Chianalea di Scilla: the fishing village built on the water

Chianalea is the oldest part of Scilla: a strip of fishermen’s houses built right at the water’s edge, on the side of the headland opposite the Marina Grande beach. The façades rest on the rocks, boats moor below the windows, and between the buildings run alleys just a few paces wide that end in steps going straight into the sea.

That layout is the reason for the nickname little Venice, and probably for the name of the district too: the most widely quoted theories trace it back to piano della galea, the boat once used to hunt swordfish, or to canalea, after the channels of water between the houses. The sea trade did not end with the postcards: swordfish are still caught in the Strait from the passerelle boats, and the same fish reaches the tables of the village restaurants.

Here you will find what to see in Chianalea, what to eat, how to arrive without choosing the wrong car park, and the hours when the district is at its best.

Houses on the water and alleys running down to the sea

Chianalea occupies the strip of coast north of the castle headland. The fishermen’s houses stand right at the water’s edge, resting on the rocks: the front door opens onto the alley, the back looks out to sea, and in many places the steps end below the surface. Between the buildings run passages a few paces wide, used for generations to carry nets and gear from the street to the boat. These are the channels that give the district its amphibious character.

The waterfront is not uniform: plastered façades alternate with bare stone walls and projecting balconies, such as the three stacked levels of Palazzo Scategna. The walk is flat, with no climbs, but the lane is narrow and traffic is excluded: Chianalea is visited on foot, a stroll of about twenty minutes from one end to the other.

Why it is called the little Venice

The nickname little Venice has followed Chianalea for decades, and it comes from something concrete: the water reaches in between the houses and the alleys behave like narrow canals. The comparison holds as long as it stays a description, because there are no bridges or gondolas here, only a fishing village that never stopped working the sea.

The place name tells the same story. The most widely quoted theories derive it from piano della galea, the boat once used to hunt swordfish, or from canalea, after the water passages between the buildings.

Two churches face the village street. Santo Spirito dates from 1752 and preserves a wooden choir and polychrome marbles; San Giuseppe, built in 1783 and rebuilt after 1908, is recognisable by its marble portal and is the church tied to the fishermen’s devotion.

Ruffo Castle looking down on the village

Chianalea ends where the rock of Ruffo Castle begins. The fortress occupies the headland that separates the fishermen’s district from the Marina Grande beach, and from almost every alley you see it appear above the roofs: it closes every view to the south.

It takes its name from the Ruffo family, who held it through much of the modern era and turned it from a military post into a noble residence. Today it belongs to the municipality, it is open to visitors and hosts exhibitions and events; on the outermost point stands the lighthouse, still working over the Strait.

The visit is worth it above all for the viewpoint. From the walkways Chianalea reads from above, with boats moored between the houses, the staggered roofs and the Sicilian coast behind: from here you understand how the village grew along a single line, squeezed between rock and sea.

Swordfish fishing, the passerelle boats and the table

Swordfish hunting is the trade that built Chianalea, and in the Strait it is still practised with a technique found nowhere else. The boats are called passerelle: they carry a metal mast twenty to twenty-five metres high, with the spotter at the top, and a gangway of similar length projecting from the bow, at the end of which the harpooner strikes by hand. The season runs from late spring through summer, when the fish move up the Strait to spawn; in the warm months several boats from the port of Scilla take visitors on board.

What comes out of the sea ends up on the tables of the village, where dining rooms facing the water are the rule rather than the exception. The recurring dishes are swordfish alla ghiotta, cooked with tomato, capers and olives, rolls stuffed with breadcrumbs and cheese, and grilled steaks dressed with oil, lemon and oregano. In the alleys you can also eat the swordfish sandwich, which started here as street food.

Evenings, light and when to come

Chianalea changes with the hours. By day it takes in tour groups, who come in at one end and out at the other within an hour; from late afternoon the flow drains away and the district goes back to its residents, to the tables set over the water and to the low light that catches the west-facing façades. That is when it is worth being here: the sun sets behind the Sicilian coast and, when the air is clear, Etna appears at the far end of the Strait.

July and August are the busiest and hottest months, with full restaurants and saturated car parks, especially at weekends. May, June and September offer the same sea with far less pressure, and they are also the months when the passerelle go out to fish.

How to get there and where to leave the car

By train it is simple: Scilla station sits on the Tyrrhenian line, served by regional trains between Reggio Calabria, Villa San Giovanni, Bagnara, Palmi, Gioia Tauro and Rosarno, and it stands a few steps from the Marina Grande beach. From Reggio Calabria Centrale the journey takes about half an hour.

By car you leave the A2 at the Scilla exit and drop down to the town along state road 737, which through two tunnels and a long viaduct joins state road 18 near the sea. Reggio Calabria airport is about thirty kilometres away, Lamezia Terme airport a little over a hundred.

You cannot drive into Chianalea: the district is a limited traffic zone reserved for authorised residents and the lane is no wider than an alley. You leave the car outside, in the Marina Grande areas or in the blue-line spaces in the centre, and continue on foot. From the Marina Grande seafront a pedestrian tunnel cut into the rock leads straight to the entrance of the village, flat and in a few minutes.

What to see nearby

Chianalea is a district, not a full day out: the rest of Scilla starts a hundred metres away, with the Marina Grande beach below the castle and the upper quarter of San Giorgio.

To the north the Costa Viola continues with Bagnara Calabra, another fishing port and the home of torrone nougat, and with the coves of Favazzina, a few minutes away by train. The Tracciolino trail runs halfway up the slope above the sea, along the route of the old ridge road, and links the two sides with an unbroken view over the Strait. Boat trips leave from the port and follow cliffs and caves that are invisible from land: it is the most direct way to see Chianalea from the water, as the fishermen saw it coming home.

To the south, half an hour away by car or train, lies Reggio Calabria, with its promenade over the Strait and the Riace Bronzes in the National Archaeological Museum.

Where to stay: holiday homes in Chianalea and on the Costa Viola

Chianalea is small and the houses facing the water are few: the practical choice is to take a holiday home in Scilla or along the Costa Viola and reach the village on foot or in a few minutes by car. The advantage is about timing even before price: staying nearby puts you in the alleys early in the morning and in the evening, when the day visitors have gone and the district returns to what it really is.

A house leaves you free with space and hours: a kitchen for the fish bought at the port, a terrace for the evening, no breakfast schedule to keep. On the Costa Viola you will find one-bedroom flats for two, right for a short stay, and larger apartments for families, several with a view over the Strait.

Check availability for your dates and send us a direct enquiry: we will help you choose the home that best suits the way you want to experience the village and the coast.

Frequently asked questions about Chianalea

Why is Chianalea called the little Venice?
Because the sea reaches in between the houses and the alleys behave like narrow canals ending in the water. It describes the layout of the village: bridges and gondolas have nothing to do with it.

Can you drive into Chianalea?
No. The district is a limited traffic zone and the passages are only a few metres wide. You park at Marina Grande or in the centre of Scilla and walk in, including through the pedestrian tunnel that starts from the seafront.

How long do you need to visit Chianalea?
The walk from one end to the other takes about twenty minutes. Adding stops at the openings onto the sea, the church of San Giuseppe and the climb to Ruffo Castle easily fills half a day.

When is swordfish caught in the Strait?
From late spring through summer, when the fish move up the Strait to spawn.

What is the best time of day to see Chianalea?
Late afternoon and evening: the day groups have left, the light catches the façades and the restaurants lay their tables over the water.

When is the patron saint of Scilla celebrated?
San Rocco is celebrated around 16 August, with several days of services and processions that also pass through Chianalea and Marina Grande.

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