Located on the western tip of Sourthern Italy, Calabria is the “toe” on the high-heel boot shape of Italy. Here you’ll find prestine, white-washed sandy beaches, stunning landscapes of mountains, rolling hills, and plains as far as the eye can see. Often known as ‘Italy’s best kept secret,’ explore the wonders of this charmingly rustic region with its hillside towns, ancient Greek temples, and Byzantine churches that dot the countryside.
Calabria is considered the Caribbean of Europe. In general, the region’s climate is mild in the winter, with hot, dry summers. However, the weather on the Ionian Coast is considered to be the most unique in all of the Mediterranean, and the most consistent in Europe. With rare exceptions, this area of Europe is free from significant climate changes.
The sea is the main source of the Calabrian experience, being a vast part of the region’s culture, attractions, and cusisine. Surrounded by rocky coasts that alternate with the extraordinary crystal blue waters of the Ionian and Tyrrhenian Seas, Calabria’s ancient origins make it a unique place that vacationers can enjoy in both winter and summer.
TOURS AND ACTIVITIES
Sailing, Windsurfing, and Water Sports: What could be greater than taking to the high seas where you can see straight to the bottom of the ocean, while enjoying water so blue it takes your breath away? Surrounded on three sides by water, Calabria offers the best in nautical activities, including: surfing, diving, fishing, water-skiing, and sailing. Each activity offers professional instruction for those that are learning something new, or need to brush up on their skills.
Nature Tours: Those who love nature, its scents and mysteries, can explore the Calabrian hinterland, discovering pure and unpolluted sceneries, where huge green belts alternate with blue lakes and waterfalls. Enjoy other activities like mountain climbing, bird watching, or trekking the many footpaths that cross the Calabrian Mountains. These trips can also be made by horse, or by mountain bike.
Skiing: Looking to ski, and have a penchant for the more obscure, less traveled slopes? Calabria offers Alpine and Nordic slopes in the winter that are far from the beaten path, but still offer an exhilarating experience.
Paragliding: If feeling the freedom that is associated with gliding through the air over the boundless landscapes of Italy sounds interesting, Calabria is the place to visit. Here you can find specialized instructors will take you through the clouds, firmly attached to a paraglider’s saddle, and show you the beauty of Calabria from an entirely different perspective.
PLACES TO SEE
Catanzaro: An old medieval suburb, Cantanzaro is now the capital of the Calabria region. Known as ‘the city of two seas,’ Catanzaro overlooks the Ionian Sea on the east and the Tyrrhenian Sea on the west. The major monuments in Catanzaro, include: the Cathedral, which houses the famous 16th century Madonna with Child; the Norman Tower of the remains of the Norman Castle; Villa Trieste, with its lush gardens of rare plants and marble busts of the region’s most prominent figures; Fiumarella Valley and Gulf of Squillace at The Belvedere; and finally, the Museo Provinciale, which hosts prehistoric finds and ancient coin collections.
Crotone: A young city, established in 1992 as it separated from Catanzaro, is known for its modernity and industry, while maintaining aspects of its ancient history. A reference point of Magna Graecia that once stood as a Greek acropolis, Crotone keeps its oldest parts of town untouched. Beginning with the cathedral one can see the Madonna of Capocolonna, a Byzantine tablet from the Sanctuary of Capo Lacinio, brought from the Orient in the first years of Christianity. Then, venturing out about seven miles from Crotone you’ll find the treasured, only remaining Doric column of the famous temple dedicated to the goddess Hera Lacinia.
Reggio Calabria: Reggio is the oldest and most populated town in Calabria. Famous worldwide for the Riace Bronzes displayed in the Archaeological Museum, and historically one of the most important colonies of Magna Graecia, Reggio bolsters a rich connection to its ancient roots. Amongst the groves of pine trees, palms, and orange trees there are Greek ruins, the remains of huge walls of the 5th century, and the Roman baths with mosaic floors. Other significant stops throughout the city that exemplify Norman-Byzantine spirituality are the Basilica of San Giovanni Teresì in Bivongi, and the Gerace Cathedral.
