Calabria
3
Day Itinerary •
Italy
Calabria is the last great undiscovered region of mainland Italy. The toe of the Italian boot has extraordinary things: the most dramatic clifftop city in Italy at Tropea, one of the two finest Greek bronze sculptures ever found in the museum at Reggio Calabria, a wild mountain wilderness in the Sila plateau and the Aspromonte, and some of the finest and most unspoiled beaches in the Mediterranean. This 3-day route covers the extraordinary sweep of hidden Calabria. Tropea, the most beautiful clifftop town in southern Italy, whose cathedral sits on the edge of a vertical cliff above a turquoise sea. Reggio Calabria, home to the Riace Bronzes, two Greek warrior statues from 460 BC that are widely considered the finest bronze sculptures to survive from antiquity. And the wild Sila plateau, one of the most extraordinary mountain landscapes in the Italian south.
Best Time To Visit
April to June or September to October
Getting There
Fly into Lamezia Terme (SUF) or Reggio Calabria (REG)
Getting Around
Rental car essential throughout
Budget Per Day
Approx 60 to 95 euros per person per day
Difficulity
Easy, walking and driving
DAY 1
TROPEA
MORNING
TROPEA, THE MOST BEAUTIFUL CLIFFTOP TOWN IN ITALY
Tropea is built directly on top of a sheer golden tuff cliff above the turquoise Tyrrhenian sea. The medieval old town of narrow lanes and Baroque palaces perches on the cliff edge with extraordinary views in every direction. The Cathedral of Tropea contains a miraculous icon of the Madonna that is said to have stopped an eruption of Stromboli in 1638. The view from the Cathedral steps straight down the cliff to the sea below is one of the most extraordinary in Italy. Arrive early before the day-trippers from the coast. Drive: 20 min walk to promontory
MIDDAY
SANTA MARIA DELL'ISOLA AND THE HIDDEN BEACHES
The Santa Maria dell'Isola, a medieval sanctuary perched on a rocky promontory connected to the mainland, is the iconic image of Tropea. Walk along the clifftop path above the main beach for the finest view of the sanctuary and the extraordinary clarity of the water below. The beaches of Capo Vaticano 15km south of Tropea are considered among the finest on the Tyrrhenian coast, with extraordinary rock formations and water of Caribbean clarity. Drive: 20 min drive to Pizzo
AFTERNOON
PIZZO, THE TARTUFO CAPITAL
Pizzo is the most charming small town on the Calabrian coast. Built on a sheer cliff above the sea, the town is famous throughout Italy as the birthplace of the tartufo, a chocolate ice cream truffle that has been made here since 1815. The local gelaterie on the Piazza della Repubblica serve it in its original form. The town also has a dramatic 15th-century Aragonese castle and a tiny church carved entirely into the cliff face, the Chiesa di Piedigrotta.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The Tropea red onion is one of the most celebrated vegetables in Italy, sweet enough to eat raw with a sweetness unlike any other onion. Grown on the red clay soils of the Tropea coast and sold from roadside stalls throughout the summer. Buy a bunch and eat it with local bread and olive oil for the most authentic Calabrian experience.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Bar del Corso, Tropea Coffee on the main corso before the town comes alive. Watch the morning light hit the clifftop. | Lunch: Ristorante Pimm's, Tropea The finest restaurant in Tropea on the clifftop. Fresh swordfish, local red onion salad and Ciro wine. | Dinner: Ristorante La Lampara, Pizzo Outstanding restaurant in the charming cliff town. Local tuna, swordfish and the finest tartufo for dessert.
