The proposed itinerary is to proceed south from Tropea to become acquainted with the splendid spots in Cape Vaticano, at just 10 km from the city, with its wealth of history, its natural beauties, its pristine beaches and much more.

Therefore, the point of departure isTropea, the smallest municipality in the whole of the Vibona area, situated on the Tyrrhenian Sea at the foot of Mount Poro. This is one of the most popular tourist beach resorts in Italy. Tropea has all the requisites for a tourist town: its beautiful beaches, its sea, its intact historical downtown, the extremely mild climate, all of which are a great source of attraction for all types of travelers.

The heart of the city is Piazza Ercole and going along the Corso Vittorio Emanuele, there is the marvelous view from a terrace which, at 40 mof height, dominates the coast, with the cliff of San Leonardo to the right, and to the left, the small island of Santa Maria, which is today joined to the coast.

The historical downtown, one of the most important in the entire province, is aseries of wonderful landscapes, of narrow little streets and tiny piazzas lined with beautiful 17th-century palaces, with grand courtyards and impressive doorways, testimonial to a noble presence, and balconies from which to admire a beautiful view, the city rising on a cliff with its sheer drop to the sea. One site that is an absolute must-see is the PalazzoToraldo.

Here we can also find some excellent local typical restaurants where it is possible to taste delicious products from these paradisiacal territories, some flavoured with the famous onion, the cipolla di Tropea, such as the sausage and the soppressata calabrese (Calabrian cold cuts).

Proceeding south in the direction of Ricadi-Capo Vaticano, on the right we can turn into a little street that leads to the beach of Riaci, the bay known as the "Baia di Riaci". this is a uniqueand fascinating place, for the beauty of the sea, the cliff, and the underwaterwonders.


En route, it is possible to take alittle detour to the bay, "baia di Formicoli." A rapid descent with a sort of canyon at the sides takes us to the little beaches of the bay. There is a wonderful seabed, and many scuba divers like to go underwater fishing here. Leaving behind the littlebay, la baietta di Formicoli, we continue south in the direction of Cape Vaticano until we reach the furthermost point of the promontory of the Cape, where we find a series of little beaches, the largest of which is la Praia di Fuoco,separated by giganticstacks, which rise out of the water and almost reach the height of the Cape. Someof these cliffs and beaches in Cape Vaticano can only be reached by sea, which in this stretch is limpid and crystal clear.

Here, one can drink an aperitif, ora glass of Verbicaro (typical local wine) and sit and admire thespectacular scenery offered by the view from the little lighthouse bar. Fromhere one can admire the plain of Gioia Tauro with its industrial port, thewhole district of Cape Vaticano, and, on the clearest days, the strait of Messinaand the Sicilian volcano of Aetna.