The Torre del Cimalonga is the dominant landmark of Scalea's old town, a squat medieval watchtower perched at the very top of the hill above the Tyrrhenian coast. Built by the Byzantines and reinforced by the Normans, the tower served for centuries as the first line of warning against coastal raids, its position giving unobstructed views in every direction along the coastline.
The tower is the heart of the Borgo Antico. Walking up to it through the tangle of lanes and stairways that make up Scalea's old centre is half the point — the route passes under arches, through small piazzas, and along walls that date back to the medieval fortifications. From the base of the tower the panorama across the Tyrrhenian Sea, with the mountains of the Pollino behind, is the best view on this stretch of the Calabrian coast.