Areas of Scalea

Scalea is a city located in the Calabria region, in the province of Cosenza, almost on the border with the more northern Italian region of Basilicata. The city is located on the seashore and residential development begins right from the coast, while from the most remote areas to the sea there are no more than 3 kilometers, and from the vast majority of areas - 500-1500 meters. The city stretches along the coast for about 7 kilometers, which is the same length as Skaleia Beach.

The neighboring coastal towns from the north are San Nicola Arcella, Praia A Mare and Tortora (3-7 km away), a little further 15 km - Maratea (this is the Basilicata region), in the south Scalea directly borders Santa Maria del Cedro, and 10 km to the south is the town of Diamante, another 10 km to the south is Belvedere Marittimo.

At a distance of approximately 5-6 km from Scalea inland is the town of San Domenica Talao, and within 10-20 km are Orsomarso, Trecchina, Rivello, Grisolia, Maiera, Verbicaro. All of these cities are easily accessible by car or regular buses (running almost every hour) along excellent quality roads.

How to get to Scalea

Scalea can be reached by car, and you enter the city along the main street Mediterranean Course (Mediterranean Avenue), which runs literally 100 meters from the sea.

From Rome and Naples (as well as from almost any Italian city) you can come to Scalea by train. The station is called Scalea - San Domenica Talao and is located approximately 1 km from the sea.

Railway line in Scalea

The railway line runs along the sea in Scalea it runs about 1 km from the coast and seems to divide the city into two parts.

The eastern part of the city is located behind the railway line. These are the areas of Piano Lettieri, part of the Monticello area, and the Forester area. Moreover, the terrain rises towards the sea, so in these more remote areas there are houses with panoramic views. The distance to the sea is 1000-3000 meters, about the same to the city center.

Property in Scalea behind the railway line is cheaper than before the railway line near the center. These areas are mainly touristic, there is a small local population, so in winter many houses are empty. Because these areas are at higher elevations, they are cooler in summer than in the center of Scalea.

The average price of apartments in the Piano Lettieri, Forester area is 500-700 euros per sq.m. In the most remote areas, behind the hotel Panorama Family Club There are offers of apartments at even lower prices, approximately 400-500 euros per sq.m.

Property near the railway line

Real estate near the railway line (towards the sea) near the railway station is more expensive, prices are about 700-900 euros per sq.m.

The areas to the railway line from the train station to the north, along Lauro, Fiume Lao and Corso Mediterraneo streets - to Piazzza Caloprese and the pedestrian promenade via Michele Bianchi - this is the flat part of Scalea, the modern city center, inhabited all year round.

In summer there are a lot of people here, a lot of cars. There are shops, shopping centers and offices here. Most residential buildings are four to five stories high and are located in condominiums. Distance to the sea 200-800 meters. Cost sq.m. here 800-900 euros.

A little cheaper (700-800 euros per sq.m.) is property located south of the station at a distance of 1000-1500 meters.

Southern regions

Even further south - at a distance of 2 to 4 km from the railway station and from 500 to 3000 m from the sea are the southernmost lowland areas of Scalea:

• Poggio Fiorito (villas and townhouses)
• Swamp
• San Angeli
• The Bruca
• VIP Club
• Business

Compared to the center, there are few local residents here, and the infrastructure is also not very developed. In summer, most of the holidaymakers are Neapolitans, especially in the Pantano area.

Property prices here are among the lowest in Scalea - from 500 to a maximum of 700 euros per sq.m.

Tourist area of Monticello

Not far from the center is another tourist area of Scalea - Monticello, or rather its part, which is located before the railway line, at a distance of about 800 meters from the sea.

These are the streets of Giuseppe Oliva and Gaetano Oliva. To the city center (promenade via Michele Bianchi and Piazza Caloprese) - about 200 meters, to the station - about 600.

The area is located on a hill, so the houses are like terraces, so almost all apartments in this area have very beautiful panoramic views of the sea and the old city.

The area is very popular among Russian buyers, of whom there are many owners. However, the appearance of the houses leaves much to be desired most houses require plastering and painting work.

The fact is that quite a large part of the apartments found proper owners quite recently, literally 3-5 years ago, at the beginning of the Russian boom in Scalea.

This area was built in the 80s, the developers had debts, went through bankruptcy proceedings, apartments were sold through auctions, so for a long time many apartments were without owners, no one paid condominium fees, no one did external repairs.

Now the area is actively populated. Prices, initially inexpensive, have increased recently.

• Apartments with good panoramic terraces can cost up to 1000 euros per sq.m.
• Prices for apartments with more modest views are the usual for Scalea 700-900 euros per sq.m.

On some websites you can find offers for apartments in this area for even 2,000 euros per sq.m. Don't buy at these prices. Nothing in Scalea costs that kind of money. There are no such prices in our city!

Maximum property prices in Scalea

The maximum prices in Scalea today (2025) are probably 1200 euros per sq.m. and not in this area.

