Skip Tropea: Pizzo Calabro, Tartufo Gelato and Murat's Castle

Pizzo Calabro: the Calabria you didn't expect

Tropea is the star of the Calabrian coast: the beach beneath the cliff, the Sanctuary of Santa Maria dell'Isola, the picture-postcard sunsets. But precisely for this reason, in summer it becomes a bottleneck of cars, sun loungers and tourists that strips it of all charm. Twenty kilometres along the coast, Pizzo Calabro offers an equally intense but decidedly more authentic and relaxed Calabrian experience.

Why choose Pizzo

Pizzo is a town perched on a headland overlooking the Gulf of Sant'Eufemia. It is not a tourist village but a living centre, with markets, artisan shops, a vibrant social life and a fascinating history that few know.

- Pizzo's tartufo: this dome-shaped gelato filled with molten chocolate, born here in the 1950s, is one of Calabria's finest sweets. In Pizzo you taste it where it was invented, not an industrial copy.

- Dramatic history: Castello Murat is the place where Gioacchino Murat, Napoleon's brother-in-law and King of Naples, was captured and shot in 1815. A piece of European history in a provincial borgo.

- Splendid sea: Pizzo's beaches — Piedigrotta, Marina, Seggiola — have the same turquoise water as Tropea but with a third of the people.

- True Calabrian prices: while Tropea has raised its prices to match tourist demand, Pizzo maintains the cost of living of an authentic Calabrian town.

The Aragonese Castle and the end of Murat

The Aragonese Castle, known as Castello Murat, commands the town from above. Built in the fifteenth century by Ferdinand I of Aragon, it owes its fame to the final act of Gioacchino Murat's life. In October 1815, the former King of Naples landed at Pizzo in a desperate attempt to reclaim his throne. He was captured, summarily tried in the castle's hall and shot in the courtyard. His cell, the trial chamber and the execution courtyard are all open to visitors and tell a story that weaves Pizzo's history into that of Napoleonic Europe.

The Chiesetta di Piedigrotta

Carved into the tufa cliff on the beach, the Chiesetta di Piedigrotta is one of the most singular places in Calabria. According to legend, it was built by Neapolitan sailors who survived a shipwreck in the seventeenth century. The interior is decorated with tufa statues sculpted by local artists over the centuries, creating a mystical and evocative atmosphere just steps from the sea. The entrance fee is modest, but the effect once inside is remarkable.

The tartufo: where to taste the original

The tartufo di Pizzo is a dome of hazelnut gelato (or other flavours) with a heart of molten dark chocolate, dusted with unsweetened cocoa powder. It was invented in the 1950s in one of the gelaterie on Piazza della Repubblica. Today the historic ice-cream parlours are Gelateria Ercole and Bar Dante, where the tartufo is still made by hand every morning. Avoid the imitations and sit in the square with your tartufo and a coffee: it is the quintessential Pizzo ritual.

The beaches

Pizzo's main beach is the Marina di Pizzo, wide and sandy, with shallow water ideal for families. The Piedigrotta beach, at the foot of the namesake chapel, is more intimate and atmospheric. For those in search of secluded coves, the coast towards Vibo Marina hides quiet spots reachable on foot or by boat.

Where to eat

Pizzo's cuisine is Calabrian seafood cooking at its finest. The Ristorante Marinella on the seafront serves pasta with sardines and grilled swordfish at honest prices. The Trattoria La Ruota in the historic centre offers traditional dishes such as pasta with 'nduja and dried cruschi peppers. For street food, look for vendors of sardella (the Calabrian caviar, a spicy whitebait paste) to spread on bread.

How to get there and when to go

Pizzo has a railway station on the Tyrrhenian line, with direct connections to Naples and Reggio Calabria. By car, the Pizzo Calabro motorway exit is on the A2. The nearest airport is Lamezia Terme, just thirty minutes away. The best months are May–June and September–October, when the sea is warm and the borgo is peaceful. Summer is lively but never as chaotic as Tropea.