Our second stop after Rome was the small port of Vibo Valentia, or Vibo Marina, which was pretty much all this area had going for it: an amazing seaside and crystal-clear azure water.
Bob and I were really looking forward to this excursion, a small boat ride along the coast with three swim stops. Our coach picked us up at the pedestrian-feeling working port after we anchored and tendered in. After a twenty-minute ride up the coast, we arrived at the tiny beach town of Porto di Tropea.
🏛️ About Tropea
Tropea has earned a reputation as the “Pearl of the Tyrrhenian,” and it’s easy to see why the moment you spot it: a historic old town perched dramatically on a cliff, with dramatic drops straight down to white sand beaches and famously clear, turquoise water. It sits at the heart of the aptly named Costa degli Dei, the Coast of the Gods, a stretch of Calabrian coastline that also happens to look straight out at the volcanic Aeolian Islands, including Stromboli, on a clear day. Legend credits its founding to Hercules himself, resting here on his way home after one of his twelve labors, though archaeological evidence points to real settlement going back to at least 1000 BC, with Greek, Roman, Byzantine, and Norman layers all stacked into the town’s history since. In 2021, Tropea was voted the single most beautiful village in all of Italy in a national contest, which, once you’ve seen it, is not a hard result to believe.
We were ushered into the port area, where two inflatable boats awaited us, complete with bimini tops and split benches. Each boat fit about twenty to twenty-two people aboard, which left little room for comfort or movement. As we headed out to sea, our guide began telling us about Tropea and how it’s world famous for its beaches, crystal-clear water, and spectacular seaside cliffs.
🏊 A Swim Stop, With a Few Hiccups
At first we moved down the coast slowly, taking in the cliffs and caves, but before long we picked up speed, which was honestly welcome since we were all getting hot and ready to get in the water.
Eventually we reached the end of the island, where particularly rocky cliffs met a small sandy beach. They dropped anchor and started pulling out snorkel gear, and that’s where the trouble started: there wasn’t nearly enough gear, masks, snorkels, or floating noodles, for even half the group. Before long, people just started jumping in anyway.
I did a back roll off the side where I’d been sitting. The water was a refreshing 79 degrees and extremely salty, so floating was never a problem. Bob followed with a genuinely great belly flop off the bow, and we spent our time happily in the cool, clear water. A few people on board weren’t confident swimmers, and the shortage of noodles and life jackets became a real issue for them. Still, everyone was thrilled just to be in the water, so spirits stayed high. Before we knew it, we were being called back onto the boats after nowhere near enough time to enjoy it. Several people wanted to swim over to the nearby beach instead, but that wasn’t allowed.
Back on board, we were served cold mini pizzas, a small croissant sandwich (pretty good, actually), and another little treat, with a choice of water or Prosecco. Before long we were zipping back toward the harbor, since we had to be back by 1 p.m.
🧅 The Onion Stop
It took a while to get everyone off the boats and onto the buses, and then, for reasons nobody quite understood, both tour guides decided to stop at a roadside onion stand so we could buy local onions. Nobody was particularly interested, but the stop dragged on anyway as a few people wandered in for water and other odds and ends. We arrived back at the port a little late, still wet, and honestly a bit disappointed in the excursion overall.
Bob and I were just happy to have gotten in the water, but we recognized this one didn’t live up to its published description, especially given it was one of the pricier excursions on offer. To their credit, Windstar handled it beautifully: they credited every guest on the excursion the full amount paid, along with an apology, no questions asked. It turned out this was the first time they’d run this particular itinerary, and they were still working out the kinks to get the excursion up to their usual standard.
Although not the best day, it was still lots of fun, and it was great to get in the water. Back aboard the ship, since we wouldn’t be departing for several more hours, I headed straight for the ship’s marina platform and got in a little more swimming before we finally set sail.
📝 Practical Notes
If you book this excursion in a future season, it’s worth checking in with Windstar or your excursion desk beforehand to confirm gear availability has been sorted out, since the swim stop is really the whole point of the trip. That said, the water itself, and Tropea’s cliffs from the water, were genuinely worth it on their own.
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