Crotone Porto Vecchio  

Situated south-east of Crotone, Porto Vecchio encloses a 66,400-square-metre body of water and a 1200-metre quay dug into the inner coves and the external cliff. It presents 5 quays and a surface of about 4700 square metres in total. Sea bottoms are low and sandy, ideal for small fishing and recreational boats.

Porto Vecchio hosts a well-equipped shipyard, specialized in the construction of small wooden vessels, repairs and maintenance on recreational boats. The yard takes care of fuel provision, too.

To enter the port, yachtsmen have to follow the course penperdicular to the line linking the two entrance lights. Entering the port can be difficult in case of winds from the second and third quadrant. Winds blowing from the first and second quadrant, in their turn, generate undertow. In summer, high waters suggest bad weather from South-East to South-West. The piers located close the so-called "Molo Sanità" are a good shelter from both sea and winds but they are subject to sandbanks. While entering the structure, pay particular attention to some stone blocks at the foot of the quay.

Crotone, the most important industrial centre in Calabria, was founded by Greeks in 710 B.C. The city lies on the eastern edge of the region and it faces the Ionian Sea at the mouth of river Esaro. The old city develops in narrow alleys and small squares until the cathedral and the central Pythagoras' Square which links the old city to the new one. Among the attractions, the 16th-century-cathedral, Castle Charles V and the archaelogical museum. Capo Colonna, known in the past as Capo Lacinio, raises 11 km south of Crotone. It was the seat of an ancient shrine dedicated to Hera Lacinia.

Costa dei Saraceni develops from the port to Capo Colonna. The main beaches, all charachetized by white sand and crystal-blue sea, are Capo Colonna, Capo Cimiti, Capo Rizzuto, Punta, Le Castelle enclosed inside the marine reserve of Capo Rizzuto.

The culinary tradition of the city uses simple and tasty ingredients, such as pecorino, smoked ricotta and chili pepper. "U Cuadaru" is a typical fish soup cooked in a copper cauldron and usually accompanied by Cirò, Sant'Anna di Capo Rizzuto or Melissa wine.