Holiday apartment in Santa Maria Di Ricadi: Bay, Sea and History

Santa Maria Di Ricadi combines a small bay with clear coastal waters and traces of ancient, maritime and religious history. When choosing a holiday apartment in Santa Maria Di Ricadi, it is worth considering whether you would like to spend your days by the water, on boat trips or exploring cultural sights.

Coast, snorkelling and sweeping views

Spiaggia di Santa Maria di Ricadi lies in a bay south of the promontory of Capo Vaticano. Its clear water is suitable for snorkelling. In the nearby Formicoli area, the seabed consists mainly of granite rocks and is rich in fauna. From the nearby Belvedere del Capo, you can see the Aeolian Islands, the Strait of Messina, the Sicilian coast and Mount Etna. Practical orientation is also straightforward: the nearest railway station to Spiaggia di Santa Maria di Ricadi is Ricadi station, and there are equipped parking areas near the access point.

Ancient traces around the bay

The Bay of Santa Maria is a small urban settlement with a church entrusted to the chapter of Tropea Cathedral. Chiesa di Santa Maria / Maria SS. di Loreto was built in the 17th century as a rural church for the farmers and fishermen of the adjacent village. In the 18th century, the church was extended and continued in honour of Maria SS. di Loreto. A Greek settlement stood on the northern promontory of the bay and was used from the 5th century until the first decades of the 3rd century BC. A large Roman amphora depot dating from the 2nd and 1st centuries BC was discovered in the bay in the 1980s. A port is also suspected there, which could be identified with the Portus Herculis mentioned by Strabo.

The nearby Museo archeologico e paleontologico displays amphorae of various types and kadoi from the archaeological depot in the Bay of Santa Maria. Its archaeological tour in nearby Santa Domenica covers the Greek settlement of Torre Santa Maria. The Museo del Mare in Capo Vaticano is housed in a former naval observation post that served as a day lighthouse until the middle of the 20th century. Belvedere dei Cannoni was a military site during the First and Second World Wars; the structure of the base of a gun emplacement has been preserved. Torre Ruffa is the only one of four coastal towers in the Capo Vaticano area that still exists.

Sanctuary and distinctive local details

Santuario di Santa Maria Lauretana is located in Santa Maria di Ricadi, belongs to Ricadi and is designated as a diocesan Marian shrine. Its calendar of celebrations includes Easter Monday and 15 August. The sanctuary’s Porta del mare is a bronze gate designed by Vincenzo Varone of the Accademia dell’Aquila and blessed in 2008. In the hamlet of Fortino in Santa Maria, there is a statue commemorating judge Bruno Pelaia. Pelaia died on 26 July 1970 during a dive in the waters off the coastal settlement of Ricadi.

Boat trip and diving course ideas for a day

From May to October, a boat excursion service runs daily from Santa Maria di Ricadi (Capo Vaticano) to Tropea and back. The boarding point is in Santa Maria at the Giudice car park near Mondo Blu Diving. This is also the meeting point for diving courses. When choosing your accommodation, you can therefore consider different priorities: a day of swimming at Spiaggia di Santa Maria di Ricadi, views across the coast, historical discoveries or a trip on the water.

More destinations for orientation

If you would like to compare Santa Maria Di Ricadi with other destinations, you can find Santa Domenica, San Cono, Filogaso, San Calogero, Capo Vaticano, Cessaniti, Pannaconi and San Nicolò Di Ricadi here.

For the higher-level travel overview: Vibo Valentia.