Attractions of San Nicola Arcella

San Nicola Archella is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful tourist centers on the coast of Cosenza. It is located on top of a natural belvedere, a rock protruding over 100 meters above the sea. From the viewpoint of the Belvedere San Nicola you can enjoy a magnificent panorama of the Gulf of Policastro.

Going up to San Nicola means taking one look at the coast between Capo Scalea and Maratea, admiring the extraordinary sunsets that at the end of each day will add to the most beautiful memories of your vacation.

The sea is magnificent, with excellent beaches alternating between cliffs and caves, the most famous of which is the rock that forms the Great Arch, Arco Magno.

Arco Magno and the nearby beach of Marinello, with its entrance to the natural harbor formed by a cape on which stands a sixteenth-century defense tower, is one of the most famous attractions not only of San Nicola Arcella, but of the whole of Calabria.

Here the sea is astonishing in its crystal clarity. And very close by is the Cave of Aeneas or, as it is also known, the Grotta del Saraceno.
This place was once of the many natural shelters where pirates hid during raids. Saracen ships that came to the Calabrian coasts often found shelter here. Hence the name Grotta del Saraceno, the Cave of the Saracens.
The beach opposite Arco Magno is known as Aeneas beach. It is one of the most beautiful beaches in Calabria. Here, according to legend, Aeneas took shelter from a sudden storm. Arco Magno you can reach by sea or walk along the shore.

The old town of San Nicola Arcella is worth a visit.