Description
The Beach of Innamorata – Capoliveri
This is the last beach with facilities on the southern side of Monte Calamita before you get to the beautiful and very suggestive Costa dei Gabbiani.
The scenery around Innamorata beach is natural and very beautiful , and you can either swim out or take a pedalò to the two tiny Gemini islands on the near left; many different species of fish live on the sea bed, so it is very popular among scuba divers.
In the past this beach, 280 metres long, was known as “Cala de lo fero” (“Iron cove”) because of its mineral origins. It consists of sand and small, reddish shingle, and the sea, facing south westwards, is crystal clear; in the distance you have the breathtaking sunsets over Monte Capanne.
Half the beach is free, while there are bathing establishments on the other half that are perfect for those who want all the comforts as well as getting the chance of taking part in any of the numerous water sports available.
On your left, there is also a small, separate beach right opposite the tiny Gemini Islands, and even today there are still very clear traces of the mining activity of the past, in the heart of the lush Mediterranean bush.
Every year, on the evening of July 14th, hundreds of candles light up the entire beach, while a procession wearing Medieval costumes relives the Legend of the Betrothed (“Leggenda dell’Innamorata”); legend has it that in 1534, a young girl by the name of Maria committed suicide by jumping off the rock known today as “La Ciarpa” (from the Italian “sciarpa”, or scarf) into the sea when she saw that the man she was to marry, Lorenzo, had been captured and killed by the pirate Barbarossa, and his body then thrown into the sea; when she jumped, her shawl got caught in the rock, hence the name.
If you feel like going for a sail along the Costa dei Gabbiani, you can hire a boat at Innamorata beach; not only will you see the obvious, mining traces of the past, but you will also be able to get to the breathtakingly beautiful beaches that would otherwise remain hidden.
From Capoliveri, follow the signs for Pareti – Innamorata for 4 kilometres. During the summer a shuttle bus service run by the Capoliveri Town Council takes you to and from the beach.
