Tonnara Beach and Olive Tree Rock

The Tonnara beach in Palmi owes its name to the ancient tuna fishery that stood there in the 20th century. It is one of the most beautiful in Calabria, at the foot of Monte Sant'Elia, along the so-called Costa Viola. Delimited to the south by a series of rocks, the most characteristic of which is the famous Olive Tree Rock, a symbol of palm trees and the coast, it offers a sea bed of sand or small pebbles. The rock (also known as l'ulivarella), is so called because of an olive tree that stands on top of it and, according to botanists, is more than 400 years old and grew there spontaneously. Around it there are several sea caves that can be reached by swimming and by boat. Among the best known are the Grotta delle Sirene, the Grotta dell'Arcudace and the Grotta Perciata.