Praia a Mare, Calabria

Overview

Discover Praia a Mare: Private Tours, Experiences & Custom Travel

Southern Italy has so many wonderful towns to experience, though we think Praia a Mare is one of the best and we can offer you a variety of services in this area including private drivers, wine tours, scuba diving and snorkeling around Dino island, cooking courses and even hang-gliding.

Praia a Mare is a magical town on Italy’s Cedri Riviera - the Citrus Coast - filled with natural wonder, legend and history. The town is home to Dino Island, whose sandstone circumference includes mystifying cave grottos, in which an indescribable colour of blue, created by light which comes up through the water, has caused Dino Island to be given World-Heritage site status.

Praia a Mare is a naturally inspiring destination that has gone un-noticed by most travelers who unfortunately have passed up the town’s treasures which include: pedestrian only tree-lined streets and a stunning church, known as “La Madonna Della Grotta” built inside an enormous cave behind the town (look for sign near the Arcate hotel that indicates the Archaeological Zone).

Photo of Beaches at Praia a Mare, Calabria - Photo by Jesse Andrews

Travelers have been by-passing Praia a Mare on route to Sicily, but from May to October, when the weather is good Praia should be considered a "must see" destination for anyone traveling in Southern Italy.

The town is impeccably clean, well served by trains and buses, and because empires throughout the centuries have laid claim here, it is home to numerous historical ruins including a prominent Byzantine guarding tower that lies in front of Dino Island and a Spanish Castle.

Praia a Mare is small, and easy to get around with a car or without. There are numerous hotels, bed and breakfasts and restaurants which are relatively low-cost for what you receive in comparison to other parts of Italy. Praia is an optimal place from which to explore numerous other villages on the Cedri Riviera.

Dino Island, the main attraction which draws visitors from around Europe each year, is approximately one mile in circumference and is home to six magnificent grottos, easily accessible by paddleboat or canoe that can be rented by any number of beach lidos in operation from May until September. In the off-season, boats can be rented at hotels.

The Madonna Della Grotta sanctuary is easily accessible throughout the town and admittance is free of charge. There are in fact, two churches within the cave, the smaller one, built inside a smaller cave, in which limestone deposits have formed an alter of sorts, used by local priests for Catholic ceremonies carried out here.

Plan Your Experience

Explore Praia a Mare

Praia a Mare in pictures

Gallery

A few frames from our own trips. The rest are in the gallery below.

Praia a Mare and Calabria Vacations with Italy Vacation Specialists

Private Tours of Calabria

Madonna Della Grotta Praia a Mare Calabria

Calabria Private Driver

Buddha Beach Praia a Mare

Map

Get your bearings before you go

Multi-Day Holidays Tours

Whole journeys, planned end to end

Kingdom of the Sun: Undiscovered Calabria & Basilicata || Highlights include Maratea and the mountain-top redeemer, Praia a Mare and the Madonna Della Grotta, Diamante the city of murals. Cooking, food and wine and highlights with chef Michelangelo

Join us for an 8-day package in Calabria and explore the deep south of Italy, including the regions of Calabria and Basilicata. Our tour is centered around the charming town of Tortora, and from there, we embark on daily excursions to some of Calabri...

Private

8 Days / 7 Nights

Calabria with Local Hosts: Food, Coast & Village Life

This is an opportunity to stay in a private family home in Praia a Mare, Calabria a beautiful sea-side resort town famous for Dino Island and the Arcomagno caves. During this unique holiday experience you will visit the coast of Maratea, Diamante th...

Private

5 Days / 4 Nights

Kingdom of the Sun Escorted Tour of Italy's Deep South including Puglia, Basilicata and Calabria Departing Spring 2026: May 23, June 6 Fall 2026: Sept 12, Oct 10

Let the sun shine through in our small group tour of Italy's deep south including the regions of Puglia, Basilicata and Calabria. Throughout the tour we visit extraordinary towns, villages and coastal villages and we enjoy some of the very best loca...

Small Group

10 Days / 9 Nights

Calabria and the Cedri Riviera Mini-Stay including Cooking Class, Wine Tour and Full Day Tour to the Coast of Maratea

This 4 day, 3 day package is ideal for those wanting to get to know the incredible culinary traditions of Calabria famous for the 'hot pepper" and fussili dishes. Our package includes accommodation in a private villa located in the center of town....

Private

4 Days / 3 Nights

Hidden Villages of Calabria & Basilicata with Local Guides

Calabria is the largest region in Italy and yet it is always the least-frequently visited by visitors to Italy. For decades it has remained relatively unforgotten by Europe except for Italian travellers who by the thousands if not millions each summ...

