Things to Do in Amantea, Calabria

Amantea is a real town on Calabria’s Tyrrhenian coast and a commercial hub for locals, with an old town (the centro storico) climbing a rocky hill and a modern town and long beach below it. The main things to do here are simple: walk the old town beneath the castle ruins, swim at the town beach or Coreca, try a buccunotto, join the evening passeggiata, and use the train line or the road for day trips along the coast.

We host guests in three restored homes in Amantea: one in the centro storico and two downtown. Choosing between Amantea and Tropea? Read Amantea or Tropea? first.

Amantea quick facts

• Where: Tyrrhenian coast of Calabria, province of Cosenza.
• Lamezia airport (SUF): 37.2 km; 33–40 minutes by car in usual traffic. Full guide: Lamezia Airport to Amantea.
• Train: Amantea has its own station on the Tyrrhenian line.
• Old town: steps and steep lanes. Wear comfortable shoes.

Walk the centro storico

The lower town is flat and modern. The old town rises above it in stairways, arches and narrow lanes, and much of it is on foot only, so give yourself time.

The walk we suggest: start at Gelateria Sicoli on Corso Umberto I, then follow the main promenade along Via Indipendenza to the Collegiata di San Biagio (the Church of Saint Blaise).

The castle ruins crown the hill above the old town and look their best from below. The Comune describes a fortress of Byzantine origin, with four corner towers, that is in ruins today.

If you like to hike, you can walk up: start in the Centro Storico and follow the signs to the Castello. The path is steep and rough, so it’s for fit walkers, and there’s no visitor service. For current access, ask the Comune.

For the story behind the stones, read our history of Amantea.

The San Bernardino staircase

In downtown Amantea, outside the Centro Storico district, the historic Gradinata San Bernardino climbs past the very old Church of San Bernardino da Siena. FAI dates the church to the 15th century. It has a pointed-arch portico, and it’s known for a Madonna and Child attributed to Gagini and a Nativity attributed to Pietro Bernini.

Parco La Grotta

At the foot of the old town, on Via Dogana, is Parco La Grotta, a public green space around a large natural cave. The Comune describes it as a Byzantine-era landing place for ships, from the time the sea reached the town walls, with an inner passage leading into the fortifications. The park is free and open all year, from 8am to 8pm, and it hosts cultural events, including summer screenings of the La Guarimba International Film Festival.

Beaches

The beaches here are great: small pebbles, not sand.

• The lungomare (town beach): a long seafront with a promenade, walkable from town, with private beach clubs (lidi) and some free stretches.
• Coreca: about 10 minutes south by car, with both managed and free sections. The Comune describes ten rock outcrops and clear water that suits snorkelling and diving.
• La Tonnara: about 4 km from the centre, with a paid beach club.
• Scogli di Isca: two rocks about 800 m offshore, Isca Grande and Isca Piccola, protected since 2008 as a regional marine park shared by Amantea and Belmonte Calabro. The seabed reaches about 25 m, and the Comune lists groupers, dolphins and loggerhead turtles among its wildlife.

Eat like a local

Amantea’s own sweet is the buccunotto (bocconotto di Amantea): a small pastry with dark chocolate, chopped almond, cinnamon and clove. All the bakery shops in Amantea sell it, and Il Golosario singles out the one at Gelateria Sicoli. Look out also for anything with ’nduja, the spicy spreadable sausage from further south (what is ’nduja?).

We’ve written up three places:

• Osteria di Potame: handmade pasta and Calabrian classics.
• Retrogusto, on Piazza Cappuccini: wood-fired pizza and trattoria dishes.
• Gelateria Sicoli, on Corso Umberto I: gelato since 1937.

There’s also a covered market off Via Margherita, where the best produce goes early, before about 10am.

For lunch, off season, we’d go to La Giara or Ristorante Lido Azzurro. In peak season, all of the lidos do lunch service.

Evenings in Amantea

• The passeggiata along the seafront promenade.
• Gelato at Sicoli.
• Dinner and drinks along Corso Vittorio Emanuele and around Piazza Cappuccini.

Festivals and events

Dates change each year, so check before you travel. These are the 2026 dates:

• Sant’Antonio da Padova, the patron saint’s feast: events from 31 May, with the main day and procession on 13 June.
• La Guarimba International Film Festival: 7–12 August.
• Amantea Comics: 21–22 August, at Parco La Grotta, free entry.
• Fiera di Amantea: 31 October–2 November, on the lungomare and Via Margherita, with over 300 stallholders in 2026. Parking gets harder, and the train is the easier option.

The Comune’s events page lists more, including the Carnevale del Tirreno in early spring.

Amantea in one day

• Morning: the market off Via Margherita, then the Via Indipendenza walk before it gets hot.
• Afternoon: the beach. The lungomare is reachable from the lower town; Coreca is about 10 minutes by car.
• Evening: passeggiata on the seafront, pizza at Retrogusto, gelato at Sicoli.

Staying longer? Our 3-day Amantea itinerary adds a day in Tropea, and the 5-day itinerary goes into the hills.

Day trips from Amantea

Approximate drive times from central Amantea, checked November 2026 with online route planners. They don’t include traffic, so allow extra in summer, and check Google Maps on the day.

Destination	By car	Why go
Belmonte Calabro	about 15 min	Hill village just south
Fiumefreddo Bruzio	about 25 min	On the official list of I Borghi più belli d’Italia
Paola	about 35 min	Main-line station for fast trains
Pizzo	about 50–55 min	Its castle and its ice cream, the tartufo
Cosenza	about 45–60 min by the SS 278	Old town and the open-air MAB museum on Corso Mazzini. Cosenza guide
Tropea	about 1 h 15–1 h 30	The cliff-top town. Tropea day trip
Camigliatello Silano, La Sila	about 1 h 15–1 h 45	Mountain plateau and the Giants of Sila. You’ll want a car
Scilla	about 1 h 30–1 h 40	Fishing village and castle on the Strait. Visit Scilla

By train: Cosenza and Pizzo are both reachable, usually with one change. On a weekday in November 2026, Trenitalia showed Cosenza in about 45–55 minutes and Pizzo in about 45–60 minutes at best. Tropea takes about 1 h 15 or more. Check Trenitalia for your date, because services drop on Sundays and timetables change.

No car? Esse Auto in nearby Campora San Giovanni rents locally.

For how Amantea and Tropea compare as places to stay, see Amantea or Tropea?

When to visit

General advice for Calabria favours June and September, with May and early October as quieter shoulder months. That isn’t specific to Amantea. Here, July and August are lively and busy, with activities, shows and a full social calendar, and most of the events above fall in June and August.

In August, parking is tight, but with patience and strategy you can find a spot.

In winter, it’s mainly the lidos that close, and the rest of the town’s shops stay open. As of November 2026, Ristorante Lido Azzurro and Il Sombrero are open daily.

FAQ