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Scilla Calabria, a fishing village, is in a region of Italy virtually unknown to international visitors. My sister and I arrived in Scilla (pronounced Shee-la) after a harrowing drive through the mountainous countryside. It’s not hard to get to Scilla, Calabria from Tropea if you follow the autostrada but we had chosen to take the scenic backroads with the help of google maps and became hopelessly lost.
It looks simple to get to Scilla Italy – right?
My few words of wisdom from that experience? If you are driving from Tropea to Scilla Italy via the back roads, take a good old-fashioned map.
Google maps and lots of hand gestures with Italians eventually led us to the on-ramp of the Autostrada A2 which runs from Naples to Salerno in southern Italy. I exited the roundabout (that in itself, a nightmare for a Canadian driver) and realized I had no idea if we were pointed north to Rome or south to our destination, Scilla Italy. In a split-second decision, I swerved into a pullout just before entering the autostrada, came to an abrupt halt and momentarily laid my head on the steering wheel.
Would we ever make it to Scilla Calabria?
Out of the corner of my eye, I could see the windows of the already parked white van unrolling. I looked up at four rugged and astonished faces peering out at us.
After an exchange of jumbled French, Spanish and Italian words, accompanied by over-exaggerated hand signals and facial expressions, we found ourselves following the white van all the way to Scilla, Calabria.
With a massive “Grazie” and our nerves a little frayed, we started our visit to Scilla Italy. What better place to find balance than a tiny fishing village tucked between mountains, that appear to fall into the sea, and a tiny strip of coastline.
Do not arrive in Scilla Calabria Italy with a list of things to do. Scilla Calabria demands that you slow right down. There is no other speed.
Breathe in the salty air drifting off the Tyrrhenian Sea, indulge in a divine hazelnut gelato and take note of the men in the main square, Belvedere di Piazza San Rocco, conversing and observing life at it unfolds before them.
Scilla Italy is the kind of town where men have one of three names – Pepe, Mimmo or Tonito (short form for Guiseppe, Domenico and Antonio) and the soaring towers on fishing boats tell of an age-old tradition of fishing for swordfish in the Strait of Medina, a narrow strip of ocean separating Sicily from the rest of Italy.
From the Belvedere di Piazza San Rocco lean over the railing, gaze out at Sicily and ponder how long Scilla Italy has existed. Scilla’s history dates all the way back to mythological times. Scilla (Scylla) was a fearsome monster guarding the Strait of Medina. Scilla (Scylla) and Charybdis, a sea monster that lived on the opposite side of the strait, played havoc with ships passing through the Strait of Medina, including that of Ulysses.
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Scilla’s Ruffo Castle, apparently also in existence since mythological times, perches on a rocky ridge jutting into the sea separating the two neighbourhoods of Marina Grande and Chianalea. Pay a visit to catch classic views of Sicily and the Ionian Islands.
Marina Grande’s long stretch of unspoiled beach, dotted with cafés and beach umbrellas, is the perfect place to put away the cell phone and regenerate.
Love a good beach holiday? How about checking out this seaside town in Spain.
Scilla Calabria, in May, where barely another soul appears and the brilliant seawater sparkles is indeed an undiscovered jewel of southern Italy.
Scilla’s district named Chianalea is a maze of narrow streets leading to the ocean. Known as the Venice of the South, the jumble of houses tumble down to the sea amidst cafés, strolling cats, hanging laundry and a mermaid fountain.
It’s here that we find our favourite restaurant, Ristorante “Blue de Toi,” with its tables floating over the sea. Over two evenings Pepe, the chef, prepares grilled tuna, swordfish and octopus along with handmade rigatoni and baba limoncello. Pepe epitomizes the Scilla experience with his passion to create unique cuisine and his entertaining chitchat after our meals.
For it is the interactions with the locals that become our most cherished memories of Scilla Calabria.
From the men in the white van who led us like lost sheep to Scilla Italy and the retired Calabrian-Canadian who wants nothing more than for us to stay a week so he can proudly share his homeland with us.
The market vendors and locals are curious about two Canadian sisters passing time in Scilla. They want to know our roots and why (without Italian roots) we have come to Scilla, Calabria.