Small Group

7 Days / 6 Nights

Private & Small Group Tours in Praia a Mare

Days out with people who know the way

Taormina Private Half Day Walking Experience

Discover the ancient city of Taormina and the majestic Greco-Roman theatre with our English speaking guide who will show you the best of this incredible Sicilian city.

Private

2.5 Hours

Calabria Food and Wine Experience on the Cedri Riviera

This is an incredible food and wine experience on the north west coast of Calabria known as the Cedri Riviera you do not want to miss during your time in southern Italy. Departing from Praia a Mare, Maratea, San Nicola Arcella this tour is as much a...

Private

Private Tour of Dino Island and Arcomagno Cave Grotto

The stretch of coast from San NIcola Arcella to Maratea is dotted with beautiful cave grottoes that allow the light to create a truly spectacular color of blue, you really have to see to believe! On this tour we visit Dino Island home to five spect...

Private

Villas

Private homes with stories of their own

Italy,Calabria,Praia a Mare

Villa

Villa Vecchia

5 Beds 5 Baths 10

Air Conditioning +14 more

View Details

Photo Gallery

Italy Vacation Specialists Calabria Vacation Packages

Calabria Vacation Packages with Italy Vacation Specialists

Madonna Della Grotta

Our Featured Properties

Stays we picked one by one

Italy,Calabria,Praia a Mare

Villa

Villa Vecchia

5 Beds 5 Baths 10

Air Conditioning +14 more

View Details

Italy,Calabria,Vibo Valentia

Villa

Villa Costa Azzurra

4 Beds 3 Baths 8

Family Oriented +9 more

View Details

Find it faster

Tell Us Where You Want to Go

Search our tours, places to stay and the corners of Italy we know best.

Tell Us Where You Want to Go

Popular Transfer Routes in Praia a Mare

The rides our guests ask for most, with a driver who knows the way.

Italy Vacation Specialists provides licensed private transfer services throughout Italy, including Praia a Mare and surrounding areas. With over 20 years of experience, our professional English-speaking drivers offer both Business Class and Luxury Class vehicles for airport transfers, city-to-city rides, and full-day chauffeur services. All vehicles are fully insured, well-maintained, and operated by vetted local drivers who know the roads, traffic patterns, and best routes across the region.

Rome Florence

Private Transfer

Rome Naples

Private Transfer

Rome Venice

Private Transfer

Florence Venice

Private Transfer

Milan Venice

Private Transfer

Naples Amalfi

Private Transfer

Rome Amalfi

Private Transfer

Milan Lake Como

Private Transfer

Florence Siena

Private Transfer

Naples Sorrento

Private Transfer

Every journey is different. Tell us where you need to go.

Request a Transfer Quote

Your Name*

Your Email*

Your Phone Number*

Dates for Travel (MM/DD/YYYY)

Number of Adults

Number of Kids under 12 years

Your request *

In their words

Stories That Stay With You

Here's what our guests share about their unforgettable journeys

“I traveled with JoAnn West through your services, guided by Giuseppe, in July of this year. What a wonderful experience; your service is really top notch! If I return to Italy for a tour, I will absolutely use your services again and recommend you to my friend…”
Lucretia Brower Read their story

“In September of 2018 I brought a group of 12 from Venice to Sicily and organized all of my services with the Italy Vacation Specialists. Being a travel agent and in the business, I know how complicated organizing travel arrangements can be in Italy and the IVS…”
Ann Brownell, KHM Travel Group Read their story

“As a travel agent, but also a traveler to Italy, thee is no other company I would recommend than the Italy Vacation Specialists. Not only do they really care about what they are doing, they also really know Italy and try to educate many people about ways they…”
Laura Chomiak, Travel Agent Read their story

“I went to high school with the owner of the company who organized my honeymoon for myself and my now wife from Tokyo. We spent three short weeks seeing Piedmont and experiencing wine paradise there, then heading to Nice in France with our private driver and fl…”
Robin and Kumi Bruun, Tokyo Japan Read their story

“I have traveled to Italy 2x with the IVS for my own pleasure trips and 2x for business with IVS. These guys really pay attention and make your trip go like clockwork. Italy is nuts, just saying! There are so many rules and restrictions now, so we did not want…”
JoAnne Beaudoin, Retired Nurse Read their story

“This company really knows their stuff and recommended our family to stay longer in each location. We didn't listen to them, but wished we had in every single place we went. They recommended Sestri Levante over the Cinque Terre which was our favourite destinati…”
Sean & Veet Chapman, CGA Read their story