When I first stepped out on Villa Crawford’s sundeck and took in the view of San Nicola Arcella’s coastline, all I could say was, “WOW!”  It was absolutely gorgeous.  Sure, I had seen pictures (like the ones below), but it wasn’t until I saw it in person that I could fully appreciate the beauty of the place.

I had hoped our visit in Italy would be part “swimcation” and part vacation; however, as I mentioned in my first post on Italy, the logistics didn’t allow for a daily morning swim.  When I was able to get in a swim, though, it was fabulous!  The water temperature was about 78 degrees—perfect competition temperature, and the water visibility was good.

My plan was to swim around the rocky point to see the Arco Magno rock formation and photograph it with my waterproof camera; however, the currents were too strong to risk it.  Instead, I joined a gal from our group and hiked over to see it.  The views back down to the beach and across the coastline were spectacular!  For me, this was one of the highlights of the trip, and the most beautiful scenery of the area.

Our hike began by climbing the stairs all the way up to the top, and then back down the other side.  The next two pictures were taken from the stairs.  The orange and white umbrellas are at Lido Nettuno where our group relaxed in the shade.

Villa Crawford, our home away from home, was located on the hillside at the far end of the beach.  Lido Nettuno is down below.

That’s Bruce (blue shirt) standing next to David (dark shirt), our friend who lived in the area for four years.

Darshana snapped this shot when I wasn’t looking!

If you plan a beach visit in the Calabria region of Italy when the air temperatures are warm, budget 10 Euro for an umbrella and lounge at one of the lidos that line the beachfront.  Each lido has a café in back where you can grab some lunch and enjoy the breeze and views of the beach.  If you choose to patronize a lido with a parking lot, they include free parking as well.

Our group enjoyed our time at Lido Nettuno and had lunch in their café.  Check out their nifty cell phone charging station:

The best way to follow up a day at the beach is to enjoy a delicious Italian gelato.  There is no shortage of gelaterias in Italy; they’re everywhere!  We happened to stop at Dolce Vita for a scoop, and the chocolate that I savored was amazing—dark and rich.  Yum!

Nutella is popular throughout Europe, so most of the gelaterias offer it as a topping on their gelato and waffles.  I chose that option on a scoop of chocolate gelato at another gelateria one evening after dinner, and this is the huge jar they pumped it from:

The European Nutella is darker and tastier than the Canadian-made Nutella we get in the U.S.A., so I brought a jar back with me to enjoy at home.  I’ll be sad when that’s gone!

In my next post, come along with me to the town of Maratea.