We encounter Letitia from Rome who loves living in Scilla with her partner and 12 dachshunds and a young man who eagerly schools us in the art of spearing swordfish.
We leave Scilla Calabria with our taste buds humming and heavy hearts. We have barely scraped the surface of this southern Italian treasure.
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Where To Stay In Scilla Calabria:
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There are definitely times when Google Maps fails you. As we were driving through the Yucatan, we had all kinds of issues with Google Maps. I think it’s because our phones kept trying to refine the GPS position with cell tower information. Depending on which towers were available, our location would change radically. It was quite a challenge to navigate when you stop believing electronic mapping. I could see good old fashion paper maps or vans full of friendly peoples being a good option.
Yes. When Google maps fails… the old-fashioned way is the way to go. Or possibly, we should have started there. There is huge satisfaction in holding a map in your hand and letting it guide you!
Ahhh Italy, conjures up so many romantic dreams. We watched an amazing document on Italy last night and it has really made my feet itchy to visit soon. I don’t want to do the Aussie bus tour though, I want to stay longer and immerse myself into the life and culture and stay a little while, maybe forever!!
Ha!Yes forever in Italy sounds perfect!
Couldn’t agree more. Spending 30 nights touring Italy from top to toe in October by hire car and so lucky to have stumbled across sites such as this so that destinations can be added. So looking forward to sourcing a good old fashioned updated hand held fold out road map… Ron & Maureen (east coast northern NSW, Australia)
Oh I do hope you get to Scilla! It is authentic Italy at its best! The whole boot from top to bottom. What a great adventure you will have!
The scene sounds so familiar…breathing in the salty air, indulging in gelato and watching locals. Quintessential Italy…feel like returning for the third time.
I know… you can just never go wrong in Italy.
Sounds like you had quite the adventure getting there. We went on a road trip once and google maps failed us too and we panicked a little. Luckily, we were in our native country so there was no language barrier if we needed to ask someone directions. Happy to see you had a great time once you got there and how eager everyone was to show you around this quiet non-touristy town 🙂
Yes, it was indeed an adventure to get there but well worth it!
My parents literally just came back from a trip to this region of Italy and have been telling us all about how much they loved this area and how more authentic it is compared to other places. It really has us wanting to go back to Italy and explore the south of the country where we’ve not been before.
I would love to go back and explore further and deeper. It is definitely underexplored by foreigners and therefore there are plenty of wonderful experiences waiting to be had!
What a friendly spot, and so pretty. Google maps and country roads in Europe and not a good combination are they. We got hopelessly lost when we relied on them. Give me old school paper anytime!
I’m stocking up on maps for the next trip!
I’m adding Scilla on the list for next year. I’d love to take a break in a slow-paced destination, and Italy’s always been a favorite, so it looks like a win-win situation 🙂
You will love it! Low-key and authentic all the way!
I would love to slow down in Scilla and breathe in the salty air and just chill with the view. Scilla looks like a perfect detox destination and we all need these at times. Surprisingly I had not heard about it before so thank you for making me sit and notice 🙂
It is definitely a place for unwinding and slowing the pace of life right down!
LOVE your introduction! Roundabouts can frazzle the nerves of almost any Canadian or U.S. driver not used to them. We have introduced roundabouts near our California home and still laugh (and sometimes wince) watching drivers have no idea how to navigate them. Glad you got help. And also learned that unless in a major city in Europe, Google is rarely your friend. 😉
Thanks, Michael. I have become pro at the single-lane roundabouts and getting much better at the double lane ones! And yes, stocking up on real, old-fashioned paper maps on the next trip!
I would love to stay at Scilla for a week and soak myself in the views of Tyrrhenian Sea. Italy is really love and I love going to offbeat places. Scilla is definitely one of them. I want to relax in Scilla, slow down my life, and chill by the sea.
What a great plan! Slowing down your life in Scilla won’t be hard to do! Enjoy!
Sounds divine! Isn’t it wonderful finding out if the way places where you can just relax and no one treats you like a tourist! Love it! Love this post. L
Thanks, Linda! I just loved Scilla. I think it was partly the struggle to get there and then to discover the most lovely people. It was pure magic!