A little town in South Italy called Trebisacce

Caught up in a whirlwind, and after about a 5-hour bus ride from Rome, I found myself spending a large chunk of a summer in a small coastal town in the province of Cosenza in South Italy, right on the boot.

Going into the experience, I had so many questions such as: What would it be like? Would I be able to communicate? Can I eat seafood every day? Will there be waves here in South Italy? Did I have enough bikinis? Is there only pasta? What can I explore?

A little Trebisacce history and information

Before there was Trebisacce

About 2km (1.24m) from today’s town, there was an ancient settlement called Broglio di Trebisacce where humans lived at one point as far back as 1700 BC. Since the area is along the coast of the Ionian sea, it was in the cross roads of the Greeks.

Old Town

The old town is very clearly different and reminds you of what you would imagine for an area that has been around for almost 1,000 years. It sits up on a hill with cobble stone streets connecting every house like a network. There is a church, Church (Chiesa) di San Nicola di Mira, that was built about the year 1050! Furthermore, there are walls that make a beautiful viewpoint but were originally built for defense.

Life in Trebisacce

Close-knit, small town

Trebisacce is a close-knit small town in South Italy where everyone knows everyone, and family ties and friendships run deep. Italians by nature are very social. They’ll never pass up an opportunity to say “Ciao!” (hello) and “Come va?” (how’s it going?) or simply “Com’é?” (think… how’s life?) to anyone and everyone they know. It would not be uncommon for the Italian I was with to be stopped 5 or 6 times on one 10 minute walk to the gym.

Lungomare

The heart and soul of Trebisacce, and many small towns in South Italy along the Mediterranean and Ionian coast are the lungomares. At first glance, it just seems like a long boardwalk extra wide sidewalk begging to be used to get all your steps for a day and walk off that satisfying meal. Peel the onion back and you can see this place is beating with social activity (on almost a nightly basis in the summer). It is integral place in this society for seeing others and learning the latest on who is who and what’s going on in the town.

Fruit trees, galore

One thing I love about this town (that can also probably be extended to most places in South Italy) is that there is some sort of fruit everywhere. And, if you are a fruit nut, like myself, literally E V E R Y W H E R E is heaven. Oh what’s that? You didn’t know that limes grow on trees? Or that fresh figs are wayyyy better than their dried counterparts (personal opinion here)? Then come to Trebisacce to find out.

Like oranges?

First off, this area is known for what they call “Blond Oranges”, or “il biondo” (although, technically, the kind of orange is called “Biondo Tardivo”). Being a blond myself, I was confused about the nomenclature, and quite frankly, I still don’t have a solid answer on why they are called blond. It looks like these oranges are special due to their late season ripening and ability to thrive in the local environment. Originally hailing from Portugal, this fruit has become an important staple in the local culture. I’m not sure when this happened, but it looks like they could have been brought by Portuguese sailors from Asia during the Middle Ages. With the season ending in late May, the town holds an annual festival called “Festa del Biondo Tardivo”. Unfortunately, we missed this as we arrived in late-June.

Like berries?

Of course, it only takes walking around (the town and other areas in South Italy) to encounter free-hanging fruit, ripe for the picking. Once, walking to the gym we came across a massive bush off the side of the street brimming with ripe blackberries. This bush gave off handfuls every week and would be a frequent stop back from the gym. But this wasn’t the only place we found them. On a picnic up in the high hill mountains, we found many a berry walking around.

Like figs, apples, grapes, and limes?

If you are a fig lover or are willing to try fresh figs, then this place would be heaven. Fig trees are literally everywhere. We would walk to get pizza, then find a fig tree along the road. On the lungomare? Watch out for fig trees. Stopping for a coffee somewhere and fancy a plump and juicy, sweet fig? Have someone hold your legs as you teeter over the banister to grab the best treat (don’t do anything that could hurt you). It is also not uncommon to see apple trees, grapes, and I feel like there was a lime tree on every corner!

How about cactus fruit?

Even more prevalent, and in a way, surprising, was the abundance of plump, juicy (and prickly) cactus fruit (which are sooo good).

Quick PSA

Please remember to ALWAYS wash any fruit you pick prior to eating to rinse off any dirt or pesticides (some places spray for mosquitos in the summer) that may be present from the environment.

Nap-culture is real

If you think you are going to quickly pop in a store in the afternoon to grab a few things, think again! The midday lunch and nap culture is a very real thing here. People typically go to work in the morning for a few hours at first. Afterwards, they go home for a big lunch that yes, is (I can confirm) full of pasta (as just a course) and then sleep it off. Post-nap, they return to their stores for a few hours until closing in the evening. During summer, instead of sleeping off a hearty lunch, some may opt to use their lunch time to go to the beach. After all, everything is in walking distance (but many still drive anyways).

I always heard about some areas in Europe that do this (a similar thing happens in areas of Spain… you may have heard of the famed afternoon “siesta”), but it felt so unreal until I experienced it. Coming from a big city lifestyle in NYC where everything is open all the time, every day of the week, you just assume that everything is also open – all of the damn time. Most stores close between the hours of 1-4 PM on the daily to accommodate. This often also extends to restaurants where they close after lunch until dinner time (as we found out over and over again on an empty stomach).

Visiting Trebisacce

When to visit Trebisacce

Hands down, the best time of the year to visit is the summer. You want to be in these smaller towns when the weather is warm or hot so that you can utilize the beach. Don’t get me wrong, there are many other things to do in the area, a short drive away. But, there is also nothing like being out enjoying a beautiful day, followed by a beautiful sunset in perfectly warm water. And for all you sand-haters out there, most of the beaches here consist of small to medium rocks or pebbles. Additionally, many business along lungomare’s are only seasonal, so there just isn’t that much activity otherwise.

Staying in Trebisacce: Accommodation & location

There are a couple different accommodation options in Trebisacce. Even for a small town, they have a few hotels to choose from (the summer season really drives a lot of business here), and most are located in the lower part of the town along the lungomare. Also keep your eyes open for some small B&Bs.

If you thrive in being in the thick of it all and want that sea-view, get a place off the lungomare. In a sea-facing unit, you will be able to feel like you are a part of the party in the summer. If you are visiting and would like somewhere quiet to stay, but close to the beach choose either far-end of the lungomare.

To my knowledge, it is not possible to find an accommodation in the Old Town. However, I’m sure it is possible that someone may put up a room or two, so be sure to check on a site such as AirBnB or Vrbo.

Closing thoughts

Trebisacce would be a great town to stop by on a road trip along the coast to get a little R&R. It is filled with warm people, a lovely beach lined with lidos and some great food that you wouldn’t get back home!