Between hidden beaches and legends from the past, Calabria hides a shy and secret soul that will fascinate even the most experienced travellers. This is a two-week itinerary, a travel guide to Calabria up and down hills and cliffs overlooking the sea to enjoy breathtaking sporting experiences, eat incredible food at affordable prices and wander among coastlines with romantic names, unforgettable villages, mystical places and colourful festivals approved by locals.
The Gulf of Sant'Eufemia is perfect for kitesurfing © Naeblys
2 days on the Riviera dei Tramonti between kitesurfing and archaeology
The stretch of coastline from Nocera Terinese to Curinga (CZ) on the Tyrrhenian coast is the first to welcome visitors who land at Lamezia Terme international airport, pick up a car and begin their tour of the region with the windows strictly down and the smell of the sea on them. Less travelled than the other more famous coastlines, in 2018 this side of Calabria earned the title of Riviera dei Tramonti (Sunsets Riviera ) and the reason is easily explained: when the sun sets on the water and then disappears over the horizon, you are faced with an incredible spectacle, which gets better if the day is clear and Stromboli peeps out. In between sunsets, treat yourself to a kitesurfing course, which in the Gulf of Sant'Eufemia finds the best conditions for moving with the wind. The most popular ones are at Hangloose Beach, which also serves as a bathing establishment, restaurant and disco from dawn to late at night. After the beach and the exertions of kiting, dive into archaeology and history: between Nocera and the small hamlet of Sant'Eufemia del Golfo (CZ), historians place the original location of an ancient Greek city named Terina founded at the end of the 6th century B.C. by a group of inhabitants of Crotone. In these lands, amidst the centuries-old olive trees and vineyards, there is also the evocative Benedictine Abbey dating back to the 11th century and recently restored, which in summer becomes a hub of cultural and literary events.
Thetip for eating like the locals: to survive the summer heat and taste the real Calabria, there is no better way than to reach the seafront of one of the towns on the Riviera dei Tramonti and wait for the highlight, sipping a Brasilena, a typical carbonated coffee drink beloved of the locals on the coast, or a glass of artisanal iced tea in which the lemon granita, a refreshing heat-proof delicacy, drowns.
Practical information: Hangloose Beach is located in Via Pesce e Anguille, 88048 Gizzeria Lido CZ
In Pizzo Calabro, seek refreshment in the caloric Tartufo di Pizzo © leoks
Holidays in Calabria: tips for spending 3 days on the Costa degli Dei
From Lamezia, take the E45 towards Pizzo Calabro: 55 kilometres of water and sky will change colour before your eyes curve after curve, between sheer headlands and secret beaches. This is the true soul of the Costa degli Dei, which stretches from Pizzo to Nicotera (VV) and touches the villages of Tropea, Briatico and Parghelia, among others.
In the heart of a tuff cave, at the entrance to Pizzo, is one of the most characteristic churches in the area: it is called Piedigrotta and is accessed by a staircase that leads straight to the beach. In the rooms hollowed out by time and water, the sun comes in to tell the legend of its origins, which speaks of sailors and a shipwreck, of a vow to the Madonna of Piedigrotta and of a painting miraculously saved from the inclemency of the sea. To recover from climbing the steps backwards under the scorching Calabrian summer sun, the Tartufo di Pizzo is the unmissable cooling, calorific dessert that you cannot say no to: the best ones you can eat at Ercole's in the town's main square in the shadow of the Murat castle, the most famous at the Gelateria Enrico just outside the town.
Tropea greets you with a spectacular view from the top of the Sanctuary of Santa Maria dell'Isola that is worth the effort of the 87 steps in the hot sun, but Calabria's most touristic village and its surroundings offer much more in terms of taste and cheerfulness, especially in the summertime. There are plenty of festivals based on 'nduja, the typical spicy salami paste of the area, wine, blue fish and red onions, amidst typical dances and fireworks floating over the sea; then, after devouring the region's good stuff, let the locals take you to discover the most spectacular and hidden coves along the coast. The one called 'Paradise of the Diver' in Zambrone is the most popular, along with Grotticelle beach in Capo Vaticano, but fall back on magical spots such as Baia di Riaci in Ricadi, Baia Safò in Briatico and Michelino beach in Parghelia: these are often locations marked by vintage signs or not marked at all, so getting there is luck or fate.
Practical information: the Tropea Red Onion and 'nduja festivals are held in Ricadi and Spilinga (VV) in August respectively.
Gelateria Ercole is located in Piazza della Repubblica in Pizzo Calabro (VV)
The Gelateria Enrico is located in Via Prangi, in the locality of Marinella in Pizzo Calabro (VV)
The charming village of Chianalea di Scilla © Natalia Macheda
1 Day on the Costa Viola to explore the "Venice of the South"
The Calabria of road trips and exploration is revealed an hour from Nicotera, the most extreme point of the Costa degli Dei. Here, Chianalea di Scilla welcomes you with its little houses on the rocks, picturesque streets, and views of the Strait. Here, Greek legends mingle with the powerful call of the sea: for years the Tyrrhenian Sea has bound the inhabitants of this small village defined as 'the Venice of the South', which still lives on fishing and saltiness.
