The town of Tropea rises above the town's port in southern Italy's Calabria region. The town is not as well known in North America, but is no secret as a tourist destination among Italians.Tropea Tourism/Supplied
Seated on the balcony of Palazzo Mottola, a boutique hotel nestled in the rock cliffs overlooking the sea, my wife and I enjoy a breakfast of fresh bread and pastries, apricots, strawberries, southern Italian cheeses and spicy ‘nduja sausage. It’s mesmerizingly beautiful. I realize I’m conflicted about sharing my experience in the Calabrian seaside town of Tropea.
I want to tell readers about its history, turquoise waters, white sandy beaches, exquisite vistas and restaurants, but I worry they will listen and Tropea will no longer be an “undiscovered” Italian gem (at least by most Canadians).
I can’t be the only one to grapple with this sort of dilemma. Hercules was Tropea’s first tourist. According to local mythology, he emerged from the sea having completed his 12 labours at what is now the Strait of Gibraltar. As he rested on its immense granite cliffs, Hercules must have thought, “Maybe I’ll keep this place to myself.”
Tropea offers some of the most welcoming beaches in the Mediterranean, among them Il Palombaro, Cannone and Mare Grande.leonori/Supplied
While not as well known in North America, Tropea is no secret to Italians. The town of about 6,300 people sits on the Costa degli Dei (Coast of the Gods) on the Tyrrhenian Sea in the Calabrian province of Vibo Valentia. Tropea looks out from atop 70-metre cliffs onto the Gulf of Saint Euphemia. First colonized by the Greeks and later the Romans, some say the name Tropea is derived from “tropaia,” the ancient Greek word for “trophy.” Another legend maintains that Hercules chose the name to honour his nurse – “tropheia” – Juno. This resonates. There is a rejuvenating alchemy to the place. By the fifth day of a six-day stay, Tropea’s natural beauty, the rhythm of its narrow streets and the easy charm of its restaurants and people have had a restorative effect.
Tropea is also home of the exalted 'Red Queen', the 'cipolla rossa' red onion (above). Diners enjoy a red onion pizza.
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It all begins with its beaches. Tropea offers some of the most welcoming in the Mediterranean, among them Il Palombaro, Cannone and Mare Grande. We spent most of our days on la spiaggia della rotonda, a 15-minute walk from Palazzo Mottola that includes a steep climb down a few hundred steps. It is a public beach with a convivial atmosphere populated by sunworshippers, families with young kids and teenagers kicking around soccer balls. No beach chair is required. Unlike the Amalfi Coast’s rocky beaches, the sand is so soft you simply roll out a towel.
In July and August, Tropea’s beaches are packed with tourists, but during “border months,” such as May and September and October, there is plenty of space. That’s one of the attractions – since to Canadians, there is no bad time of year to visit southern Italy.
Among Tropea’s many charms is that it is an Italian town that people visit, rather than a town of visitors where Italians work (think Venice). The Tropeani are proud of their community and exude an insouciant sense of humour. There is a wry, bemused character to the place. In the early 1980s, for instance, when some puritanical Italian mayors were waging a war against public nude bathing and women who displayed “carnal protuberances,” Tropea city council mocked the prudishness. They passed a law allowing it only by “young women capable of exalting the beauty of the female body.” Then the council quickly revoked it.
Tropea is also home to the exalted “Red Queen” – the “cipolla rossa” red onion. Imported to the area by Phoenician sailors more than 4,000 years ago, today, the onions are cultivated along a 100-kilometre stretch of the coastline near Tropea. They have a soft, sweet taste and crunchy texture. Prized by foodies, cipolle rosse are celebrated annually each July at Tropea’s Red Onion Festival. I enjoyed them at almost every meal and in many different forms – raw, in pasta and salad, on pizza and as a succulent marmalade. I can’t get enough of them. Their taste is sublime. If they made a cipolla rossa deodorant, I’d wear it.
Tropea is walkable and easy to tour on foot with most of its historic attractions located in the town's centre.Andrew Clark/The Globe and Mail
Tropea is easy to tour on foot. Most of its historic attractions are in its centre, among them Cathedral of Maria Santissima of Romania, a 12th-century Norman Cathedral. Two undetonated Second World War bombs sit near its entrance. Madonna di Romania, Tropea’s protectress, is credited with preventing them from going off, as well as for shielding Tropea from earthquakes. The Lonely Planet’s guide calls the medieval monastic church Santa Maria dell’Isola, Tropea’s “number-one photo opp.” Perched on what was once a rocky little island, it offers picturesque views of the town. Throughout our stay, I kept meaning to visit but each time I contemplated it, I went for a swim instead and then sipped a negroni.
There are many restaurants and bars offering sunset aperitivo. The best bet is also the most affordable. Go to Piazza del Cannone, purchase a few cold drinks and a snack from the Super Mario kiosk and join other celebrants assembled to watch a clementine-orange sunset on the Tyrrhenian Sea, with a view of the Aeolian Islands and Santa Maria dell’Isola on your right. Once the sun dips below the horizon, the happy crowd offers up an appreciative round of applause.
If you go
The nearest airport is Lamezia Terme International (an hour outside Tropea). Air Transat has direct flights from Toronto to Lamezia. ITA Airways offers less expensive fares on daily flights that connect through Rome to Lamezia.
Tropea must be seen from the water. There are many tours and boats for hire at the Porto Turistico. We booked with Nautica Piu, a family-run business with 30 years of experience. We toured along the coast and explored private inlets and beaches.
Where to stay:
Palazzo Mottola is a stylish hotel with unparalleled views of the sea, including rooftop aperitivo. The staff, led by Francesca Vallone, are exceptional. It’s located in the historic centre, steps away from restaurants, shops and bars.
Villa Paola, a five-star boutique hotel, was once a 16th-century monastery and is located just outside of town. Its restaurant, De’ Minimi, is the only dining establishment in the Tropea area mentioned in the Michelin Guide.
Baia Del Sole is a nice spot for families with its own private beach and offers a baby disco and gardening for tots, drawing, sand sculpting and mosaics workshops for kids and classes in deejaying, archery and Calabrian mask-making for teens.
Where to dine:
Il Convivio is a popular spot with delicious menu items, such as marinated swordfish, fileja (Calabrian pasta) with eggplant, and grilled veal chop. Nicely accompanied by a bottle of Greco di Bianco.
Tucked away on the narrow Via Dardano, Al Pinturicchio is known for seafood dishes, such as grilled swordfish and linguine alle vongole (linguine with clams) and local specialties, such as fileja alla Tropeana. +39 0963 603452
Le Delizie Du Monaceu is a traditional cucina Calabrese on Largo Frezza. The menu includes grilled tuna steak with caramelized cipolla rossa and “Spaghetti ammuciato alla Monaceu” with anchovies, fennel, capers, garlic and olives. +39 349 553 9195
At Pizzeria Vecchio Forno, located on Via Caivano, pizzas are still cooked in the original oven (the oldest in Tropea). This local institution was opened in the 19th century and has been run by the De Vita family since 1936. Start with Calabrese antipasti and move on to pizza. +39 340 297 4085
Special to The Globe and Mail
The writer was a guest of Villa Paolo and Palazzo Mottola. Neither hotel reviewed or approved the story before publication.