Area marina protetta Capo Rizzuto is a small scale coastal marine reserve located in the Italian province of Crotone, in the comuni of Isola Capo Rizzuto and Crotone. Its official centre is located at 38°58'N / 17°13'E. It is divided into three zones, each with its own level of protection. The Capo Rizzuto area encompasses roughly 13,500 hectare of open water, bordering 37 km of coastline. It is in the easternmost part of Calabria and leads into the waters of the Ionian Sea.

Protection

The area is a Specially Protected Area under the Barcelona Convention and a number of national acts, most noticeably as a Natural Marine Protected Area (decree of 19 February 2002). The Italian Ministry of Environment is the supervising body, and day-to-day management is placed with the province of Crotone. Its first protection came in 1982 when parts of the current reserve were one of the first of two marine protected sites in Italy. On 27 December 1991, the reserve was officially established.