This cost is:

• Some (most attractive location) apartments in Baia del Carpino
• Panoramic apartments in the historical part of the city
• Apartments on via Panoramica

This price can be for apartments that have recently been renovated and have good new furniture.

And there are few such proposals. Still, the main price range for Scalea is 800-900 euros per m2.

Now let's walk (or drive) along Scalea from north to south

If you came by car from the north, from Rome or Naples. If you turn left before entering the city, you will come to an area called Petroza, it is located on a hill (the first of the three Scalean hills, the other two being the historical center and Monticello), mostly to the left of the road, then the road goes down to flat part of the city. Many apartments and villas in Petroza offer beautiful panoramic views of the sea and mountains, it is quite spacious, the distance between houses is large, the buildings are low-rise and even in summer there is no crowd and fuss. However, this is mainly a tourist area and in summer there are very few permanent residents, practically none. But there are a couple of shops in the area that are open all year round. The distance to the center and the sea is from 300 to 2000 meters, from most houses in Petroza - from 1200 meters (300-500 meters - only from the Terrazze-1 condominiums on via Faro and from via Panoramica). In July-August there is a bus service to the city center.

Prices in Petroza vary as it is a large area, but generally range from 600 to 800 euros per sq.m. There are also more expensive areas (900-1100 euros per sq.m.), for example via Panoramica with stunning sea views, corresponding to the name of the street, in addition, many houses here are permanently inhabited by the local population, the area is very well-groomed. There are both villas and small condominiums, the distance from which to the sea is only 500-800 meters. There are also apartments with panoramic terraces on via Faro in the Le Terrazze condominiums, which are in demand among foreigners. There are areas of villas and townhouses with their own fairly large green area (Parco Roma, 900 euros per sq.m.), there is a closed Meridiana park with a fairly developed internal infrastructure, swimming pools and very well-groomed territory (about 1000-1200 euros per sq.m. ). Among the options with a good price/quality ratio, we can note apartments with large terraces and views of the sea or mountains (on the -2-3 floors) or with a garden on the ground floor in the condominiums il Faro and la Bussola - these are two-three-story buildings at a distance of approximately 1200-1500 m from the sea, spacious territory and prices from 700 to 800 euros per sq.m., as well as townhouses in the Califfa condominium at a price of about 75-85 thousand euros for a 120-meter house.

Before entering the city, literally 1 km before Scalea, you will see on the right, closer to the sea, a sign in the shape of a sail - Baia del Carpino - this is a small village (coastal part of the Petrosa region) right on the seashore in the bay of the same name. There are villas and small houses here. The area is guarded all year round and there are several private beaches. It is quiet here compared to the city, even in high season. The center of Scalea is about 2 km away, so it is better to relax here with a car, although in July and August there is a free bus to the center of Scalea 3-4 times a day, as well as an internal bus around the village. There are no shops, cafes or restaurants here. Property prices here are among the highest in Scalea - from 800 to 1500 euros per sq.m. There is no local population here, the owners of villas and apartments are mostly wealthy Italians from the north of Italy and Rome, who come to relax in the summer and sometimes on weekends.

About 300 meters after entering the city, when you pass Petroza and the road goes down, on the left on the hill you will see historic center - the historical part of Scalea. An ancient stone city with a history of almost a thousand years, where the age of many houses is measured in centuries and each has its own history. This is a city located on a cliff, and its streets, where you can wander for hours, are stairs leading to the top, to the churchChurch of Santa Maria d'Episcopio, built back in the 12th century... This is a year-round inhabited area where your neighbors will be mainly Italians. Prices in the historical center of Scalea start from 1000 euros per sq.m. Here you can buy ruins for restoration, or you can buy fully restored apartments with panoramic views of the sea, within walking distance to the beach and the city center (their prices can be around 1200-1300 euros per m2).

Estimation of the cost per square meter of real estate in Scalea

In conclusion, I would like to note that in order to estimate the cost per square meter of the property you like in the city of Scalea, you may have to arm yourself with a measuring tool such as a tape measure, because:

• Neither the cadastral data for the apartment nor the purchase and sale agreement contains information about the area of the apartment.
• The apartment plan is not at all similar to the exact drawing of the Russian BTI-Rostekhniventarization with exact dimensions.
• In Italian planimetry, most often there are no dimensions at all, and it looks more like a drawing by a primary school student.

However, the planimetry and the purchase and sale agreement indicate which apartments and streets the property you are purchasing borders on. Well, what can you do here? Thats the tradition here.So the information about the area of apartments on the websites of real estate agencies in Scalea is approximate.

Calculation of commercial space in Italy

When calculating the so-called commercial area of real estate in Italy, it is this area that is implied in this article when assessing the cost per square meter of residential property in Scalea, to the internal area of the apartment, accurately measured with a tape measure, add:

1. 10% - for the area of walls and partitions.
2. The area of terraces, balconies, land plots on the first floors (if you have your own plot) with a correction factor, which is usually equal to 0.3.