The town, 22 kilometres (14 mi) from the city of Reggio, lies at the northern end of the strait of Messina, and is composed of two parts: the downtown, where the town offices and the residence of the patron saint are situated, and Marina di Scilla, the beach-front, populated by tourists and thus heavily characterized by hotels and restaurants.

Scilla's coastal district of Chianalea is included in the I Borghi più belli d'Italia association of small Italian towns of historical interest list.

On a seaward-facing terrace is Scilla Lighthouse, an important aid to ships entering the Strait of Messina from the north.

[4] The town of Scilla has ancient origins that relate mainly to the period of the destruction of Troy and invokes the myths and legends of Odysseus with Scylla and Charybdis, of Homer and Dante Alighieri.

The offended sorceress poisoned the sea-pool where the nymph used to bathe, turning her into a horrific six dog-headed monster who destroyed every ship crossing the Strait of Messina.