DAY 2
REGGIO CALABRIA AND LOCRI
MORNING
THE RIACE BRONZES, THE FINEST GREEK SCULPTURES IN EXISTENCE
The Museo Nazionale della Magna Graecia in Reggio Calabria contains the Riace Bronzes, two Greek bronze warrior statues from around 460 BC discovered by a snorkelling diver off the coast in 1972. They are widely considered the finest examples of ancient Greek bronze sculpture ever found, with extraordinary detail including inlaid teeth of silver, copper lips, and eyes of bone and glass paste. The musculature and facial expressions are extraordinary. Entry approx 10 euros. They are the reason to visit Reggio Calabria. Drive: 1.5 hours drive to Locri
MIDDAY
LOCRI EPIZEFIRI, THE GREEK CITY IN A FIELD
Locri Epizefiri was one of the most important Greek cities in Magna Graecia, founded in the 7th century BC and home to the first written law code in the Greek world. The archaeological site covers an enormous area of fields along the Ionian coast, with temples, a theatre, walls and streets from the ancient city. The adjacent museum contains extraordinary finds. Entry approx 5 euros and visited by almost nobody. Drive: 30 min drive to Gerace
AFTERNOON
GERACE, THE MEDIEVAL CITY ABOVE THE ORANGE GROVES
Gerace is one of the most extraordinary and overlooked medieval cities in Calabria. Perched on a precipitous rock above the Ionian plain, the town contains the largest Romanesque cathedral in Calabria, built in 1045, with 26 ancient columns inside from the Greek and Roman ruins below. The views from the cliff edge over the orange and bergamot groves of the Locride plain to the Ionian sea are extraordinary.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The Strait of Messina, visible from Reggio Calabria on a clear day, is one of the most extraordinary marine landscapes in Italy. The currents bring enormous quantities of swordfish through the strait and the traditional swordfish hunting boats with 30-metre observation masts can still occasionally be seen. The view of Sicily across the water from Reggio's seafront promenade is extraordinary.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Gran Caffe Altafiumara, Reggio The finest cafe in Reggio Calabria. Extraordinary granita di bergamotto, made from the local citrus. | Lunch: Ristorante Baylik, Reggio Most celebrated traditional restaurant in Reggio. Fresh swordfish from the Strait of Messina. | Dinner: Agriturismo near Gerace Dinner on a bergamot and olive farm above the Ionian plain. Local lamb, preserved vegetables and Ciro Rosso.
DAY 3
SILA PLATEAU
MORNING
THE SILA PLATEAU, THE GREAT FOREST OF CALABRIA
The Sila is a vast mountain plateau at 1,000 to 1,900 metres, covered by the largest forest in southern Italy, the Foresta della Sila. Ancient black pines, silver firs and centuries-old oaks cover an extraordinary landscape of lakes, rivers and mountain meadows. The Sila National Park is home to wolves, wildcats, eagles and the extraordinary Sila horse, a wild horse breed that has lived on the plateau for centuries. The town of Camigliatello Silano is the gateway. Drive: 30 min drive to Sila lakes
MIDDAY
THE SILA LAKES AND HIDDEN VILLAGES
The Lago di Cecita and Lago Arvo are two artificial lakes in the heart of the Sila, surrounded by ancient pine forests and mountain meadows. The walking trails around the lakes are extraordinary in autumn when the forests turn gold. The village of Longobucco in a dramatic gorge below the plateau is one of the finest hidden villages in Calabria, famous for its extraordinary traditional weaving. Drive: 45 min drive to Rossano
AFTERNOON
ROSSANO AND THE PURPLE CODEX
Rossano is a beautifully preserved Byzantine city on a spur above the Ionian plain, almost entirely unknown to international visitors. The Diocesan Museum contains the Codex Purpureus Rossanensis, a 6th-century illustrated Greek Gospel manuscript written in gold on purple-dyed parchment, one of the oldest and most extraordinary illustrated manuscripts in the world. UNESCO Memory of the World. Entry approx 3 euros.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The Sila Grande forests contain wild porcini mushrooms of extraordinary quality, harvested from September to November. Local mushroom guides offer walks into the forests to find and pick porcini. The mushrooms sell for a fraction of their price in Rome or Milan. The Sila also produces extraordinary local cheeses including Caciocavallo Silano DOP.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Bar in Camigliatello Silano Coffee in the mountain gateway village before driving into the plateau forest. | Lunch: Ristorante Il Caminetto, Sila Outstanding mountain restaurant. Local porcini mushrooms, wild boar and Sila pecorino cheese. | Dinner: Ristorante La Locanda, Rossano Fine restaurant in the Byzantine city. Local pasta with nduja, swordfish and Ciro Classico wine.
DAY 4
MORNING
MIDDAY
AFTERNOON
💎 HIDDEN GEM
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
DAY 5
MORNING
MIDDAY
AFTERNOON
💎 HIDDEN GEM
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Where To Stay
Tropea, Night 1 Hotel Cala di Volpe or boutique hotel in the clifftop old town. Approx 90 to 150 euros per night. Gerace or Locri, Night 2 Agriturismo on the Ionian coast. Approx 65 to 100 euros per night. Budget Option Tropea: B and B in old town from approx 55 euros. Reggio: Hotel Lido from approx 60 euros.
Top Tips
1. The Riace Bronzes in Reggio are the reason to visit Calabria. Allow 90 minutes in the museum.
2. Tropea's clifftop is most extraordinary at sunset. Stay the night to have the town to yourself.
3. Nduja, the fiery spreadable salami of Calabria, is extraordinary. Buy it directly from local producers.
4. Sila porcini mushrooms in September to October are among the finest in Italy. Join a guided walk.
5. Capo Vaticano beaches south of Tropea have clearer water than anywhere else on the Tyrrhenian coast.
6. Calabria is the world capital of bergamot citrus, used to flavour Earl Grey tea. Buy the essential oil locally.
Total Budget
85 to 140 euros/day