Holiday apartment in Briatico – Coast, history and Sant'Irene

Coast and townscape

Briatico lies on the Costa degli Dei and features a coastal landscape of beaches and cliffs. Baia della Rocchetta is home to a small traditional fishing village with a harbour beside a coastal watchtower. At the same time, the historic centre has an orthogonal layout. The new town was designed by the engineers Antonio Fortini and Giuseppe Vinci.

History between castles, towers and churches

The ruins of the medieval castle of Briatico Vecchio date back to a castle built by Ferdinando Bisbal. La Rocchetta is a pentagonal coastal watchtower with Greek origins, Roman reconstruction and medieval modifications. The tower was part of a plan to defend the coast against Turkish-Barbary raids. Torre Sant'Irene was built by the Spanish viceroyal government as a watchtower against raids by the Barbary corsairs. Medieval hermit caves can be found in the Murria valley; some of them are called Grotte delle Fate.

The former settlement of Briatico Vecchio once comprised 12 churches and 3 monasteries. The 11th-century Norman church of Santa Maria del Franco was destroyed in the 1783 earthquake; only a few remains have survived. The Chiesa Matrice houses a wooden statue of the Madonna Immacolata from the mid-17th century, originating from Briatico Vecchia. It also contains a painting dated 1624 by the painter Tommaso De Florio from Vibo.

Sant'Irene and the coast beneath the water

Snorkelling and diving are possible in Sant'Irene Bay. From Sant'Irene Beach, swimmers can reach the rock of Scoglio della Galea, also known as Praca, about 120 metres away. The seabed slopes gently and forms a natural pool over several metres. Part of the shore at the beach is occupied by a lido; the rest is freely accessible beach. The Fondali di Capo Cozzo–S. Irene protected area covers the seabed from Località Scrugli in the municipality of Briatico to the station at Zambrone.

Festivals with a local character

The annual calendar includes the San Nicola di Bari festival, which is usually celebrated in Briatico on 6 December with religious and civic events involving the entire population. At the Potenzoni Flower Festival, the small town centre is divided into four districts: Agave, Glicine, Torre and Chiesa. They compete against one another with flowers and floral carpets. Local masters of floral decoration are also awarded prizes according to the preferences expressed by visitors.

Which holiday apartment in Briatico suits your travel plans?

When choosing a holiday apartment in Briatico, you can tailor the focus of your stay to specific places and themes: the coastal landscape with beaches and cliffs, snorkelling and diving in Sant'Irene, the historic buildings, or the San Nicola di Bari and Potenzoni Flower Festival celebrations.

Further places for orientation:Parghelia, Coccorino, Brognaturo, Zaccanopoli, Sant'onofrio, Santa Maria Di Ricadi, Vibo Valentia, Longobardi

To the higher-level travel overview: Vibo Valentia.