Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Praia a Mare
POP 6820
Praia a Mare lies just short of Basilicata, the start of a stretch of wide, pebbly beach that
continues south for about 30km to Cirella and Diamante. This flat, leafy grid of a town
sits on a wide pale-grey beach, looking out to an intriguing rocky chunk off the coast: the
Isola di Dino
.
Just off the seafront is the
tourist office
( 0985 7 25 85; Via Amerigo Vespucci 6;
8am-1pm)
, which has information on the Isola di Dino sea caves. Alernatively, expect to
pay around €5 for a guided tour from the old boys who operate off the beach.
Autolinee Preite
( 0984 41 30 01;
www.autoservizipreite.it
)
operates buses to Cosenza
and Potenza. Regular trains also pass through for Paola and Reggio di Calabria.
Aieta & Tortora
Precariously perched, otherworldly
Aieta
and
Tortora
must have been difficult to reach pre-
from Praia respectively. Aieta is higher than Tortora and the journey constitutes much of
the reward. When you arrive, walk up to the 16th-century
Palazzo Spinello
at the end of the
road and take a look into the ravine behind it - it's a stunning view.
Diamante
POP 5400
This fashionable seaside town, with its long promenade, is central to Calabria's famous
peperoncino
(chilli) the conversation-stalling spice that so characterises its cuisine. In
early September a hugely popular
chilli-eating competition
takes place. Diamante is also
famed for the bright murals that contemporary local and foreign artists have painted on
the facades of the old buildings. For the best seafood restaurants head for the seafront at
Spiaggia Piccola.
Autolinee Preite
( 0984 41 30 01;
www.autoservizipreite.it
)
buses between Cosenza and Praia
a Mare stop at Diamante.