Scilla Beach
Best for. Couples who want a beach with a town wrapped around it, where a castle stands on the rock, dinner is served over the water and the dusk turns the sea violet.
Best spot. Swim at Marina Grande below the castle in the morning, then take an evening table in Chianalea, the little Venice of the south, as the lights come on over the water.
Know this. Marina Grande sits in the town so it is lively and not the clearest water, and the real magic here is the village and the evening rather than a wild swim.
Scilla is the rare beach where the town is the point. It stands on the Costa Viola in the far south of Calabria, a tumble of pastel houses below the Ruffo castle on its rock, facing the Strait of Messina where, in the old story, the monster Scylla lay in wait. The main beach, Marina Grande, curves below the castle in fine sand and gravel, and behind it climbs the most romantic seaside village on this coast. For a couple, the swim is only the first act.
The second act is Chianalea, the old fishing quarter they call the little Venice of the south, where the houses stand with their feet in the water and the canals run between them. This is where Scilla earns its name for romance. You take an evening table on a wooden platform over the sea, eat the swordfish the village is famous for, and watch the castle light up on the rock above. The Costa Viola is named for the violet the water turns at certain hours, and at dusk, with the lamps coming on along the lanes, the name makes perfect sense.
The honest read is that you do not come to Scilla for the clearest water. Marina Grande is a town beach, lively and busy in summer, set in an inlet rather than on an open turquoise bay, and the swimming is pleasant rather than spectacular. If you want the clean, wild water of the Costa Viola, take one of the boat trips along the coast to the coves like Cala Janculla and the Grotta delle Rondini, where the swimming is at its best. Save Scilla itself for the village, the castle and the long, slow evening, which is what makes it unforgettable.
Clubs on this beach
Scilla runs on the town rather than the beach club. Seasonal concessions rent sunbeds on Marina Grande, and the real evening scene is the swordfish restaurants of Chianalea over the water. We name only what we can verify, so specific operators here are to be confirmed.
Seasonal sunbed concessions work Marina Grande and the famous restaurants line Chianalea, 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 Viola, Calabria
Scilla sits on the Costa Viola in the province of Reggio Calabria, on the Tyrrhenian side of the toe of Italy, facing the Strait of Messina toward Sicily. The nearest airport is Reggio Calabria, around forty minutes to the south by car, and Scilla has its own station on the coastal railway above the village.
The village is steep and the heart of it is best on foot, so park on the edge and walk in, especially in high summer when spaces in the centre are scarce. Marina Grande is a short walk below the old town, and boat trips along the Costa Viola leave from the harbour for the quieter coves.
Photo: Štefan Dzurec via GoogleBook a beach club
Tell us your dates and party size and we will help arrange a sunbed on Marina Grande or a table by the water at Scilla. We reply by email.
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Common questions about Scilla Beach
Is Scilla good for couples?
Yes, it is the most romantic seaside village on this coast. The castle on the rock, the pastel houses, and dinner over the water in Chianalea make the evening unforgettable, even if the beach itself is a lively town beach. Come for the village and the dusk as much as the swim.
What is Chianalea in Scilla?
Chianalea is the old fishing quarter of Scilla, known as the little Venice of the south, where the houses stand in the water and narrow canals run between them. Its restaurants, built out over the sea, serve the swordfish the village is famous for. It is the heart of an evening in Scilla.
Is the swimming good at Scilla?
Marina Grande is a pleasant town beach of fine sand and gravel below the castle, but it is lively and not the clearest water on the coast. For the cleaner, wild swimming of the Costa Viola, take a boat trip to coves such as Cala Janculla and the Grotta delle Rondini.
Why is it called the Costa Viola?
The Costa Viola, or violet coast, is named for the purple shade the sea takes on at certain hours of the day, especially toward dusk. Scilla sits on this stretch, and the colour is part of what makes an evening here feel so romantic. The effect is strongest in calm, soft light.
When is the best time to visit Scilla?
June and September give a warm sea and long evenings without the deepest August crowds in the narrow lanes. The village is busiest in peak summer, so arrive early for parking. Treat the sea as unsupervised and read the day before swimming.
