# Praia a Mare

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Comune in Calabria, Italy

Praia a Mare Comune Comune di Praia a Mare Coat of arms Praia a Mare Location of Praia a Mare in Italy Show map of Italy Praia a Mare Praia a Mare (Calabria) Show map of Calabria Coordinates: 39°55′N 15°46′E / 39.917°N 15.767°E / 39.917; 15.767 Country Italy Region Calabria Province Cosenza (CS) Frazioni Fiuzzi, Foresta, Laccata Government • Mayor Antonino de Lorenzo Area [1] • Total 23.59 km2 (9.11 sq mi) Elevation 5 m (16 ft) Population (31 May 2010[3])[2] • Total 6,805 • Density 288.5/km2 (747.1/sq mi) Demonym Praiesi Time zone UTC+1 (CET) • Summer (DST) UTC+2 (CEST) Postal code 87028 Dialing code 0985 Patron saint Madonna of the Grotto Saint day 15 August Website Official website

**Praia a Mare** (Italian: [\[ˈpraːja a mˈmaːre\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA/Italian)) is a town and *[comune](/source/Comune)* of the [province of Cosenza](/source/Province_of_Cosenza) in the [Calabria](/source/Calabria) region of [Italy](/source/Italy). It is a beach resort on the [Tyrrhenian Sea](/source/Tyrrhenian_Sea).

## Geography

The 2 km long beach is the main attraction for tourists. It is sandy at its northern end but increasingly pebbly moving southwards. During the summer months, the beach is divided into about 50 lidos, although intermittently there are unprotected slivers of beach open to the public at no cost.

At the southern end of the town, about 100 m from shore sits a rock outcrop called Dino Island which features a number of large sea caves, accessible by small craft and paddle boats. At the most southerly extremity of the beach, a medieval tower, built by [Byzantine](/source/Byzantine) forces to guard the coast, sits on an outcropping of volcanic rock with a commanding view of the sea approaches to Praia a Mare.

The beach in winter, with Dino Island in the background

About 50 meters up the slopes of a mountain that rises precipitously above the town is another large cave complex, also carved by wave action several million years ago, inside of which is a completely built church of [Madonna della Grotta](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Madonna_della_Grotta&action=edit&redlink=1), and an open air [sanctuary](/source/Sanctuary). Both the church and sanctuary are both in use today. Other sights include the *[Rocca](/source/Rocca_(architecture))* (14th century), built by the [Normans](/source/Italo-Normans), and the 16th century *Fortino* ("Small Fort").

The cave church of [Madonna della Grotta](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Madonna_della_Grotta&action=edit&redlink=1)

Near the sanctuary is the site of an archaeological excavations: findings include bones of a prehistoric shark.

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-wikidata-16139ca327c50d72c40d8c5fd3abe706b989650e-v20_1-0)** ["Superficie di Comuni Province e Regioni italiane al 9 ottobre 2011"](https://www.istat.it/it/archivio/156224). Italian National Institute of Statistics. Retrieved 16 March 2019.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-wikidata-6c4193b2686f905553042f4ae1ae4934aea078c8-v20_2-0)** ["Popolazione Residente al 1° Gennaio 2018"](http://demo.istat.it/pop2018/index3.html). Italian National Institute of Statistics. Retrieved 16 March 2019.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Data from [Istat](/source/National_Institute_of_Statistics_(Italy))

v t e Calabria · Comuni of the Province of Cosenza Acquaformosa Acquappesa Acri Aiello Calabro Aieta Albidona Alessandria del Carretto Altilia Altomonte Amantea Amendolara Aprigliano Belmonte Calabro Belsito Belvedere Marittimo Bianchi Bisignano Bocchigliero Bonifati Buonvicino Calopezzati Caloveto Campana Canna Cariati Carolei Carpanzano Casali del Manco Cassano all'Ionio Castiglione Cosentino Castrolibero Castroregio Castrovillari Celico Cellara Cerchiara di Calabria Cerisano Cervicati Cerzeto Cetraro Civita Cleto Colosimi Corigliano-Rossano Cosenza Cropalati Crosia Diamante Dipignano Domanico Fagnano Castello Falconara Albanese Figline Vegliaturo Firmo Fiumefreddo Bruzio Francavilla Marittima Frascineto Fuscaldo Grimaldi Grisolia Guardia Piemontese Lago Laino Borgo Laino Castello Lappano Lattarico Longobardi Longobucco Lungro Luzzi Maierà Malito Malvito Mandatoriccio Mangone Marano Marchesato Marano Principato Marzi Mendicino Mongrassano Montalto Uffugo Montegiordano Morano Calabro Mormanno Mottafollone Nocara Oriolo Orsomarso Paludi Panettieri Paola Papasidero Parenti Paterno Calabro Pedivigliano Piane Crati Pietrafitta Pietrapaola Plataci Praia a Mare Rende Rocca Imperiale Roggiano Gravina Rogliano Rose Roseto Capo Spulico Rota Greca Rovito San Basile San Benedetto Ullano San Cosmo Albanese San Demetrio Corone San Donato di Ninea San Fili San Giorgio Albanese San Giovanni in Fiore San Lorenzo Bellizzi San Lorenzo del Vallo San Lucido San Marco Argentano San Martino di Finita San Nicola Arcella San Pietro in Amantea San Pietro in Guarano San Sosti San Vincenzo La Costa Sangineto Sant'Agata di Esaro Santa Caterina Albanese Santa Domenica Talao Santa Maria del Cedro Santa Sofia d'Epiro Santo Stefano di Rogliano Saracena Scala Coeli Scalea Scigliano Serra d'Aiello Spezzano Albanese Spezzano della Sila Tarsia Terranova da Sibari Terravecchia Torano Castello Tortora Trebisacce Vaccarizzo Albanese Verbicaro Villapiana Zumpano

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Praia a Mare](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Praia_a_Mare) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Praia_a_Mare?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.