Scalea is a picturesque town situated in northern Calabria, the most southerly province of the Italian mainland, on the sunny Tyrrhenian coast. Surrounded by sea and mountains, the old medieval town is placed on top of a hill overlooking the sea, and preserves the remains of an ancient wall.  Towards the beach, facilities include modern comfortable hotels, shops and restaurants, splendid villas and numerous, fully-equipped bathing areas on the beach. Scalea is synonymous of seaside and holidays. Indeed, it is one of the most visited resorts in Italy. The population of Scalea is 10,000 but around 90,000  tourists visit every summer.  However, the name of Scalea is also synonymous with culture, history and folklore. During the Swabian, Angevin, Aragonese and Spanish eras, Scalea became an important town and a centre of study, which was gradually enriched with monuments and works of art, most of which can still be admired today. The 13th century Palazzo of the Spinelli Princes,  which belongs to the Town Council, is the most important building of the lower part of the old Town Centre. In the old hamlet the main "street" is an attractive stairway that begins in piazza De Palma: it  forms a natural amphitheatre. Well worth a visit are the Norman Castle, the Palazzo Palamolla, of Renaissance inspiration and the Torre Cimalonga, an Aragonese style building, now the seat of the "Antiquarium”

Even though Scalea has moved with the times and is a popular holiday destination, the old part of town has reminded unchanged, you will still see chilies hanging from balconies and you can really sense the slower pace of life.

A great place for your holiday

Facilities in Scalea are second to none and offer everything needed to have a fabulous holiday, whether you are into relaxing on the beach, swimming in the sea, taking-in the local culture, eating great cusine, walking around the local market or even splashing around in the water park, you will always be in a position to enjoy this fantasic undiscovered part of southern Italy. Why not see what we have to offer and come and enjoy REAL Italy...

The Cuisine

Scalean cuisine mirrors it's landscape: wonderful seafood from the sea and savoury meat from the mountains. Some dishes worth mentioning include: linguine with baccalà (salted cod), spaghetti with tuna and tomato, vermicelli with tomato, garlic and basil; tagliatelle with artichokes or wild asparagus, fusilli with goat ragu, pasta with meatballs and spicy chili peppers, and lagane with chick peas.

Second courses include fried baccalà with dried red peppers, grilled swordfish, "Perciasacchi arraganati": fry, or fish hatchling, fried with oregano, red chili powder and garlic.