La Costa degli Dei

Last summer I took a trip to Tropea in Calabria in the South of Italy, with my girlfriend. I’ve always dreamed of going to Italy and after some research, we decided that Tropea would be the perfect blend of culture, history, beach and delicious food. We couldn’t have been more right – Tropea sits on the La Costa degli Dei (The Coast of the Gods) and it definitely lived up to its name!

Tropea is a fairly small town which remains relatively undiscovered by international tourists, so it has kept its authenticity and Italian charm so far. The historic centre is absolutely beautiful, full of picture-perfect piazzas and cute cobbled  alleyways adorned with hanging baskets of brightly coloured flowers. We mostly spent our days lying on the white sandy beaches and swimming in the crystal-clear sea – the beaches are reminiscent of pictures I’ve seen of the Caribbean. We took lazy lunches in the beachside lidos enjoying delicious fresh food. In the evenings we wandered through the beautiful town centre which was really magical at night. We joined in with the Italian ritual of the Passeggiata where we took leisurely strolls and indulged in a lot of people watching. We ate in wonderful restaurants where, without exception, every meal we had was absolutely delicious. The food was incredible – it didn’t have to be anything fancy – it was just made using really fresh ingredients and always tasted fabulous. The people were so friendly and hospitable, and we were really sad to leave. Tropea more than lived up to our expectations and I’d recommend it to anyone in a heartbeat!