The pretty little-known Italian town that is always overlooked by tourists – but is much more affordable

“RELAX and let the ocean revive you,” the therapist says, as she slathers my skin in gel.

It has a distinct seaweed aroma due to one of its main ingredients, algae, which is rich in vitamins and minerals.

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I’m on a beachside spa cabana and fittingly the soundtrack to accompany this lovely marine-based treatment is the lap of gentle waves.

Capovaticano Resort and Thalasso (seawater) Spa takes its name from the small hamlet of coves, beaches and homes scattered amid a cactus-dotted landscape that sits five miles from Tropea in Calabria, far south on Italy’s “toe” at the very end of the country’s famous “boot”.

The glimpse of a spearmint-blue Tyrrhenian Sea lapping the resort’s small beach is a sight for sore eyes, as is Capovaticano’s gorgeous spa.

I’m willing to bet that Tropea is the most attractive town in Italy you’ve never heard of.

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It won the title of Italy’s much-coveted Borgo dei Borghi (village of villages) in 2022 and yet remains pretty much off the tourist radar, making it a bargain compared with other popular Italian hotspots.

This proves that when it comes to a cost-effective wellness break in a swanky Italian spa, location is key.

The restorative benefits of bathing in seawater include relief to both psychological and physical ailments, and there are various spa packages on offer at an additional cost.

However, as all resort guests are free to make use of the heated seawater pools, sauna, steam room, hydro-massage pools, cold water plunge pools, and sensory showers (collectively known as the Thalassotherapy path), you don’t need to spend one Euro extra.

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During summer months northern Italian holidaymakers are lured to Tropea for its stunning beaches (which are among Italy’s cleanest) and top-notch restaurants — try the chewy local pasta fileja, rolled on a wire into an elongated, slightly curved shape and served with ’nduja, the region’s spicy sausage.

The town can get a little busy during July and August — although that doesn’t detract from its beauty.

The beaches of La Rotonda and Mari Picciulu prove to be favourites, due to their family-friendly calm waters and shallow natural pools, ideal for cooling off in.

Although Capovaticano Resort’s beach isn’t private, it is remarkably quiet and in the early morning I take a pre-breakfast stroll along honey-coloured sands while enjoying views out to the island of Sicily and to the cone-shaped volcanic island of Stromboli, where wisps of smoke curl at its summit.

Picture perfect

Mornings are spent at the picture-perfect, palm-fringed, saltwater pool, which is warmed solely by the sun, so a little bracing when first getting in.

Hugged by rich, red, volcanic hills, peppered with spiky cactus, the resort has a Palm Springs vibe, and this stark, stylish beauty is reflected in the bedrooms with their neutral colour-schemes and uncluttered spaces that help you quickly unwind.

Tropea is near enough to visit on a whim (catch a local taxi if you’ve not hired a car) where activities are also pleasingly low-key.

A highlight is watching the sunset from the square of Afficione del Cannone (named for the canon that provides a climbing frame for local kids), while enjoying a gelato from nearby Nona Rosa’s.

With map firmly shut, I get happily lost in the town’s quiet streets, lined with 18th century palazzi, pausing to pay my respects to the town’s patron saint, Our Lady of Romania (credited as defender against earthquakes, or so the story goes), in the pretty Norman cathedral.

I save my spa visits for late in the day, enjoying a swim in the outdoor, heated saltwater pool while watching bats flit between moonlit palms, before I head to dinner.

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As half-board is such good value, most guests opt to dine at Il Mantineo, the resort’s specialist Calabrian restaurant, where I order fresh-off-the-boat lightly battered whole sardines, followed by rustic paccheri, a large tubular pasta served with braised pork.

Luckily the Italians have a saying, “Il buon vino fa buon sangue” (good wine makes good blood), so I raise a toast of salute to a “wellness path” that doesn’t make you feel guilty for enjoying a glass or two.