DINO ISLAND
Standing proudly just off the coast of Praia a Mare, Dino Island is the largest of Calabria’s islands. Its name may derive from the ancient Greek word dina-dinè, meaning whirlwind or storm. Sailors once feared the small gulf between the island and Punta di Scalea for its sudden, violent sea surges that made navigation treacherous.
Others prefer a more romantic theory: the name comes from a lost temple known as Aedina, supposedly built on the island by Aeneas, son of Venus and Anchises. According to 18th-century Aietan scholars, this was the very sea where Aeneas sailed and where his helmsman Palinurus was lost. In their version, “Dino” evolved from the Latin Aedes (temple) and its diminutive form Aedina, ultimately becoming the name we know today: Isola Dino.
The island is shaped like an ellipsoid, about 1 km long (east to west) and 500 meters wide, covering an area of 40 hectares. Its upper side is densely covered with Mediterranean scrub. The northern side features a vertical cliff dropping nearly 70 meters into the sea, while the southern side slopes more gently toward the water, ending in a wide rocky platform.
Dino Island is a Site of Community Interest (SCI) with over 300 species of plants. Its limestone shores are shaped by sea erosion, forming spectacular caves above and below sea level. Stalactites and stalagmites create natural sculptures that are unmatched along the Calabrian coast.
According to tradition, the hermit Saint Isernius lived here in the 5th century. During the Iconoclast crisis under Leo III the Isaurian, many monks settled in this area. Between the 9th and 10th centuries, the Monastery of Saint Nicholas De Signa (or De Dina) was built on the island and later donated in 1065 to the monks of Santa Maria d’Acquaformosa. Another source claims a church dedicated to Santa Maria was built over the ruins of the original pagan temple. Today, only a few ruins remain, worn by time and storms, including remnants of the stone cross erected in the early 1900s.
The island witnessed numerous battles, pirate attacks, and dramatic defenses. Muslim fleets used it as a stopover in the 9th, 15th, and 16th centuries. In the summer of 1600, Amurat Rays led a brutal assault. The people of Aieta took refuge on the island and resisted fiercely. After several days, all defenders, led by Francesco Vitigno, were captured and killed.
In 1806, the island became a base for the Anglo-Bourbon fleet led by Admiral Sidney Smith, who opposed Napoleon’s advance. By 1812, under Joachim Murat, feudalism was abolished and the island was taken from the Marquis of Aieta and granted to the Municipality of Aieta, before passing to the Bourbons.
On Christmas night in 1917, a German submarine sank the British steamer Umballa near the island. The ship, carrying food supplies, went down with many lives lost. Its bell was later gifted to the Sanctuary of the Madonna della Grotta, where it was renamed Santa Maria della Vittoria.
In 1928, Dino Island officially became part of the newly independent Municipality of Praia a Mare.
In 1956, it was leased for 99 years to Mr. Sergio Serelli for development, with no results. Then in 1962, it was sold for 50 million lire to the company Isola di Dino S.p.A., led by Comm. Bottani and Gianni Agnelli. The plan was to develop the area between Fiuzzi and San Nicola Arcella into an international tourist destination. A 1.7 km road was built from the dock to the island’s top, where cottages, villas, and a restaurant (now abandoned) were constructed.
THE CAVE OF DINO ISLAND
The island’s perimeter spans about 3 kilometers with no sandy shores. Its coastline is dotted with caves carved by wind and sea, many filled with dramatic rock formations:
Grotta del Monaco (Monk’s Cave): Small and modest, named after a nearby rock formation resembling a praying monk. Best viewed at sunset when illuminated by the western light.
Grotta delle Sardine (Sardine Cave): Nestled in a sheltered cove, with clear waters 10 meters deep. Named for the sardines once caught here with nets called cianciorro, from the Greek kyanos holos — “all blue.”
Grotta del Frontone: Named after the island’s western point. With dual entrances, one side resembles a temple’s pronaos with limestone columns. Inside, domed chambers feature smoothed walls and stunning stalactite-stalagmite formations.
Grotta delle Cascate (Waterfall Cave): A sloped 60-meter-long fracture in the rock. Small boats can enter for 20 meters. Inside, delicate white stalactites and moss-covered rocks create a serene atmosphere.
Grotta Azzurra (Blue Cave): The most famous, known for its dazzling blue-green water caused by sunlight reflection. The cave features fossil-rich walls and vibrant corals on its sandy floor. At noon, the light creates spectacular visual effects.
Grotta del Leone (Lion’s Cave): Facing the beach and Fiuzzi Tower, this cave is named after a rock that looks like a resting lion. Its shallow seabed hosts coral, and the rock ceiling is painted with vivid streaks of red, green, and gray.
Grotta Gargiulo: A legendary dive site and underwater wonder, located 18 meters below the Frontone. Named after Enrico and Rosaria Gargiulo, who explored it in the late ’70s. It stretches 124 meters, with submerged chambers, columns, and two air pockets. Massive stalactites and stalagmites make it one of the Mediterranean’s most extraordinary submerged caves.
FLORA AND FAUNA
In 1990, Enrico and Rosaria Gargiulo described the “Forest of Dino” on the seabed near the island: a rare underwater forest of Paramuricea gorgonians, ranging from red to chrome yellow. These coral fans can exceed 1 meter in height and rival those of Medes (Spain), Tavolara (Sardinia), and Portofino.
As early as 1902, 104 plant species were recorded on the island. By 1976, that number had grown to 271, including myrtle, mastic, broom, holm oak, and pine. Rare species include the Dwarf Palm (Chamaerops humilis), the Calabrian Talittro, the Cliff Carnation (Dianthus rupicola), and the Palinuro Primrose (Primula palinuri), once thought to grow only at Capo Palinuro.
Wild rabbits, swifts, wood pigeons, rock doves, and marine quail inhabit the island. It also serves as a migratory stop for birds like the garganey, mallard, and oystercatcher.