Tropea City Guide

Language Barrier

The farther you get from central hubs in Europe, the less likely you are to hear the locals speak English. When I got to Tropea, I was greeted by my bed & breakfast host who was a full-blooded Italian with absolutely no understanding of the English language. Although we couldn’t understand each other, he was incredibly kind and patient as I tried to navigate around communicating with him. During my entire stay in Tropea, I never once faced a rude local. This was refreshing, as I’ve found that some Europeans can be very dismissive when they don’t feel like dealing with the hassle of trying to communicate. This doesn’t happen everywhere but it has been a prevailing issue in some of my trips. Overall, though, I don’t think you have anything to worry about.

When to go

When I went to Tropea, it was early May and the town was dead. I had heard that it was quite the destination for beach goers once June and July hit, which fueled my desire to go before the crowds hit. This was the best decision I could have made. Although the water was a little chilly (it was a relief for my sunburnt body), it was manageable. If you’re not sure when to go, I would absolutely recommend going in May. I was often on the beach with maybe a handful of other individuals. Compared to the throngs of people that swamp the beach at its peak, it was heavenly to have that little slice of heaven nearly all to myself.

Where to stay

Tropea is really just a small town with a breathtaking beach as its main attraction. I wanted to make sure I found a place that was central to all of the local restaurants and hangouts but still close enough that I could just walk down to the beach within five minutes. All of my boxes were ticked when I decided to stay at the Vecchio Castello B&B. My host, Antonio, was incredible. As I already mentioned, we didn’t speak the same language but he was always beyond kind to me. And, in my opinion, you can’t beat the price of his rooms during the off-season. I stayed in this immaculate room overlooking Tropea with the added bonus of free breakfast for €35/night (roughly $40/night). That’s insane when you consider that I was right in town, minutes from the beach, and the accommodation was superb.

Safety

While Tropea really is this beautiful little town in southern Italy, it can also be a little scary at times when you’re the only one out and about in the dimly-lit streets at night. I never had a bad experience that warranted such discomfort, but I did always feel that I had to stay alert and aware of my surroundings (as you should no matter where you go). It may have just been because I went in the off-season and the town was not yet crawling with tourists, but, nonetheless, I didn’t feel completely safe all the time during my stay.

Packing accordingly

Tropea is pretty sparse when it comes to general stores. When I was packing for my trip, I relied a lot on the promise of going to the store when I got there to pick up any odds and ends I may have forgotten. This was a big mistake. A lot of the shops in Tropea are small cafes or clothing stores. I did not find any conventional grocery stores right in town throughout my stay and, as such, went without sunblock for the entirety of my trip (which sucked because my main plan was to sunbathe everyday). So when you're getting ready for your trip, make sure you pack everything you need. leave no stone unturned.

Go with a group

So when I went to Tropea, I went alone. There is nothing wrong with being alone per se, but I did find that there were pockets of time that I wished I'd brought a group of friends with me. Since there's really very little to do in the town besides lounge around, I think it would be a great trip to take with a group of your closest friends. Even though I still had a phenomenal time, I had moments where I thought, "Man, it would be great to have someone to drink this bottle of wine with" (mostly so I didn't feel so ashamed finishing it off myself).

Plug type: Consecutive three-pronged plug, type “L” (however, I found that my Europlug worked just fine with Italian outlets)

Currency: Euro (€)

Language: Italian natively, English elementarily (I met very few people that spoke English well)

They drive on the... right side of the road

Primary means of transportation: Train, car

Key phrases: 

Yes → Si (“See”)

No → No

Hello → Ciao (“Chow”)

Good morning →Buongiorno (“Bon-jor-no”)

Good afternoon →Buon pomeriggio (“Bwon-pome-ah-ree-geo”)

Good evening →Buonasera (“Bway-na-sair-uh”)

Good night → Buonanotte (“Bway-na-no-tay”)

Goodbye → Ciao (“Chow”) - the Italians love to say “Ciao!”

