Upper Tyrrhenian Cosentino · Riviera dei Cedri
San Nicola Arcella
A cliff-top village on the Riviera dei Cedri, famous for the Arcomagno and the Crawford Tower.
San Nicola Arcella is a town of about 2,000 inhabitants in the province of Cosenza, along the Riviera dei Cedri.
Geography
The old centre overlooks a cliff about 110 metres above the sea. The coastline, about 3 km long, has three bays; from the Baia Azzurra you can see the island of Dino.
History
The area was marked by Saracen raids, hence the dense presence of coastal towers along the Riviera dei Cedri.
What to see
The signature site is the Arcomagno, a huge rocky spur about 20 metres high framing a small beach at the mouth of a grotto once called the Saracen Grotto. On the promontory stands the Crawford Tower, an old 15th-century Saracen outpost named after the American writer Francis Marion Crawford.
Getting there
By car via the A2 “del Mediterraneo” motorway; by train on the Tyrrhenian railway line; the nearest airport is Lamezia Terme.
Places
What to see around here.
Itineraries through here
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4 daysGrand tourGrand Tour of the Riviera dei Cedri
Four days from north to south along the Upper Tyrrhenian Cosentino coast: islands, Norman towns, murals and sanctuaries.
11 stops8 townsMay–OctoberSee the stops -
2 daysSea & beachesSea & beaches
Two days among rock arches, islands and lidos of the Cosentino Tyrrhenian coast.
4 stops4 townsJune–SeptemberSee the stops -
3 daysSea & beachesThree days by the sea
Three days along the Tyrrhenian coast: islands, rock arches and beaches from north to south.
6 stops5 townsJune–SeptemberSee the stops - 4 daysSea & beaches
Four days on the Tyrrhenian coast
Four days devoted to the sea, from San Nicola Arcella to Cetraro: arches, islands, beaches and marina.
8 stops6 townsJune–SeptemberSee the stops
Frequently asked questions
- A large rock arch about 20 metres high enclosing a small beach at the mouth of a grotto once called the Saracen Grotto.
- An old 15th-century Saracen tower on the promontory, named after the writer Francis Marion Crawford.
What is the Arcomagno?
What is the Crawford Tower?
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