From the Gulf of Squillace to the Capo Rizzuto marine area, the most beautiful public beaches and coves of the Calabrian Ionian, each with up-to-date sea conditions so you can choose where to go today.
Calabria's Ionian coast runs long and open from Reggio up to the border with Basilicata, across the provinces of Reggio Calabria, Catanzaro and Crotone. Pale and golden sand, fine gravel, stretches of rocky shore and a few sheltered coves: a coastline that faces southeast, out to the open sea, and changes colour with the wind.
Precisely because it is an exposed coast, it pays to know where the wind is blowing from. Below are the most beautiful public beaches, grouped by area, each with today's sea conditions: tap a row to open the full card with waves, wind and water temperature.
The Gulf of Squillace: Caminia, Pietragrande and Copanello
Between Stalettì and Soverato the shore turns rocky and jagged, with small bays set between the cliffs. It is one of the most scenic stretches of the Ionian coast, but also one of the windiest: the Gulf of Squillace often catches the wind.
A bay of pale, fine sand, with stretches of pebbles and rocks on the sides, enclosed between two cliffs. The seabed is shallow near the shore and then drops away quickly, with a few shoals: water shoes help. It is reached by a steep road and the car park is paid; the sea here is often calm.
Sand mixed with gravel between two cliffs, with a gravelly seabed that drops away quickly. There is a free stretch and two beach clubs.
Pale sand mixed with gravel, with rocky patches and a sloping seabed. Nearby are the Vasche di Cassiodoro, natural pools carved into the rock.
The "Pearl of the Ionian": fine white sand and a shallow seabed with seagrass meadows. It is an urban beachfront, open and breezy, handy for having services close by.
The Capo Rizzuto Marine Protected Area
Around the Capo Rizzuto headland, in the province of Crotone, lies the largest marine protected area in Italy: about 15,000 hectares and nearly 40 km of coast, managed by the Province of Crotone. Clear water, rich seabeds and reddish-toned sand.
The beach opens at the foot of the Aragonese Castle, built on a small island: sand in golden-reddish tones mixed with pebbles and a shallow seabed. It lies in Zone B of the protected area, where swimming is allowed, spearfishing is forbidden and engines must stay within 5 knots.
Fine golden sand with red shades and a gently sloping seabed, good for snorkelling. It is also within the marine protected area.
A wide beach of fine grey sand, often windy: which is why it is loved by windsurfers and kitesurfers. It too lies within the marine protected area.
Capo Colonna and the Crotone area
A small pebble beach next to the Archaeological Park, dominated by the single surviving column of the temple of Hera Lacinia. It marks the northern edge of the marine protected area: off it is a fully protected Zone A, where swimming, fishing and anchoring are forbidden. It is visited mainly for the archaeological site.
To the north, towards Cirò Marina, a long shoreline of golden sand and gravel with stretches of dunes. Cirò Marina holds a Blue Flag, a sign of clean water and well-kept services.
When the sea is calm on the Calabrian Ionian coast
The Ionian coast mostly faces southeast. The practical rule is simple: the sea calms with winds coming off the land, that is from the north, and rises with those blowing in from the open sea. With the Tramontana (from the north), Maestrale (from the northwest), Grecale (from the northeast) and Ponente (from the west) the sea usually stays flat or only slightly choppy; with the Scirocco (from the southeast) and the Levante (from the east) it tends to ruffle and build up. Watch out for the Gulf of Squillace, between Stalettì and Soverato, which is particularly windy. MareCalmo takes into account each beach's exposure to wind and waves, so you can see at a glance where the sea is calmest today.
Practical tips
- Go early. In the morning the sea is usually calmer, before the breeze picks up, and parking is easier to find.
- Water shoes help. Between pebbles, rocks and the odd shoal, especially in the bays of the Gulf of Squillace, a pair of water shoes comes in handy.
- Respect the protected areas. In the Capo Rizzuto marine area and the Soverato park there are strict rules: no spearfishing, and no swimming in the fully protected zones.
- Check flags and ordinances. The Harbour Master's notices always come before the forecast.
Frequently asked questions
Which is the most beautiful beach on the Calabrian Ionian coast?
Le Castella, with its castle on the sea, and the beaches of the Capo Rizzuto marine area are among the most famous, but there is no single most beautiful beach: there is the most beautiful one today. On an exposed coast like the Ionian, with the right wind a bay is perfect; with the wind against it, it turns choppy and gusty. That is why it is worth checking the sea conditions before you set off.
Can you swim inside the Capo Rizzuto Marine Protected Area?
Yes, in most of the area, including the Zone B beaches such as Le Castella. The exceptions are the fully protected Zone A areas, off Capo Colonna, Capo Cimiti and Capo Bianco, where swimming is forbidden. Spearfishing, on the other hand, is forbidden across the whole protected area.
When is the sea calmest?
Usually early in the morning and when the wind blows off the land, that is from the north. The calm sea today page shows you in real time where to find it now.
