Scalea, Coastal resort town in Calabria, Italy
Scalea is a coastal town on the Tyrrhenian Sea that rises across terraced levels of a hillside below the Capo Scalea promontory, with narrow stone streets and ancient stone walls throughout. The older quarters sit above the beaches and overlook the shoreline below.
Archaeological finds at Torre Talao show early human settlement from the Old Stone Age, with Neanderthal remains and stone tools uncovered there. These discoveries prove that people have lived in this Mediterranean region for thousands of years.
The inner streets display traditional wooden structures called suppuorti built above the alleyways, creating a distinctive multi-level layout that shaped how residents used the hillside. These elements reflect how people adapted their living spaces to the steep terrain.
Swimming conditions are best from April through November, with August drawing the most visitors and becoming quite crowded. Good walking shoes help when navigating the steep stairs and uneven paths of the old town.
Torre Talao, an old defensive structure, stood on an island about a hundred years ago before geological changes connected it to the mainland. Today visitors can walk to this once-isolated tower and see how nature has reshaped the coastline.
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