Thank you → Grazie (“Grot-zee-eh”)[don’t forget to pronounce that “eh” at the end - tourists tend to forget that and it points them out as foreigners]

Thank you very much → Grazie mille (“Grot-zee-eh me-lay”)

Please → Per favore (“Per-fah-vore-ay”)

Excuse me → Mi scusi (“Me-scoo-zee”)[however, I constantly heard locals just saying “Scusi” by itself]

Sorry → Scusa (“Scoo-za”)

Telephone code: +39

Emergency services number: 112

Credit card acceptance: Cash is the primary. Maestro (Mastercard) and Visa are close seconds, but I didn’t find a lot of places that took my cards.

Vecchio Forno

The cutest little hole-in-the-wall pizzeria that serves some delicious hand-tossed pies. The staff is also very lovely and accommodating despite not speaking much English.

Dress: casual

Via Caivano, 20, 89861 Tropea VV, Italy

Bar Royal

If you end up staying in the Vecchio Castello B&B, this little cafe is located right across the street and offers some nice baked goods and gelato.

Dress: casual

Corso Vittorio Emanuele, 37-25, 89861 Tropea VV, Italy

Caffé del Corso

This is the cutest little gelateria with the nicest staff.

Dress: casual

Corso Vittorio Emanuele, 14, 89861 Tropea VV, Italy

Bar Ariston

I went to Bar Ariston as it was closing but the woman that helped me was kind enough to make me a sandwich. I think she could tell I was a little lost and really starving since I hadn’t eaten yet that day. Although the sandwich was sub-par, the service was really incredible and I’d go back for that alone.

Dress: casual

Via Vittorio Emanuele III, 8, 89861 Tropea VV, Italy

There really wasn’t a lot that I couldn’t do in Tropea, not that I was going wild or something. It really is just a small coastal town and, during the off-season, can be quite sleepy. As such, my list of Do’s and Don’ts is rather short.

What cash to carry

There were very few places that took my charge cards. Cash was definitely the primary and, even more so, smaller bills were preferred. I went into a cafe at one point and asked for a pastry that cost €1 but only had a €50 note as payment. The cashier refused to break it into change, which I didn’t mind. You really don’t need a ton of large bills in Tropea because everything is so inexpensive.

Don’t go outside without sunblock

I've never really been one of those people that felt inclined to wear sunblock whenever I went to the beach, despite my sun-intolerant Irish skin. My nonchalance carried over into my trip to Tropea and I finally learned my lesson. Don’t be fooled by the brisk weather and chilly sea water that the coastal town has to offer in May. The sun will absolutely fry you if you aren’t careful. I went to the beach my first day in town and, after laying out for maybe an hour or two, I was burnt to a crisp, which set a pretty crappy tone for the rest of the trip. The plus to being sunburnt was that the water actually felt soothing on my skin rather than cold.

Pack light

To get to central Tropea, you have to walk from the station. It’s not a long walk (only about 10 minutes), but it can be quite arduous if you have more than a backpack as your travel bag. There is somewhat of a decline getting to town, which would not be very suitable for a rolling suitcase. Thankfully, I packed a Fjällräven Kånken Mini for my trip and it was perfectly light and compact for walking.

Go Scuba Diving

The Tyrrhenian Sea is a sight to see, but even more so when you’re diving in its waters. If you think you’d be interested in a dive, I’d recommend using the TropeaSub company that leads guided tours underwater just off the coast. The prices of scuba diving packages start at €35/person.

Visit the Santuario di Santa Maria dell’Isola

Sitting prominently atop a rock formation just above Tropea’s beach lies this incredible sanctuary. You can scale the steps to the sanctuary and not only tour the place but also take in the ineffable views from its cliffs.

Take a boat tour

If you want to see more of the Italian coast from the water, you can purchase a ticket aboard a guided boat tour. I would suggest using Sea Sports as they offer packages that show you the best of the Costa degli Dei (meaning “Coast of the Gods”).

Go to the beach, obviously!

Look, if I'm being honest, there's really not much to do in Tropea but go to the beach. That's the main draw for the town. You really wouldn't go to Tropea for much else.