An idea for your stay · 3 days
Your first three days on the Riviera dei Cedri
On your first day, get your bearings: learn about citron and find your own patch of beach in Santa Maria del Cedro. Then comes time for Diamante’s murals, the views from Cirella and the lanes of Scalea. This is a plan for three full days, with meal breaks and moments when there is no need to rush anywhere.
Across the Cedromare guide
These three days begin once you are here, after travelling to Cedromare. Trips between towns require a car or pre-arranged transport. Before setting off, arrange museum visits and check that your chosen venues are open, especially outside the main season. You can change the order of the days as you wish.
Day 1. Santa Maria del Cedro
Morning. Museo del Cedro introduces you to the fruit that gave the coast its name. You will learn how it is grown and processed, making it easier to recognise citron in local sweets afterwards. A pleasant way to begin your stay, close to the house.
Afternoon. Time for the local beach. Spread your towel on a free section or relax under a parasol at a lido of your choice. Afterwards, you can return to the Cedromare holiday home and rest before heading out for the evening.
Evening. Take a walk along Lungomare Giorgio Perlasca. The sea will be beside you, with benches among the greenery for whenever you want to sit and take in the view.
If you prefer history. Instead of the citron museum, you can arrange a visit to Laos in Marcellina. And if rest is what you need most after the journey, stick to the beach and promenade. There will be time for history later.
For pizza. 400 GRADI pizzeria contemporanea is recommended by your host, RZ, who has eaten pizza here. It is in Marina di Santa Maria del Cedro.
Day 2. Diamante and Cirella
Morning. In old Diamante, you can walk from mural to mural, turning into another lane every few steps. Pause by the Basilica of the Immacolata, then head out onto Lungomare Vecchio. After the colourful walls, it is pleasant to look out over the open sea.
Afternoon. In Cirella, old walls and hilltop views await. When the ruins are open, explore Cirella Vecchia and the area around Monastero dei Minimi. Then head down to the seaside part of town and look at the island from the shore.
Evening. Stay for dinner in Cirella or return to Cedromare. A day like this leaves plenty of photos to look through: Diamante’s painted walls, old ruins and the island out at sea.
Feel like staying by the water? Choose Riviera Azzurra beach instead of the ruins. If a small cove appeals more, take a look at Cala piccola di Sant’Anna; check the descent before you go. You can also save either place for another day.
For dinner. Round off the trip with a meal at Tartana Club in Cirella. If you stay longer in Diamante, you could try La Taverna del Conte.
Day 3. Scalea and views of the bay
Morning. Visit Piazza Maggiore de Palma in old Scalea, and see Palazzo dei Principi Spinelli and Torre Cimalonga. Then head down towards the coast and Torre Talao. The steps, squares and two towers make a walk that shows different sides of the town. Visits inside depend on what is open.
Afternoon. In San Nicola Arcella, follow the streets of the old centre past Chiesa Madre di San Nicola da Tolentino to Il Belvedere. It is worth stopping here: the view opens out over the bay.
Evening. Have dinner in San Nicola or, after returning to Cedromare, on one of the three terraces.
Or perhaps a hilltop? Instead of San Nicola Arcella, head to Santa Domenica Talao, to the square with its panoramic view and the Church of San Giuseppe. If you stay on the coast, you can visit Arcomagno instead of part of the town walk. You need a ticket to enter the bay and must follow the current visiting rules.
When you get hungry. Degù in San Nicola Arcella is a restaurant option if you are staying by the bay. On your way back from the hills, you could stop at Il Peperoncino in Scalea, a takeaway pizzeria.
Prefer a day surrounded by greenery? Replace the whole third day on the coast with Orsomarso and the Argentino valley or Piano Ruggio and the Malvento viewpoint. Orsomarso is about 15 km away, roughly 20–25 minutes by car. The lower Argentino route described here is 3.2 km there and back from the reserve entrance; the walk from your parking spot is additional. See the walk and full-day plan. That leaves Scalea and San Nicola for another visit and gives you time to enjoy the mountains.