I don’t know how you can choose. Tropea has a beautiful Old Town, majestic views from the top, a beautiful stretch of beach that actually contains some sand and some lovely restaurants. Scilla on the other hand doesn’t really have an Old Town as such but has a stunning stretch of waterside houses and accommodation (the Chianalea… precinct), a pebble beach that is more protected and has clearer waters, and the most fantastic restaurants built over the water. If Scilla had Tropea’s Old Town, it would win hands down…but it doesn’t. Both are beautiful and well worth a visit, on the fringe of high-season though. Scilla is arguably the more romantic of the two (the small Chianalea area) – I wined and dined myself very well there.
Scilla is the southern most coastal town on the west side before you reach Villa San Giovanni which is the point where you catch the ferry across to Messina in Sicily. Any further south and the water temperature drops too much during the off-season as the cooler water currents sweep up between the channel.
What is there to do in Scilla? Not much at all. There is a castle of some description at the top of the cliff jutting out, the beach or eating and drinking. I opted for the later options. Walk up the dozens and dozens of stairs to the cliff top area, buy yourself a capocolla roll or two (but get to the mini-mart before 11am else she sells out of paninis) and walk back down to the beach side, have your lunch, go for a swim, get some sun and that’s your afternoon done and dusted. I even managed to join the few guys who run lengths of the foreshore on the second afternoon – first run in many weeks for various reasons but I still showed them up. Didn’t take long for me to pull up very sore though. Wanted to test how bad the fitness level was before I attempted to climb Mt Etna (the easy way, bus then cable car then walk –it’s how everybody has to do it ok) in a couple days time.
Stayed at a really nice B&B called La Locandiera in Chianalea side. Had two Sri Lankan guys working there which was unexpected. One was strangely a mute - could talk but only chose to talk to the other Sri Lankan guy and nobody else. Possibly a dark history beneath that.
Check out Bleu de toi restaurant over the water in Chianalea. Went there both nights. Menu is different each night although during peak period they have more staple offers available, but heavily seafood based. Had some nice fish based pastas and seafood mezzes.
Really lovely, friendly fishing town...very chilled out. Shame the nicest part doesn't get the afternoon sun though. Can easily spend a few days here eating great food (mainly seafood) and lazing by the pebbly beach. And that is exactly what I did. Just don't expect many touristy things to do. Not even sure it really has a tourist office...maybe one only in summer.
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