Pizzo Beach
Best for. Couples who want a beach with a real town behind it, a cliff top piazza for the evening, a famous gelato and the strange, lovely Piedigrotta church by the shore.
Best spot. Swim at Marinella below the town, then climb to the piazza for a tartufo at dusk and walk out to the rock cut Piedigrotta church in the soft late light.
Know this. Pizzo is a charming town more than a dream swim, so for the wide white sand and clearest water of this coast drive south to Tropea and Capo Vaticano.
Pizzo, properly Pizzo Calabro, is a town that sits on a cliff above its own beach, and the town is the reason to come. It crowns the northern end of the Costa degli Dei, the coast of the gods, looking out over the Gulf of Sant Eufemia, and its tight piazza on the edge of the rock is one of the loveliest places to spend an evening in Calabria. Below it, Marinella, the main beach also known as A Tunnara after the old tuna fishery, runs in sand and fine shingle, with lidos and free stretches, and a little along the shore the busier, sociable beach of La Seggiola.
For a couple the rhythm here is simple and good. Swim in the morning at Marinella, escape the midday heat, then return for the evening when Pizzo is at its best. Climb to the piazza for a tartufo, the chocolate filled gelato with a molten heart that was invented in this town in 1952 and named for its truffle like shape, and sit with the light going gold over the gulf. Then walk out to the Chiesa di Piedigrotta, the extraordinary church carved straight into the soft tufa rock by the shore, filled with figures sculpted over generations after shipwrecked sailors left a painting of the Virgin in a cave in thanks. There is nothing else quite like it on this coast.
The honest read is that you do not come to Pizzo for the finest beach on the Costa degli Dei. Marinella is a pleasant town beach rather than a wide ribbon of white sand, and in August it is busy and the heat in the centre is real. The truly spectacular sand and the clearest turquoise water of this coast lie a short drive south at Tropea and Capo Vaticano, and if a dream swim is your priority, go there. Come to Pizzo for the town, the gelato, the church and the evening, which together make it one of the most charming stops in Calabria.
Clubs on this beach
Pizzo runs on seasonal lidos along Marinella and La Seggiola, with free sand in between. We name only what we can verify, so specific operators here are to be confirmed.
Seasonal lidos rent sunbeds and umbrellas along Marinella and the livelier La Seggiola, with the cliff top town supplying the bars and restaurants, but we hold back from naming a club we cannot confirm. For the verified picture of this coast, see the Calabria beach clubs guide.
Costa degli Dei, Calabria
Pizzo sits at the northern end of the Costa degli Dei in the province of Vibo Valentia, on the Tyrrhenian coast of Calabria. It is one of the closest beach towns to Lamezia Terme airport, around half an hour away by car, which makes it an easy first or last stop on a trip.
The town is on the cliff and the beaches sit below, so expect steps and a short walk between the two. Park on the edge in high summer, carry water, and check opening times for the Piedigrotta church locally as they are to be confirmed.
Photo: Chiesetta di Piedigrotta via GoogleBook a beach club
Tell us your dates and party size and we will help arrange a lido bed on Marinella or La Seggiola at Pizzo. We reply by email.
We are an independent editorial resource. Booking requests are passed to clubs and operators, and some may earn us a commission at no cost to you. Prices, availability and opening status are set by the venue and are to be confirmed at the time of booking.
Common questions about Pizzo Beach
Is Pizzo good for couples?
Yes, it is one of the more charming towns on the Costa degli Dei for an evening. The cliff top piazza, the rock cut Piedigrotta church and the local tartufo gelato make a lovely couple of hours after a swim. Time the visit for late afternoon, when the light softens and the town comes alive.
Which is the best beach in Pizzo?
Marinella, also called A Tunnara after the old tuna fishery, is the main town beach below the centre, with sand and clear water. La Seggiola is the lively, sociable beach a little along the shore. For the wider white sand and clearer water of this coast, Tropea and Capo Vaticano are a short drive south.
What is the Piedigrotta church in Pizzo?
The Chiesa di Piedigrotta is a small church carved directly into the soft tufa rock by the shore just outside the centre, filled with sculpted figures cut over the 19th and 20th centuries. The legend tells of shipwrecked sailors who placed a painting of the Virgin in a cave in thanks. It is one of the most unusual sights on this coast.
What is Pizzo tartufo?
Tartufo di Pizzo is a chocolate filled ball of gelato with a molten heart, invented in the town in 1952 by a local gelataio and named for its truffle like shape. Eating one in the main piazza is a small ritual of any visit. It is the sweet end to a couple's evening here.
When is the best time to visit Pizzo?
June and September give a warm sea and a lively but not overwhelmed town, while August is at its busiest and hottest. Late afternoon into evening is the loveliest time in the cliff top centre. Treat the sea as unsupervised and read the day before swimming.
