Lido da Pietro

There are a multitude of beach lidos here in Scalea from June to September. You’d be hard pushed to find a better lido than da Pietro along the Lungomare Ruggiero di Lauria. Carmelo, Antonella and their staff have a big warm and friendly welcome waiting for you and the bonus is that da Pietro is open all year round. Having established a core client base Carmelo decided to open up all year in 2011 and he’s never looked back. With a good following of foreign clients many locals also enjoy the hospitality shown by the good people at da Pietro.  

Services include drinks and snacks, and beach facilities such as sun loungers and parasols. With satellite TV and WiFi internet access you can relax and watch sport or connect with friends and family on social networks.  

Known as my second office, it's a much more pleasant surrounding than that at office No.1. I usually meet clients during the day to have my morning or afternoon tea (in my special mug). Occasionally I’ll push the boat out and have a G&T. On Sunday mornings I reserve for a little treat and spoil myself with a delicious apple muffin. Well it would be rude not to!  

Da Pietro also offers free parking for clients and if you fancy something more substantial than snack foods then you have a great choice. Next door is L’Ancora restaurant specialising in fish or just across the road ViGri Ristorante where Enzo offers lunchtime specials and an a la carte menu. 

Right I’m off for a cuppa......

Lido da Pietro Website

La Perla del Tirreno

Whilst the location is picturesque right on the beach, this restaurant offers so much more than just a romantic setting.  

Owner Antonella and her daughter Federica are excellent hosts and will give you a warm Calabrese welcome. Federica speaks English if your Italian might not be up to scratch and there’s a menu provided in English and Russian as well as Italian. 

Specializing in fish, the menu offers a wide selection of choice and the food is always tasty and of great quality. The tuna steaks being one of my favourites. If you prefer meat then you won’t be disappointed. La Perla’s meat menu is of no lesser quality. With angus steak you won’t go far wrong. The menu consists of the usual antipasto/starter, primo/pasta and secondo/main. If you have a big appetite you might want to try a three course meal. For those of us with a less ambitious palate then something more modest like a second/main would be more than enough.

La Perla isn’t the cheapest place in town but it is probably one of the best. The quality is never in question. 

Not only a restaurant, La Perla offers a beach lido service with sun loungers, parasols and cabanas with hammocks. There is a waiter service from the bar area. It really is a great setting and worth a try. 

Finding La Perla is easy just look for the blue light box near to the London bus Pub. 

Travelling south from Scalea town centre the entry to the beach area and La Perla is just past the London Bus Pub. Travelling north from Santa Maria del Cedro, opposite hotel Felix. La Perla is open all year. 

Our Home Away from Home

It has been 2 short years since we first visited Scalea. After somewhat impulsively deciding that 'life is very short' and that I wanted to buy a holiday home in Italy (having never visited the country before, I might add), I engaged in a lengthy email exchange with Tony, the proprietor of Calabria Property Consultants, sharing with him my dream of a property centred around my love of beautiful surroundings along with Mediterranean food and wine!  My budget was small, however a weekend was arranged for viewings, and I was very excited!

When we arrived in Scalea, we were greeted by Tony, despite it being past 11pm, and accompanied to our B&B.  The following morning, our 1 1/2 days of property viewings began, and I soon fell in love with a small apartment in Centro Storico with a little balcony taking in the sea views; bliss! 

Three months later I returned for the final purchase of the property.  On this occasion I traveled alone, but was warmly welcomed into the fold of other property owners (residents and holiday home owners) and enjoyed many social gatherings!  These continue, and every time we visit we find our social life is far more vibrant than when we are in our home town in the UK. Indeed, every day we bump into someone we know.

We have made some improvements to the apartment, including a little plumbing, decoration, and installing louvred shutters to improve the ventilation to the property. There is still some decoration to be done, but somehow the DIY doesn't detract from the holiday?  The weather has mostly been kind to us, even during December,so I can only think those wonderful rays of sunshine are responsible for our good mood when working.

The apartment is now a home from home.  When we visit, we find the steps up to the property a challenge for the first couple of days, but it does at least give us an excuse for our over-indulgence at the excellent local restaurants and bars, and of course, the views more than compensate.  

Our neighbours always wave and chat across the balconies.  We are taking Italian classes in the UK and each time we return, we understand a little more and can be a little bolder with our attempts at the language. With our limited Italian, and a heavy reliance on actions and sign language, we muddle through with much laughter along the way!

Mostly when we visit, we fly from Stansted to either Lamezia or Naples and take a beautifully scenic train ride to Scalea. The fare can be as cheap as €9 when booked in advance, and the station is only a 20 minute walk from our apartment. Scalea is a well serviced town, everything you need is within walking distance of Centro Storico: the beach, the bars, the countryside, the restaurants, supermarkets, fruit and veg stalls, hardware stores, and the market on a Monday provides a multitude of goodies.  A short drive away are some wonderful towns, beaches, adventure sports and historical attractions providing enjoyable days out too.

The last two years have flown by and our love of Scalea has grown.  My impulsive purchase has given us more pleasure than we could have imagined; just waking and opening the shutters to the magnificent view warms the heart.  And the apartment is there for the long term, for the enjoyment of our friends and family as well as ourselves. 

- Jane Boor

If you would like to find your own home from home, visit Calabria Property Consultants where you will find something to suit your needs.

A Busy January

12 January 2015 on the beach at Lido da Pietro, Scalea

January is usually quiet with most people recovering from Christmas and New Year celebrations. Notoriously a slow month for business and new clients, it gives me a chance to catch up on administration duties and such like. The part of the job I don’t like.

Throughout the year I have many emails from people who dream about owning a property abroad. Many of these emails will ask for more photos/information and although I always respond on an individual basis, I’m disappointed that many do not even reply. Even if it’s just to thank me for my time.

So, what a refreshing change this January has been. Only 2 weeks into the new year and I’ve already had three different clients visit. Clients from Los Angeles, Yorkshire and Scotland, none of whom had ever been to Calabria before. Not only were they impressed with the property viewing, but they’ve all committed to a return, having fallen in love with the area. Once they tasted the friendliness, food, wine and mild  Calabrian winter weather, it was a done deal. January isn’t finished just yet and I have Canadians and Brits out before the end of the month.

Scouring the internet looking for property is the first step on the way to owning a property. However if you’re really serious about buying a property abroad, then you must go and see the area. Check out what’s on offer and not only the property.

There’s so much more to a viewing trip than just viewing property.  

Centro Storico, Scalea 12/01/2015