Tropea: 3 Days

May 20, 2026

Tropea: 3 Days

I ended up staying in Tropea for three nights at the only hostel in town, the Pangea Tropea hostel that’s owned and operated by an American named Darren.

Tropea is known for the Cipolla Rossa di Tropea, or the sweet red onions. It’s also known for 'Nduja, a spicy, spreadable pork salami. I didn’t think too much of it, but the cipolla is really good on pizza. Also the seafood is very fresh. I tried an octopus burger that was really good.

I met some travelers on the first night of my arrival. Ayoub is a talkative young guy from Morocco and lives in Florence. Camila is from Argentina and works as an architect and a teacher. Emilyann is from Quebec, Canada, and is a bit shy. Sharief is from India and works in Germany.

The only thing I did on the first day was to see the sunset at Piazza del Cannone. It was my first time seeing the sunset in Italy and it was worth it.

I spent the next day with Camila and Ayoub at the beach then took a nap in the afternoon. Such is the joy of relaxation, exactly what I was looking for after Naples and Rome.

However, in the middle of the night around 3 AM, I heard a loud thud and Ayoub screaming. He fell from the steps down from his bed and dislocated his left shoulder. He asked me to pop his shoulder back in, but I wasn’t able to because I’m not a doctor. I also read on Google that a doctor should do it in case something goes wrong and the nerves get damaged. Camila tried to call the hospital, but her phone didn’t work. A Swiss girl named Lea was able to call the emergency number and get an ambulance over. One of the medics was able to fix Ayoub’s shoulder by popping it back into place. Finally at around 4 AM, everything settled and everyone went back to sleep. What a night it was!

The next morning, Camila and Ayoub took the train to their destinations, Palermo and Florence, respectively. I might see Camila again since I’m going to Palermo next.

I spent the afternoon with Lea walking around the town and going to Santuario di Santa Maria dell'Isola di Tropea, a monastery that’s on top of a outlook. When we got back to the hostel I was so tired and took a nap. After my nap, my head started to hurt so I skipped dinner and slept for the night while everyone else went partying.

Today will be a travel day. I’m taking the 11:35 AM train from Tropea to Palermo. It’ll take over seven hours since the train will go on a ferry to get to Sicily and make frequent stops. I hope to reach the hostel in Palermo before sunset.