The Riviera dei Cedri at a slow pace, between Diamante and Aieta
On the upper Tyrrhenian coast of the Cosenza province, in Calabria, a coastline of villages between murals and citron groves. It stays out of the way compared to the noisier destinations of the South because many people cross it only in a rush on the way to somewhere else.
Foto: Eugenio Magurno, Diamante, Italy (CC BY-SA 3.0) — Wikimedia Commons
They call it the Riviera dei Cedri, the Citron Riviera, and it is one of those Calabrias you cross in a hurry without even noticing. Those racing along the Tyrrhenian towards louder destinations skip it, and so this stretch of coast in the upper Cosenza province stays quiet, authentic, made of villages hung on the hillsides and of a fruit that is almost a symbol here: the citron, a fragrant citrus that grows precisely along this strip of coastline thanks to the particular microclimate. Travelling it at a slow pace means discovering an out-of-the-way, gentle Tyrrhenian Calabria.
Diamante
The natural starting point is Diamante, the village of murals. On the walls of the old town, alley after alley, dozens of paintings open up, having turned the village into an open-air gallery overlooking the sea. Diamante is also the capital of chilli pepper, to which it dedicates a well-known late-summer festival, and it has a pleasant seafront to stroll along at sunset. It is the ideal base for exploring the rest of the riviera at leisure.
The inland villages
A little way off, the hamlet of Cirella deserves a stop, with its island off the coast and its archaeological site, and then it is worth climbing up towards the hilly hinterland, where the most secret villages are found. Aieta is one of these: a perched stone village, with a Renaissance palace and narrow alleys, from which the gaze runs all the way to the distant sea. Beside it is Tortora, another inland village, and continuing along the coast you come across Scalea, with its large terraced medieval old town, and further north Praia a Mare with the Isola di Dino, a rock famous for its sea caves reachable by boat. The thread that ties all this together is the citron: in season you see the citron groves between sea and hill, and in the villages you find products and sweets made from this citrus.
Getting there
Getting around here is easy by car, which remains the most convenient way to climb up to the hilltop villages such as Aieta and Tortora, reachable only by inland roads. The coast is also served by the Tyrrhenian railway, with stations in the main centres such as Diamante, Scalea and Praia a Mare, useful for moving between the seaside villages without driving. For the coastline, in any case, the right rhythm is slow: alternating a village, an uncrowded beach and a climb inland.
When to go
The best time is the shoulder season: May and June, when the sea is already inviting but the beaches are not yet taken by storm, and September, when the summer eases off, the water stays warm and the villages return to their normal rhythms. These are the months when the Riviera dei Cedri shows its truest side, without the crush of peak August: you find the villages alive but not suffocated, and you can walk through the old towns and along the seafront with space around you. The crowds here concentrate in a few summer weeks; you only need to shift just before or just after to have the coast almost all to yourself.
A practical tip: take the time to climb up to at least one inland village at sunset, when the warm light sets the stone aglow and the sea down below turns into a golden strip. And look for citron products directly in the villages of the riviera, from jams to candied peel: it is the simplest way to take home a piece of this coast. Comfortable shoes for the uphill alleys, one day to devote to the sea and one to the interior, and you will have caught the balance between coast and hill that makes this corner of Calabria special.
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Practical info
When is the best time to visit The Riviera dei Cedri at a slow pace?
The recommended time is May, June and September, when it is less crowded.
Where is The Riviera dei Cedri at a slow pace?
The Riviera dei Cedri at a slow pace is located in Upper Tyrrhenian coast of the Cosenza province, Calabria.
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