European {Honeymoon-Inspired} Travel Journal: Tropea, Italy

ENTRY NO.29 // TROPEA, ITALY

I already teased to Tropea with this blog entry about the amazing seaglass and Italian tiles I collected along the coastline. Today, I'm going share everything else I know about this little gem with you. A few weeks before New Year's, I came across some Tropean eye candy on Pinterest and was hooked. I had our passports packed and our flights booked faster than you can say gelato.

Yep, I scaled a kind-of scary rock {for me} to take this photo for you guys - my conviction for this blog never ceases! ;)

I think the most fun I may have had during our trip was "discovering" secret beaches and cliffs and grottos with J. Okay, so they may not have been secret but they felt that way because while very few people were on the main beaches, nobody was out on the cliffs and hidden beaches we scaled/climbed rocks + boulders to find. It was fun, romantic and exciting.

You can't really tell but we had to climb over huge rocks and risk getting drenched
by some strong waves to get to this hidden little beach. It was so fun to discover it together!

This Franciscan monastery is probably the main sight of Tropea. It's even more gorgeous at sunset. We tried to climb to the top but it was closed. Instead, we scaled the rock around the back which is how I got the first photo in this entry. There is also an incredible grotto on the backside of this little island:

Our first day, the tide was so high we couldn't enter the grotto because huge waves were crashing inside. The next day, the water was calm and we were able to explore inside and hang out which was beyond cool. J made a promise that one day he would build us a grotto-inspired hot tub - yay! I hope that day comes soon. :)

Due to the holidays, not much was open in Tropea but we were able to find a few pizzerias and gelaterias. The historic town itself is stunning and boasts beautiful views of the Mediterranean as well as a 12 c. Norman Cathedral.

There was lots and lots of graffiti in Tropea. I know this bothers some people but I'm always a little fascinated by it. Most of the graffiti in this town resembled love notes and much of it was in English. The 'note' above reads "Enjoy the little things."

My JBear walking back down to the grotto ... taking notes for that hot tub he plans on building me. ;)

CB's TOP TIPS FOR TROPEA:

Fly in to Lamezia Airport. From there, it's only an hour to Tropea by taxi, rental or train.

Tropea is located within the province of Vibo Valentia in Calabria which is near the toe of Italy's boot. If you're planning a long getaway, Tropea could make an excellent base for exploring all of Calabria, the Aeolian Islands, Sicily and more.

Try the red onions. The area in and around Tropea is famous for producing red onions {cipolla di Tropea}. Some of the gelaterias in town even make a red onion gelato. We didn't find that flavor on our trip but I definitely would have tried it if we had!

Bring back free souvenirs. If you like the look of seaglass, comb those beaches, baby! It's there and it's pretty abundant if you take a good look. Or bring home some authentic wave-washed Italian tiles. I have mine sitting in a Kate Spade bowl on our coffee table and adore them!! Read more about this awesome topic here.

Try a tartufo. It seemed to be a popular dessert and J&I really enjoyed it. It's a scoop of chocolate icecream covered in cocoa with a gooey chocolate center. Nom nom nom.

Have you been to Tropea? If you have any tips, insights, suggestions or comments, I'd love to hear them! Happy Honeymooning!

Did you miss the other entries of CB's Travel Journal? Click here to catch up! ;o)

All images by moi.

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