Beside the Tyrrhenian Sea
Beaches, bays and islands of the Riviera dei Cedri
The sea is close in Santa Maria del Cedro, and another view catches your eye at every turn along the coast. It might be an island, a bay tucked between rocks or a tower beside the beach. Here are twelve places from Tortora to Cetraro where it is worth taking a towel or a camera.
Across the Cedromare guide
The beach at Santa Maria del Cedro
A wide beach runs along the seaside part of Santa Maria del Cedro. Sand mixes with gravel, and small pebbles lie near the water. Find a stretch of shore you like and return each morning, leaving the more distant bays for later.
There are public sections of beach and lidos, where you can hire a parasol and a sun lounger. Lido Azzurro and Stabilimento Balneare Pierino are among those on Via Giorgio Perlasca. Both also have a bar and restaurant, so you do not have far to go from the sea to the table.
Beach services are charged separately. Confirm opening times, prices and availability with your chosen lido, especially outside summer. At the end of the day, take another walk along the promenade and stop for dinner.
Diving and snorkelling
Curious about what lies beneath the surface? At Made in Sub in Scalea, beside the Zio Tom campsite, you can arrange a first dive with an instructor or go snorkelling. The centre also runs courses and dives for people who already have experience.
Seahorse Dive Center operates around Praia a Mare and has facilities in Tortora. Its listed activities include introductory dives, training and snorkelling, plus a beach base opposite Dino from June to September. It is best to agree the date and meeting point directly with the centre.
When snorkelling, you watch the underwater world from the surface using a mask and snorkel. Scuba diving lets you go deeper under an instructor’s supervision. When booking, explain your experience and ask about equipment, the language used and participant requirements. Sea outings depend on the weather.
An island on the horizon
Isola di Cirella
Isola di Cirella is a companion to walks along the seaside part of town. From the shore it looks close, while from Cirella Vecchia hill its outline becomes part of a wider panorama. The old walls, the island and the sea seem made for a photograph together.
A simple walk along the shore is a pleasure in itself. If you would like to sail closer to the island, ask the trip organiser about the route and the possibility of landing. Access to private facilities needs to be agreed.
Isola di Dino
Dino rises from the water in front of Praia a Mare, an island with caves hidden in its rocky shores. One of them is Grotta Azzurra. From Punta Fiuzzi you can admire the island from land; on a boat trip, you can see its rocks from the sea.
Boat trips differ in their routes and meeting points. Entering the caves or landing on the island depends on the programme and conditions, so ask about these details when booking. For a longer outing, you can set aside most of the day.
The rocks of San Nicola Arcella
At San Nicola Arcella, rocks surround the sea. The Arcomagno arch is the most recognisable sight, but Marinella also invites a longer rest. Towards Scalea lies Baia del Carpino, a bay with a rocky shore. Each of these places offers a slightly different view.
Visits to Arcomagno follow the site manager’s rules. Afterwards, relax at Marinella or explore old San Nicola Arcella above the bay.
Sea and town in one day
The beach in the morning, then a walk through town. You can spend a day like this between Spiaggia Grande and Diamante, Torre Talao and old Scalea, or Lampezia and Cetraro. And if you are enjoying the water so much that you want to stay longer, the streets can wait until your next visit.
When choosing a beach, it is worth checking the walking access and parking. Some of the shore is occupied by private facilities, and a lido’s services cover only its own area. Below are longer beaches, small bays and places visited mainly for the view.
Twelve places by the sea
Santa Maria del Cedro. The beach beside the promenade
Close to the Cedromare holiday home, you can spend a whole day between the beach and Lungomare Giorgio Perlasca. After relaxing beside the water, swap your towel for walking shoes and stroll along the promenade.
What to see: On the wide shore, sand mixes with gravel and small pebbles lie beside the water. The promenade has benches and greenery. Alongside the public beach are lidos with parasols and sun loungers for hire.
What to combine it with: Visit the Museo del Cedro earlier in the day and finish with a meal at Lid’Azzurro.
Cirella. The Riviera Azzurra shore
Old Cirella rises above the beach in the Riviera Azzurra area. Its hill remains in the background while you relax beside the water. This is a pleasant place for an afternoon after a walk through Diamante.
What to see: From the shore you can see Cirella and the hill of the former settlement. Lido Alexander, which operates here, describes its beach as sandy with small pebbles.
What to combine it with: After the beach, walk through present-day Cirella or return to the murals of Diamante.
Cirella. Cala piccola di Sant’Anna
Cala piccola di Sant’Anna is a little cove near Cirella. After the broad Riviera Azzurra beach, it is pleasant to see a different piece of coast and stop for a photograph.
What to see: The cove and its coastal surroundings. Before going down, check whether access is open and what condition the path is in.