Advice for those who want to experience the folk traditions of the region: the Locri, Stilo and Gerace triad? Impossible to miss on a tour of the Deep South. The treat for street art enthusiasts is the event 'Il borgo incantato' (The enchanted village), which enlivens the streets of Gerace, lighting up the town with traditions, art and good food: this year it takes place from 26 to 28 July 2019. And if you still haven't had enough of art, take a trip to Mammola, to the Musaba: it is an open-air museum suitable for young and old that explains art in a simple way, in perfect communion with the territory.
Soverato is the hub of nightlife © Jan_Mach
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4 days wandering between the Jasmine Coast and the Orange Coast with spirituality, sport and nightlif
Calabria, tourism and the sea intersect perfectly in this part of the itinerary, which starts from Scilla and in about an hour's walk lands on the Costa dei Gelsomini before diving into the Blue Flag waters of Roccella Ionica . Its seabed is dotted with shipwrecks from World War II, beloved of experienced divers. State road 106 leads directly to Monasterace, with its seaside village built on the ruins of the ancient city of Kaulon. If you are looking for a mix of peace and nature here, you will find it in the charm of the San Marco Monastery, the archaeological park and its medieval castle.
Inland is Serra San Bruno, a village overlooked by the Certosa Abbey, the first monastery in Italy founded in 1084 and the second in Europe after the French monastery in Grenoble. With your eyes closed and in silence, you will hear the monks singing from the rooms of the monastery, surrounded by nature that mixes the colours of the Aspromonte with those of the Sila forests. From the monastery and the nearby eighteenth-century sanctuary of Santa Maria del Bosco, there are perfect trekking routes, where you will come across small paths traced by woodcutters (the most evocative is called "Lu Guttazzu"), picnic areas and small lakes. Once out of the village of Serra San Bruno, take state road 113 towards another coastline with a fragrant name, the Costa degli Aranci (Orange Coast): some of the most popular spots for Calabrians and tourists are on this side, in a mix of sandy and rocky beaches that chase each other from Botricello to Guardavalle Marina for more than 60 kilometres. The rocks of Stalettì that form a barrier of rocks in the sea are just one of the area's maritime attractions: if Soverato is the nerve centre of nightlife with its well-equipped lidos that welcome families during the day and turn into open-air discos at night, Caminia is the place to be for lovers of crystal-clear waters.
Atip for seeing the marine fauna: to meet the inhabitants of the sea, the Brancaleone Sea Turtle Recovery Centre allows you to volunteer, visit the shelter and adopt one of the centre's guests to support the work of the biologists. The recovery centre is located in Piazza Stazione on state road 106, in Brancaleone (RC).
The sanctuary of Hera Liciniaa Capo Colonna © Dionisio iemma
1 day on the Costa dei Saraceni to explore the seabed
The journey continues on the Ionian coast, exploring the Costa dei Saraceni in the province of Crotone: in addition to swimming in the shadow of the Aragonese castle in Le Castella, on this stretch of coast it is possible to explore the seabed of the Capo Rizzuto Marine Protected Area: not to be missed is the tour by boat with a transparent bottom to discover the beauty of the marine world or the snorkelling session to discover its fauna.
Advice for archaeology lovers: 10 kilometres from Crotone is Capo Colonna, with its archaeological area and the sanctuary of Hera Licinia, one of the most important sanctuaries of the Magna Grecia era. If you love exploring excavations and immersing yourself in the past amidst myths and legends, an excursion to this extreme point of Calabria, which almost greets the Apulian and Greek coasts, is a must.
Pollino National Park © lauradibi
4 days in the Riviera dei Cedri to get your fill of nature
Leaving the Ionian coast behind and cutting the region in two by crossing the Sila and its forests, once again the sea will open up before your eyes to explore the upper Tyrrhenian Sea and the Riviera dei Cedri, the last stop on this journey in Calabria. To fill up on spirituality and legends, the Sanctuary of San Francesco in Paola (CS) will welcome you with its stories, solitary caves, the 'Devil's Bridge' and its mystical aura. Then head north to make the most of the last few days on the road on the beaches of Diamante, Scalea and Praia a Mare, with a foray under the Arco Magno of San Nicola Arcella and a hang-gliding excursion over Dino Island.
Advice for mountain lovers: if you have had enough of salt water, you can end your trip to Calabria in the shadow of the Sila National Park or in the Pollino National Park. The hashtag to follow on social media is #CalabriaAlloStatePuro created by Laura Cipolla from Cetra, which promotes trekking itineraries, canoe routes, rafting descents and spiritual walks for all seasons, pockets and needs with expert guides who are passionate about the territory in the Calabrian hinterland.
Published in April 2021
