Praia a Mare and the Island of Dino

Praia a Mare is a coastal resort town at the northern tip of Cosenza Province, Calabria, on the Tyrrhenian shore where the Calabrian coast meets the border with Basilicata, and is known primarily for the Isola di Dino — a small uninhabited sea-stack island approximately 300 metres offshore, accessible only by boat, whose coastline is riddled with sea caves, grottos, and arches carved into its limestone base by wave action over millennia. The largest of the caves, the Grotta Azzurra (Blue Grotto) on the island's northern face, fills with refracted blue light similar to the famous Blue Grotto of Capri when visited in the mid-morning, creating an intense turquoise illumination from sunlight entering through an underwater entrance. Boat operators at the Praia a Mare beach and the small harbour run 30-minute excursions around the island from May through September, with stops at the main caves including the Grotta di Pietrasanta, which contains a small statue of the Madonna venerated by local fishermen, and the Grotta dei Colombi. The Isola di Dino has protected status and landing on the island itself is generally not permitted. The town of Praia a Mare behind the beach is a conventional Calabrian family resort; the sandy beach that fronts the town stretches several kilometres and provides direct views of the island offshore. The sea between the shore and the island is calm and shallow, popular for kayaking and paddleboarding. Mount Picchiarello, rising immediately behind the town, provides a backdrop of forested limestone cliffs to the resort setting. Praia a Mare is on the Tyrrhenian railway line with regular connections to Sapri in Campania to the north and to Paola and Cosenza to the south.