Looking for the best beaches in Calabria, Italy? The “Little Paradise” is how the writer Leonida Repaci defined the stretch of coast from Palmi to Bagnara, located on the toe of Italy’s boot. Since ancient times it has been baptized with the name “Violet Coast“, because of the colour that water reflects at particular times of the day.

Here the sea is deeper, the clear water and full of numerous finds, guards the secular history of the ancient civilizations that stopped and settled in Calabria. This is a fantastic coast that should be visited!

Let’s discover the best beaches in Calabria, Italy.

Palmi beaches

Palmi is considered a seaside and a mountain town that draws beneficial effects from both places.
For beach lovers: Don’t miss to see the golden sands of Tonnara, Pietrenera and Scinà, the granite shoreline is dotted with enchanting coves and beautiful backdrops. Palmi houses a famous Diving Centre for all those who wish to explore the magnificent seabeds of the Violet Coast.

For hiking lovers: Palmi offers to its visitors fresh air in the pine forests of its mountain, indescribable and beautiful landscapes, and nature walks along ancient paths.

Scilla beaches

Pearl of the Violet Coast, Scilla is a stunning fishing village in the Calabria region, in the south of Italy.
Scilla is located on a rocky spur topped with an ancient fortress separates two narrow strips of seashore hemmed in by steep hillsides and it’s an unforgettable sight.

The main beach of Scilla is the beach of the Sirens, also known as the beach of Marina Grande precisely because it is the largest beach for the size of the Calabrian town. It has a beach of 800 meters, mostly free, and suitable for families with children and groups of friends. Next to it is Punta Pacì, a rocky outcrop with cliffs below and bathed in crystal clear sea.

A few kilometres from Scilla is the Favazzina beach, frequented above all by families with children. The beaches of this stretch of coast are composed of gravel mixed with light coloured pebbles and in some points there are cliffs, an ideal place to practice snorkelling and admire the species of marine fauna that reside in these crystal clear waters.

A curiosity:
Scilla is straight out of myths: the origins of Scilla are to be found between the mythology and the legends that came from the ancient Greeks. In ancient times, Scilla was a beautiful nymph who was transformed by the sorceress Circe into a sea monster.

With its six heads, and with the help of Charybdis (another sea monster located on the coast of Messina), they devoured all the sailors who approached them. Local folklore says that the currents of the straits from the Aeolian Islands are still inhabited by mermaids.

Bagnara Calabra beaches

From history to nature and back again: Bagnara Calabra nestles within the hilly cliffs jutting over the water, and embedded among the vineyards. Bagnara is characterized by the beauty of its beaches.

The Marturano hill divides the beach that stretches for over a kilometre, from the mountain “Cucuzzo” to the Ruggiero Tower. At the north of its port, the landscape is dominated by the projections and the recesses of the mountains that reach the sea. The area has beautiful and famous natural caves.

In a sea that is tinged with purple by the reflections of the sun and the rocks, the “Monk’s Cave” and the “Cave of the Swallows” are interesting excursion destinations by boat.

Don’t miss: The view of the Strait of Messina, Stromboli and the Aeolian archipelago represents one of the most beautiful landscapes of Italy!