up the stairs.
Alternatively, you can find more free + paid street parking on the streets of Parghelia (maps), a 10-minute walk to the stairs entrance.
If you find a better option closer to the beach, feel free to share in the comments!
Facilities | None at all, so bring everything down with you.
Public Transport | It’s a three-minute train journey from Tropea to Parghelia station (maps)
Where To Stay | Il Poggio Di Tropea has an amazing location and pool overlooking the beaches although the hotel itself is pretty dated. There are also several guesthouses on the streets closest to the beach entrance, and several options up in the pleasant town of Parghelia - find more accommodation options listed here.
Map | Find Spiaggia Michelino here on Google Maps
Spiaggia della Contura
To the right of Tropea’s port, we arrived at Spiaggia della Contura only because it was the place to start our boat trip to Capo Vaticano. And whilst it’s definitely not one of the best beaches in Tropea, it’s certainly one of the more popular - which is why it made this list.
A wide expanse of tiny white pebbles, it can become quite crowded during the summer months but offers a really large section of free beach in addition to various lidos. Additionally, the shallow water makes it a good pick for families.
You may also see it referred to as Spiaggia Villaggio L'Olivara.
Another thing to be aware of is that due to its proximity to the port and the coming and going of rental boats, the water can get rather cloudy by late afternoon so better to make it a morning spot.
Access + Parking | 5 minutes / 2.5 km from Tropea. From what we saw, it’s actually quite common to walk between the two (20 minutes), but parts of the road can be quite busy and on blind bends, so do be very very careful if heading out.
Parcheggio Spiagga 'La Grazia' (maps) is a large, very convenient car park just up the road from the beach that costs €1.50 per hour. There are machines to pay with card, but it’s always best to bring coins.
Facilities | Pedalo, boat, and watersports rental, a few lidos (but lots of free space), plus a couple of places to eat in summer and a large restaurant opposite the car park.
Public Transport | Possibly on a bus route
Where To Stay | As we drove this road quite a lot on our Tropea day trips, we were surprised to see so many holidaymakers walking between the town and Spiaggia della Contura. The main reason, rather than everyone heading to the beach, is because there’s quite a few accommodation options in the area. Personally, it’s not where we would like to be based as you’re neither by the beach nor in the town, and have to walk along a busy road to get anywhere. You can find better options by checking out the ‘Where To Stay’ section in our Tropea guide.
Map | Find Spiaggia della Contura here on Google Maps
The Calabria Guides
Before starting on the southern beaches, we wanted to let you know that we’ve got lots of other guides to help you travel better in Calabria:
· The Best Things To Do in Tropea
· 23 Things To Know Before You Visit Calabria*
· 13 Wonderful Things To Do in Calabria*
· How To Visit The Riace Bronzes*
· Our Calabria Road Trip Itinerary*
To see a great selection of tours, activities, and experiences you can book online in Calabria, with free cancellation, we recommend checking out this page on GetYourGuide.
*published soon - follow @alongdustyroads on Instagram for drops.
South of Tropea Beaches
Heading southwest of Tropea, you continue to be spoiled for choice.
The beautiful cluster of beaches in the stunning area known as Capo Vaticano are the most famous, and you should absolutely try to see them in person as a day trip, but there are also two great picks for a fun, relaxing beach day close to Tropea as well as two lesser-known rustic options.
We haven’t included Torre Marino + Torre Ruffa in our list. Rather than being worth visiting on their own merits relative to the others on this section of coastline, they’re popular due to their proximity to the holiday towns of the same name (see accommodation options here).
Spiaggia la Scalèa
If you didn’t go searching for it, you’d hardly even know it’s there.
Just next door to Spiaggia di Riaci, but much quieter and isolated due to the more challenging access, this is long sliver of rugged free beach without a lido in sight.
Its proximity to Santa Domenica train station makes it a great pick for travellers looking for something close to Tropea but a world away.
The only negative with Spiaggia la Scalèa is that it can get a bit of seaweed coverage and water can be a teeny bit rougher than the calm, shallow stuff nearby.
Access + Parking | 15 minutes / 3.5 km from Tropea.
It took us a little while to work things out. We parked in the free white line spaces in the centre of Santa Domenica (maps), and walked for five minutes down the street and through the tunnel beneath the train tracks, where it all felt a bit like an abandoned area! Then we found the path leading to the steep but well-maintained staircase down the cliff and to the beach, and it all started to make sense - find the path here.
In terms of parking, the research we’ve done since makes us think that you could actually drive and park by the staircase for free, rather than up in town, but we can’t confirm 100%.
Facilities | Not a sausage, so bring everything down with you and bring it back out.
Public Transport | From Tropea to Santa Domenica train station (maps) it’s a 5-minute journey, then a 10-minute walk down to the beach. Probably on a bus route.
Where To Stay | Villaggio Marco Polo is very close, otherwise you can find accommodation options in the village of Santa Domenico here.
