Capo Vaticano, about 12 kilometres south of Tropea by road, is the most dramatic headland on the Coast of the Gods — a rocky promontory rising to a lighthouse above a series of coves and beaches that are among the finest in Calabria. The water here is extraordinarily clear, sheltered by the cape from the open sea, and the coves at Santa Maria and Grotticelle attract snorkellers and divers as well as swimmers.
The view from the lighthouse across the Aeolian Islands — Stromboli, Lipari, Vulcano rising from the sea to the southwest — is at its best in clear weather, which the cape gets reliably in summer. Several beach clubs operate in the coves below; paths descend from the road to the water. By moped or car from Tropea takes 20 minutes; there is also a summer boat service from Tropea harbour.