MUST SEES
The Riace Bronzes: The early 1980s marked a significant archaeological find for Calabria: the Riace Bronzes. The Riace Bronzes are two Greek statues pulled from the sea and exhibited, since 1981, in the Museo Nazionale della Magna Grecia in Reggio Calabria, one of the most important archaeological museums of all the Italian Peninsula. One of the two bronze statues is attributed to the famous 5th century Greek sculptor Fidia, famous for the Parthenon.
Tropea: One of the most beautiful towns in Calabria along the south Tyrrhenian coast, Tropea is famous as a bathing place, situated on a reef, in the gulf of St. Euphemia. Filled with lush vegetation and rippling hills full of fruit and citrus fruit trees, onion and vegetable fields, lime trees, bougainvillea, verbena, jasmine, and other sweet-smelling Mediterranean plants, Tropea is a natural treasure to see. Make sure to visit the highly photogenic Benedictine Sanctuary of Santa Maria dell’Isola. Situated atop a steep, rocky outcrop, this church is surrounded by the beach and crystal-clear sea, making it a memory to capture.
Badolato: A medieval town, Badolato is adorned with several Byzantine churches arranged in the shape of a Latin cross, and many small alleyways characteristic of its medieval roots. Badolato is known for exporting its wine and oil, thus giving it its reputation as an agricultural center.
Like many of the towns in Calabria, Badolato offers many historical sites to see. From the ruins of the perimeter walls of the 17th century Ravaschieri Castle, to the churches of Sant’Isidoro and Sant’Andrea Avellino, and impressive ruins of a Roman city, enjoy taking a walk through history.
FOOD SPECIALTIES
Peperoncino: Peperoncini are mild peppers with a slight heat and a hint of bitterness, and are a fundamental ingredient to Calabrese cooking.
Morseddu: A dish based on veal or pork tripe and offal flavored with chilis and stewed in red wine and tomatoes, generally eaten around a flatbread or pitta, and maybe served as a warming breakfast.
Soppressata: If fine Italian meats are your forte, Soppressata will not disappoint. A cured, dried sausage typical of the Calabria region, this sausage is versatile and can be eaten in a variety of ways, but most notably served as an antipasto.
Alici Ripiene: This savory seafood dish is for those that truly love Italian cuisine. Alici Ripiene is a dish of stuffed anchovies topped with breadcrumbs.
Sardella: A spicy paste made with olive oil, mashed baby sardines and hot peppers.
SPECIAL EVENTS
Festival del peperoncino: Are you a gastronome with a taste for things with an extra zing? Then this is the festival for you. The first week of September in Diamante honors the peperoncino hot pepper with its own festival, dedicated to the unofficial symbol of Calabria— the cayenne pepper. During the festival, one can taste freshly harvested peppers or try locally produced products that make use of the spicy condiment. Expect to find anything from pasta to even Gelato flavored with the fiery condiment— anything to give a dish an extra zip.
Naca: The Easter religious procession of Good Friday organized by all the parishes. It is a festival where participants dress in biblical garb and perform the Stages of the Cross.
The Feast of the Sailors’ Madonna: Each year, on the first Sunday of July, Roccella Jonica holds celebrations in honor of the town’s Patron Saint San Maria delle Grazie. For the occasion, a statue of the Madonna is carried through the streets of the town before being transported by boat at the head of an impressive procession of sailing craft adorned with flowers and garlands.
The S. Lorenzo Exhibition: Within the first ten days of August, you can take part in a week- long market, a time where vendors from all of Catanzaro set up booths to sell their handicrafts and produce of the province.
Roccella Jonica International Jazz festival: The Roccella Jonica Jazz Festival began in 1981 and is one of the oldest events of its type in Italy. The Roccella Jonica Jazz Festival prides itself on being a meeting point of musicians coming from different genres of music (Jazz, Classical, Pop, World etc.) and of other art forms: music, theatre, cinema, dance, photography and literature. The program also includes music therapy, music and dance, photography, and music lessons given by the performing artists.