Introduction to the city of Tropea
View from Residence New Paradise in Tropea at dusk
Whether you have a car or not, I would absolutely recommend visiting Tropea, and staying as long as you can. In a 2018 article published by Fodor’s, Tropea is referred to as ‘the secret beach town’. Indeed, Tropea and Calabria in general have not yet made a splash in the tourist markets outside of Europe unlike the Costiera Amalfitana or Cinque Terre. The beauty is in the same rank, with fewer crowds, however. We stayed in a functional, seemingly family run, hotel called Residence New Paradise.
Day time view from Residence New Paradise after a sweaty run with the city center of Tropea over my left shoulder and the port to the right
We paid about 85 euro a night in early July, and it looks much cheaper right now! The rooms are very clean and there is a nice big terrace at the front of the hotel that overlooks the water and the elevated city of Tropea to the west. The hotel is elevated as well to allow for these views. There is ample parking on the premises, so we opted to leave the car in most cases and walk down the long drive then briefly along the roadway leading down to the port area. From there, you can either ascend the stairs up to the top of the central town in Tropea or walk underneath the old town and find a beach spot for the day.
Views of Santa Maria dell’isola and the edges of the elevated city of Tropea
It takes about 15 minutes to walk to the port or city center from the hotel. Once you climb the stairs and arrive atop the craggy rock face that supports the town, there are spectacular views all around. Tropea is one of these aesthetically balanced beach towns in that around the edges there are incredible panoramic views of sea and sky. In the case of Tropea, there is also the commanding Santa Maria dell’isola, on a promontory of its own in front of the old town. Spend time wandering the streets, especially around sunset. You probably know the drill; after a long leisurely beach day, return to the hotel and wash off the salt, change into a breezy sundress and hit the town for a leisurely stroll in the meandering streets reserved for pedestrians only.
Be sure to stop by the Duomo di Tropea; it is a 12th century Norman cathedral, and the full name is Cattedrale di Maria Santissima di Romania. According to legend, the Virgin Mary’s protection spared Tropea from great damage in the earthquakes of 1783 and from six bombs that fell on the city during World War Two, but failed to explode. Now the bombs are on display inside the church, according to the Fodor’s guide.
The origin of Tropea has even more ancient associations; supposedly the city was founded by Hercules on his return from his labors, the so-called Pillars of Hercules, in modern day Spain.