Isola Di Capo Rizzuto offers two distinct perspectives on travel: the Area Marina Protetta Capo Rizzuto marine protected area and the cultural traces in Le Castella and the town. Along the coast, rocky stretches alternate with fine sandy beaches; the sea is home to the area's protected flora and fauna. There is also an aquarium, underwater routes and historic sites. Which aspects you focus on can depend on whether nature, marine activities or culture are your priorities for your trip.
Coast and marine protected area
In the Area Marina Protetta Capo Rizzuto marine protected area, rocky coastal stretches alternate with fine sandy beaches. The sea is also home to the area's protected flora and fauna. The natural environment can therefore be viewed through its changing coastline and marine habitat: protecting the sea is as much a part of the picture as the coast's different stretches.
Different perspectives on the sea
The options differ in form. The CEAM Aquarium has an educational lab for children and a touch pool. Divers can choose from 15 underwater routes in the Area Marina Protetta Capo Rizzuto marine protected area. Another specific diving site is the Gunny wreck: it lies in the shallows of Capo Rizzuto at a depth of 24 metres. These details answer different questions: the 15 routes describe the choice available in the marine protected area, while the depth refers to the Gunny dive site.
An offer notice updated on 18 September 2025 lists various Aquavision excursions in a glass-bottom boat in the marine protected area from April to October. There are also educational trails with activities in the Le Castella district during the school term. The time frames offer different planning considerations: the boat excursions are listed for April to October, and the educational trails for the school term. Check before your trip whether the offers fit your dates.
Fortress and town history
The Fortezza di Le Castella stands on a small island connected to the mainland by a narrow strip of land. It is part of the protected Area Marina Protetta di Capo Rizzuto. Archaeological investigations at the Fortezza uncovered Bronze Age pottery and remains of a Greek fortified military outpost. The site thus brings together finds from two distinct historical contexts.
The town walls of Isola Di Capo Rizzuto also offer specific details about fortification architecture. They were reinforced with bastions and had two gates: the Porta Magna, also known as the Porta di Terra, and the Porta della Marina. The bastions and the two named gates offer a different view of history from the archaeological finds at Le Castella.
Everyday life, crafts and religious sites
The Museo civico demologico dell’economia del lavoro e della storia sociale in Palazzo Barracco displays objects from rural daily life and crafts. These include a 16th-century olive press and a 19th-century ox cart. The collection's focus therefore differs from architecture and archaeology: it draws attention to objects from everyday life and to crafts.
Another cultural point of interest is the Santuario della Madonna Greca in the Capo Rizzuto district of Isola Di Capo Rizzuto. This gives you a range of different themes to choose from: marine nature and activities, archaeological finds, fortification architecture, rural daily life and a religious site. You can consider these separately without having to combine them into a fixed order of visits.
Discover more destinations
Discover more destinations: Capo Rizzuto, Crotone, Santa Severina, Cotronei, Le Castella, San Nicola Dell'alto, Roccabernarda, Caccuri
For the overview of the wider area: Crotone.
