Favazzina: the fishing hamlet between Scilla and Bagnara

Favazzina is a small coastal hamlet of the municipality of Scilla, squeezed between the Tyrrhenian railway, the first slopes of the Aspromonte and a pebble beach. It began as a fishing settlement and still keeps that small scale today: a few streets running parallel to the coast, the sea opening right in front of the houses, and a station that sits literally on the shore.

Above the village runs the Sfalassà viaduct, one of the highest motorway bridges in Europe, visible from several points in the hamlet. Favazzina has neither Scilla's historic heritage nor Bagnara Calabra's amenities, but it shares the railway and the Costa Viola landscape with both, remaining a quiet base for those who want the sea without the mass tourism of the nearby towns.

The fishing hamlet on the railway

Favazzina is a hamlet of Scilla facing the Tyrrhenian Sea, crossed by the railway line that runs up the coast from Villa San Giovanni toward Naples. Here the track runs almost right against the water: the small station stands a few steps from the shore, one of the stretches where the train hugs the sea most closely along the entire Calabrian Tyrrhenian line.

The village began as a fishing settlement, grown within a narrow strip between the tracks, the SS18 road and the first slopes rising steeply toward the Aspromonte. The houses line up in rows parallel to the coast, with few cross-lanes and a simple layout, without the denser historic fabric of Scilla or Bagnara. Today fishing remains a minor activity, practised by a few families with small boats pulled up on the beach, while much of the hamlet's life revolves around summer and the bathers who arrive by train or by car along the state road.

The beach and sea of Favazzina

The beach at Favazzina is fine gravel and pebbles, squeezed between the railway and the open sea, with the seabed already dropping off steeply just a few metres from shore. There are no widespread beach clubs like in Scilla: access is more free-form, with stretches of unmanaged shore alternating with a few equipped spots in summer.

The rocky seabed and clear water make it a discreet spot for swimming or snorkelling away from the crowds. Even in high season the village stays quiet compared with nearby towns: there is no long, developed seafront promenade or organised nightlife, and the beach fills up mostly on July and August weekends with bathers arriving from Scilla and Bagnara Calabra. The coastline continues north into a series of coves reachable only on foot or by boat, where the Costa Viola landscape, with its headlands dropping straight into the sea, is at its best.

The Sfalassà viaduct above the valley

Above Favazzina, among the mountains sloping down to the sea, runs the Sfalassà viaduct: a motorway bridge on the A2 Mediterranean highway that spans the fiumara of the same name with a single large steel arch. The road deck hangs about 254 metres above the valley floor, a height that places it among the tallest bridges in Europe and still makes it the tallest thrust-arch bridge in the world.

Built to a design by engineer Silvano Zorzi and opened to traffic in December 1972, it is visible from several points in the hamlet and the coast below, a recognisable landmark when looking inland. Drivers crossing between Bagnara and Scilla barely notice it, but from the ground, from the beach or the lanes above the village, its height over the valley is striking and it remains one of the most photographed features of this stretch of coast.

Between Scilla and Bagnara, without the crowds

Favazzina sits halfway between two better-known Costa Viola towns. Scilla is a few kilometres to the south, with its historic centre and Chianalea, the fishing quarter whose houses stand right at the water's edge; Bagnara Calabra lies close by to the north, known for swordfish fishing and its street fishmongers. Favazzina has neither the monumental heritage nor the shops of the two towns, but it shares their landscape and railway line, with frequent connections that make getting around without a car easy.

For those staying in the area, the hamlet works well as a midway stop: a morning at the sea away from the busier spots, with Scilla and Bagnara Calabra just minutes away by train or car for lunch, shopping or a walk through their respective old town centres. It's a way to experience the Costa Viola at a slower pace, without having to pick a single village as a fixed base.

The calm of a place off the beaten track

Compared with Scilla, which draws considerable summer tourism between the Chianalea district and the Ruffo Castle, Favazzina remains a minor place with no large visitor numbers. There are no notable hotels or a structured range of accommodation: those who choose it come for a few hours of quiet sea, often as a day trip, or to stay in a rented house in the area during the summer holidays.

The village runs at a slow pace, marked by the passing of regional trains and the few businesses open along the state road. It's a good base for those seeking the Costa Viola without the summer queues of the better-known towns, with the understanding that services stay basic and are concentrated in July and August, while for the rest of the year the hamlet goes back to being almost just a place people pass through along the railway line.

How to get to Favazzina

By car, Favazzina is reached from the A2 Mediterraneo motorway, exiting at the Scilla or Bagnara Calabra toll booth and continuing along the SS18 Tirrena Inferiore state road, which runs through the hamlet. It's one of the rare coastal villages where the train is a genuine alternative: Favazzina station, on the Villa San Giovanni-Battipaglia line, is served by regional trains connecting the village to Scilla in a few minutes and to Reggio Calabria and Villa San Giovanni with frequent services throughout the day.

The station building stands right by the beach, with an underpass leading straight onto the shore: you step off the train and are in the water within a couple of minutes. By air, the nearest airport is Reggio Calabria, followed by Lamezia Terme, both connected to the Tyrrhenian coast via the A2 motorway or, for those arriving from Sicily, via the ferries from Messina to Villa San Giovanni.

What to see nearby

From Favazzina, some of the most distinctive spots on the Costa Viola are just minutes away. To the south, Chianalea di Scilla is the fishing quarter whose houses stand on the rocks, one of the most photographed places on the Calabrian Tyrrhenian coast; Scilla also carries the history and legends tied to the myth of Scylla and Charybdis, which here have a precise geographical reference in the Strait facing it.

Those looking for wilder coastline can head up to the Sentiero del Tracciolino, the former railway route between Palmi, Seminara and Bagnara now walkable through tunnels and sea views, or choose among the other beaches of the Costa Viola, each different in seabed and outlook. For those arriving from the Strait side, Villa San Giovanni remains the reference point for ferries to Sicily and a good starting point for exploring the whole area, from the Reggio Calabria museum to the villages of the Aspromonte hinterland.

Where to stay: holiday homes on the Costa Viola

For a stay in this part of the Costa Viola, Favazzina works well as one of the stops to plan for while staying in a holiday home between Scilla and Bagnara Calabra. A two-room flat or an apartment with a sea view gives you the freedom to organise your days as you like: breakfast on your own schedule, a morning dip at Favazzina beach, lunch in Bagnara or an evening in Chianalea, without a hotel's fixed hours.

For families with children, an apartment is often the most practical solution, with room to cook and move around calmly between the different hamlets along the coast, avoiding the summer traffic of the busier towns. Check availability for holiday homes on the Costa Viola and send us a direct request to plan your stay for the period you prefer.

Frequently asked questions about Favazzina

How far is Favazzina from the centre of Scilla?
About 5 kilometres, a few minutes by train or car along the SS18 state road.

Is Favazzina beach free to access?
Yes, most of the shore is free, with a few equipped spots in the summer months.

Can you see the Sfalassà viaduct from Favazzina?
Yes, the motorway bridge is visible looking inland from the higher points of the hamlet and from the beach.

How do you get to Favazzina by train?
The station is a few steps from the sea, on the Villa San Giovanni-Battipaglia line, with frequent regional connections to Scilla and Reggio Calabria.

Where can you park in Favazzina?
Along the SS18 state road and in the village's side streets, with more availability outside summer weekends.

Is there nightlife in Favazzina?
No, the hamlet stays quiet even in summer: for the evening it's better to head to Scilla or Bagnara Calabra.

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