Coming from the Puglia region on the southwest side Italian’s heel of the boot and heading for a short ferry ride across the Tyrrhenian sea, an arm of the Mediterranean, to Sicily, a 2 night stay on the southeast coast of Italy made sense. We headed to what is considered the jewel of the Calabrian region or the pearl of the Tyrrhenian Sea, Tropea was also named as the most beautiful village in Italy in 2021. As advertised, it proved to have phenomenally dramatic cliffside views with sandy beaches located below. Below are a few photos of what we encountered when on our drive to this popular 6000+ population village. Also, a map that shows the relationship between the Puglia region to the Calabrian region and our eventual destination to Sicily.

We could not park near the hotel but rather parked in a parking lot that belonged to the sister hotel just on the outskirts of the center of town. We had a fun ride in a golf cart provided by the hotel. The central location of the seven room Hotel La Dolce Vita was immediately deemed as convenient and promised the iconic cliffside view you will see in almost any photo of Tropea. The hotel’s colorful and playful design elements were fun to discover.

The Calabrian region that is known for these seaside views and beaches did not disappoint.

And, yes, one of the frequented beaches was a part of the view from the hotel. Birds were persistently flying out of their designated carved out nesting ‘holes’ in a nearby building. Santa Maria dell’Isola, the little church on the island (which is not really an island but rather a peninsula), attracts visitors to Tropea, a true sanctuary in Calabria.

A stroll around Tropea gave us a flavor of the town.

Samples of Italian ceramics for sale in one of the stores…

Red onions, grown in the Calabrian region, are typically known as Tropea onions.

Yes, the ‘usual’ offering of tempting gelato!