Diamante Calabria

A quite unique experience awaits visitors making their way in to the historic center of Diamante, popular seaside town on Calabria's Tyrrhenian coast, in the heart of the region's celebrated Riviera dei Cedri. Here, tourists can admire more than 150 colourful murals painted by artists of every possible nationality directly on to the external walls of the houses.

This town, in the province of Cosenza, is particularly loved for the beauty of its rocky, indented coastline and spectacular clear blue sea, which have led to Diamante being known as "pearl of the Tyrrhenian". During the warm summer evenings, holiday makers and locals alike can be seen strolling along the panoramic seafront promenade, lined with bars, restaurants, pizzerias and discotheques.

Diamante is the national head quarters of the Accademia del Peperoncino, organisation responsible for the festival dedicated to the fiery hot pepper held in the town in early September each year, and the museum located within the Palazzo Ducale, in Maierà: small town situated just North of Diamante.

Not to be missed: a trip to Cirella, islet home to a wealth of Roman ruins, where the viceroy of Naples ordered that the square watch tower, known as the Torre di Cirella, be built so as to guard against Saracen and pirate attack.