Discover Marina di Santa Maria del Cedro – Beach and Cedar Culture

Marina di Santa Maria del Cedro combines the coast of the upper Tyrrhenian Sea with an unusually prominent cedar culture, archaeological traces and cultural sites. If you are looking for a holiday apartment in Marina di Santa Maria del Cedro, you will find a range of themes to consider when planning your holiday: relaxing hours on the beach, insights into regional traditions, historical discoveries and a designated cycling loop.

Holiday apartment in Marina di Santa Maria del Cedro between the beach and the marine park

Santa Maria del Cedro lies at the centre of the Riviera dei Cedri Regional Marine Park on the upper Tyrrhenian Sea in the province of Cosenza. The beach is approximately 2 km long. Its southern section is called Chiatta in Ferro, while the northern section, Abatemarco, lies at the mouth of the river of the same name. Fine sand characterises the beach; especially along the shore, it is replaced by pebbles in places. The seabed gradually becomes deeper towards the open sea.

The seafront promenade includes free beach areas, managed beach resorts and equipped bathing establishments. For 2026, the beach areas of Santa Maria del Cedro, Chiatta in Ferro and Abatemarco are part of the Blue Flag programme. When choosing your accommodation, these different coastal areas can provide practical thematic guidance, without requiring any specific characteristics to be inferred for individual holiday apartments.

Cedar culture, tastings and living traditions

The Museo del Cedro presents the history of the citron and its close connection with Jewish religious tradition. It is housed in a building dating from the 15th to 16th century, historically known as the Carcere dell'Impresa. Throughout the year, the museum offers permanent and temporary exhibitions, cultural events, guided tours, meetings with citrus growers and tastings of handcrafted cedar products.

The programme of the Museo del Cedro and the cedar groves also includes a guided tour through the cedar groves and a meeting with a cedar grower. The Liscia Diamante cedar variety cultivated in Santa Maria del Cedro is considered the most valuable cedar variety in the region. Cedrons from Santa Maria del Cedro are used for liqueurs, extracts, creams, jams, yoghurt, desserts, ice cream and sorbets. Cedro di Calabria DOP is the product that gives the Riviera dei Cedri its name.

The religious significance of the cedar remains visible: every year, rabbis come to Santa Maria del Cedro. The cedar fruits are then taken to other countries and used during the Sukkot festival, the Feast of Tabernacles. In this way, agricultural products, culinary processing and religious tradition come together directly in the town.

Archaeology and culture in the surrounding area

The Parco Archeologico di Laos in the Marcellina district documents the ancient settlement of Laos, dating from 510 BC, through excavated areas such as the Casa della Rampa and the Casa della Zecca. The park also displays remains of houses, walls and archaeological finds that bear witness to the everyday life of past civilisations. It is considered an ancient colony of Magna Graecia.

The Museo del Cedro includes an artistic circular route running through the historic town centre, as well as an archaeological route leading to the Parco Archeologico di Laos. The San Michele complex is also known as Abatemarco and includes the ruins of Castello di San Michele and the Basilian church of the same name. These sites give your day trip planning different focal points between local history, the ancient settlement and religiously influenced architecture.

Events and cycling tour

The Arena dei Cedri is an open-air venue in Marina di Santa Maria del Cedro for major cultural and musical events. The Marina di Santa Maria del Cedro cycling loop is 19.7 km long, has an elevation gain of 120 metres, is considered an easy cycling tour and runs mainly along paved paths. Coast, culture, cuisine and exercise offer various focal points that you can take into account when choosing your holiday apartment.

More places for planning your trip

For further orientation, you can also take a look at Papasidero, Marina Di Mandatoriccio, Cleto, Spezzano Della Sila, Buonvicino, Montegiordano, Plataci and Pietrafitta.

To the higher-level travel overview: Cosenza.