If you’ve never been to Italy, go. Even if you have to sell the family dog to afford it, you won’t regret it 🐶 And if you do start to feel a tincey-bit guilty for putting, good old, Benji on Gumtree, just order another Arancini from the bar and take a look around…
In the nicest way possible, Tropea insists upon itself. The smell of the food insist you try it. The steep road leading down to the beach insists you stay. The cliff top town insists you take many many pictures. Tropea insists you enjoy every moment, from sunrise to sunset.
”Pesce Fresco!”
With sun bleached hair and bronzed saltwater skin, a local fisherman gives our morning alarm call from the road below our balcony. ”Pesce fresco!”…”Pesce fresco!” Swordfish steaks, Calamari, Sea bream, this guy brings the oceans finest to your doorstep. Pulled from the sea that very morning, you don’t get any fresher than this.
It always helps to have someone who knows what they’re doing in the kitchen and fortunately my good lady is one of the best. Of all the lovely meals we had during our time in Tropea, this was one of my favourites. Fresh fish, cold wine, and a beautiful sea view. What’s not to love ❤️
From pizzerias to gelatoria, from coffee bars to street-side fruit stalls, from seafood restaurants to steak house gluttony, Tropea has it all in abundance.
And then there’s my Fiancé’s auntie, Renata, who will feed you until you burst! (unfortunately, that’s a special treat for the Ghezzi family 😎)
As tragic as it is that you will never taste Auntie Renata’s cooking, fear not, Tropea’s got your back 😉
Fame da Lupi, which translates to “Hungry like wolves”, not only has the coolest name but also has the most impressive steaks I’ve ever laid eyes on.
The finest cuts of beef all aged to varying levels, ready to be chosen by you and then cooked to perfection on a traditional flame grill. The Mrs and I love a good steak and when the time came to choose our cut, we went for one of the biggest on the menu.
This Goliath slab of heaven was a testament to the name of this great establishment and the Mrs and I fought over every bite like two hungry wolves.
(I never stood a chance)
Inside Fame da Lupi it looks like a cave. Rough stone walls with low slung ceilings, moody lighting and the smell of sizzling steaks. If you find yourself in Tropea you’d be crazy not to eat here, but if you do, just remember to bring your primal side 🐺
The restaurants of Tropea are spoiled by their surroundings, so much so they could serve you beans on toast and you’d still leave a 5-star review. Just take a look at some of these gorgeous restaurants and see for yourself how they insist you take a seat…
Tropea is a stunning beauty to look at from a distance but get yourself inside the crisscrossed streets and you’ll see that it just gets even better the closer you look.
Take a walk around Tropea and you’ll find a bustling market selling absolutely all sorts of things, including the finest summer dresses at amazing prices. Here I picked up two beautiful dresses for my mother and sister, both for just £40!
That being said, you can still find yourself a bargain from the shops and it’s quite nice to see that almost all of the shops are independent. No Primarks, no McDonald’s, just quaint little shops selling everything you never knew you wanted. You can still buy branded clothes if that’s your thing but for those who are looking for something unique, Tropea is the place to shop.
I’d be amazed if you don’t end up taking home a trinket or a piece of jewellery, but if you do leave empty handed there is one thing you will definitely take home with you…
…and that’s the heavenly vistas…
No matter if it’s day or night, in the streets or on the beach, your eyes will be sending indescribably beautiful images to your brain and in return your brain will be loading you up with dopamine (no wonder everyone here is smiling 😊).
As always, I brought along my trusty drone to help capture Tropea in all its glory. A birds eye view is often the finest way to immortalise an experience, especially when you’re visiting a historic town upon a cliff.
Even without a drone, Tropea will fill your camera phone with exquisite memories. Every corner you walk around reveals yet another jaw-dropping piece of scenery. From beautiful architecture to the intriguing local traditions, Tropea just keeps on giving.
My favourite memory of Tropea has to be the sunsets, to say they are sublime would be an understatement. Beautiful sunsets aren’t hard to find but as you will see Tropea has a special trick up it’s sleeve that you only get to see for just a few days every year. But even if you’re not visiting on these special august evenings Tropea’s sunsets are still quite marvellous.
Tropea’s sunset party piece 🌞
For a few days of every year the earth’s dance with the sun gets punctuated by a perfect alignment.
Looking out to sea on a clear enough day, Stromboli volcano can be seen. A great time to look out to Stromboli is the early evening when the sun begins to fall into the sea. The silhouette of Stromboli is quite a site. Even better than that is the time of the year when the sun appears to fall into the mouth of Stromboli.
This infamous volcano is still very active today and daily boat rides transport hundreds of tourists to the glittering black sand beaches around its base.
The journey by boat takes a good couple of hours and it’s certainly not for those with a weak tummy 🤢 However, there are sea sickness tablets you can buy and sitting at the lowest and most central part of the boat really does make a difference. It’s a day out that is certainly worth the grind to get there. Before arriving at Stromboli, you’ll be taken to one of the beautiful islands that make up this archipelago.
Here you’ll have a couple of hours to grab a bite to eat and take a look around and go for a refreshing swim. After this you’ll be back on the boat for a short journey over to Stromboli island. Again, you’ll have yourself a few hours to explore the island before getting back into the boat for your journey home. As you set sail the sun will be setting and your boat will head around the coast of the island for you all to get a glimpse of Stromboli’s natural fireworks display. Remember, Stromboli is still very active and if the lava gods are in your favour you might get to see Stromboli spitting it’s red hot lava high into the sky! Unfortunately, the gods were not in a playful mood during our time on the boat and all I saw was smoke billowing from the top of the volcano. I guess it would have been awesome to have seen Stromboli burp and spit fire into the air but it was just not to be. Nonetheless, it was an amazing day trip and well worth the rocky boat ride out there.
Tropea is a wonderful part our world and for a village it really does have so much to offer. No wonder it was named “most beautiful village in Italy” in 2021 (which, considering the competition, is quite an award to receive!).
I hope you’ve enjoyed my tour of Tropea and I hope it’s inspired you to consider a visit one day. Trust me, you won’t be disappointed.