In 1284 Charles 1 of Anjou gave a local count, Pietro Ruffo, the town of Cotrone. Cotrone, now a feudal gift, had a long and glorious past going back to the siege of Troy. Hey, you at ItaliaPlease, I can hear the more observant readers say, surely you mean Crotone, in the province of Catanzaro!
Well, good readers, we are both right. Crotone is none other than Cotrone, and indeed was known as such up until 1928. Cotrone, not Crotone, was the birthplace of the illustrious yet little-known philosopher Filolaos, who drew up the Copernican planetary system some 2,000 years before Copernicus himself!
Sailors know Crotone as the only port on Calabria's Ionian coast. It's a charming town and well worth a visit. Take a stroll up to the Castello Aragonese, a ninth century stronghold which looms over the town and port.
Hungry? It has to be fish, and my goodness such fish at such prices I have never eaten before! Go to Lido degli Scogli, in Via per Capocolonna (telephone: +39-0962-28625/25762). House specialities and local wine are all excellent. And if you need to put your feet up after the feast then look no further.

1. CROTONE's PORTS
Information at a glance on Crotone's two ports: Porto Vecchio and Porto Nuovo (commercial ships only). In Italian but easy-to-understand (even for the linguistically challenged).

2. SAILING
Federvela.it
Learn to sail with the
Italian Sailing Federation in Calabria. Courses for beginners and experts.

3. INFORMATION
Weather Forecast

Tourism
Crotone A practical guide to Crotone, full of information and tourist resources.
Hotels
Restaurants

4. FUN FACT
Go sailing along the coast south of Crotone to the unspoilt beach of Soverato where you can dive into the crystal-clear waters of the Capo Rizzuto marine reserve.