Map | Find Spiaggia la Scalèa here on Google Maps
Spiaggia di Riaci
Just a couple of kilometres from Tropea, Riaci beach may become too busy for some of you, but it’s definitely one of the best picks for families or groups looking for an easy, fun beach day in a very picturesque setting.
The car park is just steps from the beach, it’s got a lots of lidos, a stunning rocky outcrop to clamber over and jump from, and wonderful swimming and paddling spots.
There’s also a company offering a variety of watersports activities and boat rentals.
We didn’t go in the evenings, but supposedly it also becomes a bit of a nightlife hub.
Access + Parking | 10 minutes / 3 km from Tropea.
The large official car park (maps) is at the end quite a challenging access road. As you descend, it narrows quite a bit, eventually resulting in a give-way system with lights and a really sharp corner. Those on the way up have priority, so just go really cautiously on the way up and down.
There are two distinct parking areas - one charging approximately €5 per day, and a handful of parking spaces charging €2/hour.
Facilities | A couple of restaurants, watersport rentals, and several lidos. As the town is all the way back up the hill, it’s not a bad idea to take some snacks and drinks with you if looking to keep the costs down.
Public Transport | From Tropea to Santa Domenica train station (maps) it’s a 5-minute journey. However, you then have a 25-minute/1.6km walk down from the station down to the beach, which would not be fun on the way back up (and take double the time). It’s probably on a bus route.
Where To Stay | Oldwell Hotel and TUI Blue are good options for hotels whereas nearby Santa Domenica has several apartments and holiday home - find them here.
Map | Find Spiaggia di Riaci here on Google Maps
Spiaggia Formicoli
We have to ‘fess up: this is the only beach in this post that we didn’t actually step foot upon! Instead, we saw it from our boat trip to Capo Vaticano and it looked pretty damn nice.
Backed by an imposing cliff, Spiaggia Formicoli is an accessible free white sand beach that’s largely untouched by lidos, with calm water for swimming.
Access + Parking | 15 minutes / 7 km from Tropea.
From Google Reviews and looking at maps, it appears there are several paid parking lots at the end of the access road (maps) charging approx. €1/hour.
Facilities | A couple of small beach kiosks for food and drinks, and the option to rent umbrellas + chairs.
Public Transport | No train station, possibly on a bus route and then a walk from the road.
Where To Stay | The nearest accommodation to Spiaggia Formicoli is Agriturismo Brace which offers a variety of self-contained properties (they’re a little tired but are functional and have good reviews). Alternatively, you can find accommodations in nearby Santa Domenica on booking.com or Airbnb.
Map | Find Spiaggia Formicoli here on Google Maps
The Capo Vaticano Beaches
Comprising seven kilometres of that quintessentially Calabrian coastline - all dramatic green hills, off-white granite cliffs, slivers of secret white sand beaches, mystical caves, and the most irresistible blues of the Tyrrhenian Sea - Capo Vaticano is home to a half dozen relatively hidden-away beaches, countryside guesthouses, a few luxury resorts, and wild steep zig-zag trails from the 124-metre clifftops to the heavenly waters.
Jutting out from toward Sicily across the narrow Straits of Messina, its scenery is dramatic, rugged, and amongst the best you’ll find on this divine stretch of coast.
You can find a quick overview below, but we’ve written an entire guide to Capo Vaticano with all the information on its best beaches, accommodation, and how to visit it for a day trip.
If you’re short on time, or would like to include a memorable travel experience, then this boat trip from Tropea to Capo Vaticano has glowing reviews, and includes snorkelling, swimming, and an aperitivo. Find out more here.
Access + Parking | 30 minutes / 14 kms from Tropea.
Spiaggia del Tono and Spiaggia di Grotticelle are easy to access by car, with parking right next to the sand. If choosing between the two, Grotticelle is our pick!
Access to the secluded twin beaches of Spiaggia Praia di Fuocu and Spiaggia di Ficara is via a very steep, overgrown trail down the cliff, and only possible with good shoes and caution. There is however a car park right by the trail head (maps), which backs onto a splendid view point over both.
Facilities | Two popular developed beaches that have lidos, restaurants, and watersports rental, and two beaches with absolutely nothing.
Public Transport | Ricadi train station (maps) is an 8-minute journey from Tropea, but you then have to walk 2.5+kms to reach any of the Capo Vaticano beaches. There is definitely a bus from Tropea which takes traveller to Ricadi, and possibly closer to one of the beaches - find out more on the Ferrovie della Calabria website.
Alternatively, join a half-day Capo Vaticano boat tour.
Where To Stay | This area is a great pick if you’re looking to be based outside of Tropea in a hotel, resort, or Airbnb by the sea. The Capovaticano Resort Thalasso Spa is the pick of the bunch, but you can find more personal recommendations in our Capo Vaticano post.
Map | Spiaggia del Tonno (maps), Fuocu + Ficara (maps), and Spiaggia di Grotticelle (maps)