What to combine it with: In Cirella, the church of Santa Maria dei Fiori is also worth seeing. For a longer rest by the water, choose nearby Riviera Azzurra.
Diamante. Spiaggia Grande beside Viale Glauco
At Spiaggia Grande beside Viale Glauco, you can spend the morning by the water and the afternoon among Diamante’s murals. Lido Luna Rossa is one of the lidos here.
What to see: An open shore with a view towards Cirella. For a change in the evening, walk along Lungomare Vecchio in Diamante.
What to combine it with: Murals and the Immacolata basilica await in old Diamante. La Taverna del Conte is among the places to eat in our guide.
Scalea. The town beach beside Torre Talao
Torre Talao catches the eye straight away on Scalea’s coast. Above the modern town rises the old centre, which you can visit after a rest on the beach.
What to see: Torre Talao and the sandy, gravelly shore, with the buildings of old Scalea beyond. You can view the tower from outside; interior visits depend on whether it is open.
What to combine it with: A walk through the old town takes you towards Piazza Maggiore de Palma and Torre Cimalonga. For the beach, choose an entrance beside the stretch of shore you want to use.
A beach day in Scalea can be part of your stay at Cedromare. Take a look at the house in Santa Maria del Cedro.
Baia del Carpino. A rocky bay near Scalea
At Baia del Carpino, the rocks give the shore a very different look from Scalea’s town beach. Come without rushing, so you have time to enjoy the bay.
What to see: Rocks beside the water and the shape of the bay. There is a public beach here, but tourist facilities occupy part of the surrounding area. Choose a public path down that avoids private facilities.
What to combine it with: After your time by the water, visit Scalea or San Nicola Arcella. Both have old-centre streets to explore.
San Nicola Arcella. Marinella
At Marinella, you can stay a little longer and simply enjoy the bay of San Nicola Arcella. Time by the water makes a good addition to a visit to nearby Arcomagno.
What to see: The bay and the coast around it. A path also leads from the Marinella area towards Arcomagno; the entrance to use depends on the current visiting rules.
What to combine it with: After the beach, walk through old San Nicola Arcella. This way, you can spend the whole day in one area.
Arcomagno. A bay beneath a rock arch
A small bay lies beneath a huge rock arch. This is the view that makes Arcomagno so striking: the sea enclosed in a natural stone frame.
What to see: The arch, the water beneath it and the coast along the approach. Tickets and visiting rules apply, so Arcomagno is for a shorter visit rather than an all-day beach stay.
What to combine it with: Spend the rest of the day at Marinella or in the centre of San Nicola Arcella. Arcomagno’s manager provides details of the current entrance and available visiting times.
Praia a Mare. Punta Fiuzzi
Punta Fiuzzi gives a clear view of Isola di Dino. The island fills the seascape, while Torre di Fiuzzi stands beside the shore. Bring your camera, even if you have only planned a day relaxing by the water.
What to see: Dino, Torre di Fiuzzi and the Praia a Mare coast. Caporena beach is also in the Fiuzzi area. A boat trip offers yet another view of the island.
What to combine it with: In Praia, visit the Santuario della Madonna della Grotta. If you choose a boat trip, the organiser will give you the meeting point; the island’s marker on the map does not indicate a departure pier.
Tortora Marina. Lungomare Sirimarco
Tortora Marina is on the northern stretch of this coast. After visiting the hill towns, come down to the water and spend the rest of the afternoon by the beach.
What to see: The beach and Lungomare Sirimarco. Lido Armonia operates in this area; you can see its services at the link below.
What to combine it with: Visit old Tortora or Aieta in the morning, then head down to the Marina. Historic Tortora is away from the beach, so you need transport between them.
Sangineto Lido. Heading south
Sangineto Lido lies south of Diamante. As well as the sea, there is Castello del Principe, easily recognised by its corner towers.
What to see: The sandy, gravelly shore and a castle with four corner towers. The beach varies in width along the coast.
What to combine it with: Nearby, visit Belvedere Marittimo or upper Sangineto. For the beach, choose a public entrance or a lido that welcomes visitors who are not staying at the nearby hotels.
Cetraro. Lampezia and the promenade
In Lampezia, combine the beach with a stroll along the promenade and a visit to Cetraro’s harbour. There are also lidos along the shore if you prefer to relax beneath a hired parasol.
What to see: Lampezia beach, the promenade and the area around the harbour. The rocky Rizzi shore is in a separate location; a description of a boat trip in that direction does not mean there is an accessible walking path.
What to combine it with: After relaxing by the sea, drive to old Cetraro, Piazza del Popolo and Palazzo del Trono.
Choose your next place
The map shows the places described and ideas for another outing.