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Holidays in Italy: Discover Calabria
Calabria is located on the tip of the Italian "boot" and, with 320 days of sunshine, is one of the sunniest regions in Europe.
Fantastic beaches, clear water and dreamy little towns make the region a top destination for an authentic holiday in Italy. Lush orchards, palm groves and vineyards await you. Calabria is separated from the rest of Italy by mountains up to 2,000 metres high with rough cliffs and dense forests.
Perhaps it is due to the feeling of being an island that Calabria is still an insider tip - even though not only water sports enthusiasts and sun worshippers find perfect holiday conditions there. The region is also characterised by its cultural diversity and is perfect for an active holiday.
Popular holiday resorts
Already the sonorous name arouses the wanderlust: Tropea on the west coast of Calabria has almost 8,000 inhabitants and lies extremely photogenic on a cliff 60 metres above the Tyrrhenian Sea. Let your gaze wander from the viewpoints in the evening over the water to Stromboli Island. Below the city, the 2.3 kilometre long and up to 20 metre wide beach of Tropea is a delight.
Eleven kilometres south of Tropea, the small town of Capo Vaticano watches over the Strait of Messina. In ancient times sailors questioned the oracle about the weather and possible strokes of fate. Today the village in the foothills of Monte Poro is known for its many small beaches and bays.
Also only a few minutes drive from Tropea the former fishing village Parghelia is situated in one of the most beautiful coastal regions of Calabria. In the quiet place at the deep blue sea several cafés and restaurants invite you to relax. In the winter months Parghelia is a good starting point for hikes through the hinterland.
The lively Pizzo has a cosy old town with a large market square. The famous Tartufo ice cream is said to have been invented there. Especially worth seeing is the cave church Piedigrotta, which is said to have dug shipwrecked people into the rock by hand on the beach.
Excursion tips for your holiday in Calabria
- Of course, you can spend your holiday in Calabria exclusively on the paradisiacal beaches and enjoy the unique view of the glittering Mediterranean - but then you miss the many other charming sides of the region. Calabria is the perfect destination for those who like to combine a perfect beach holiday with cultural impressions or outdoor activities.
- A nice destination for a day trip is the picturesque fishing village of Scilla with its whitewashed houses that stick like bird's nests to the rock terraces above the fishing port. Scilla is the centre of swordfish fishing and in the small restaurants of the village you have the opportunity to taste this speciality of the sea freshly caught.
- From Tropea boat trips to Stromboli Island are offered. Accompanied by an experienced guide you can climb up to the crater rim of the active volcano. The most impressive spectacle is the fiery spectacle after dark.
- Also worth seeing is the cave town of Zungri in the interior of the country. In the open-air museum you will discover numerous caves, some of them well preserved, which served as dwellings for people from the 12th century onwards.
- Those interested in history will be pleased to make a detour to the cultural capital Cosenza with its baroque old town. The Norman Castello Svevo, which offers a great overview of the area, towers over its labyrinth of alleys.
- A little outside the city of Locri are the excavations of the ancient Locri Epizephyrii, a Greek colony founded around 680 BC. There are many foundation walls to discover as well as remains of temples and a theatre. Some finds are exhibited in the attached museum.
Highlights you should not miss
- Stroll through the picturesque old town of Tropea with its pastel-coloured houses and richly decorated noble palaces. Numerous cafés, boutiques and market stalls make a stroll a carefree pleasure. You must plan a visit to the church of Santa Maria dell'Isola. As part of a Benedictine monastery built in the 12th century, it lies on a small peninsula in front of the old town.
- Spend the perfect day at the beach in the Praia I Focu near Capo Vaticano. The secluded bay, framed by rocks, agaves and prickly pears, can only be reached by boat. In its crystal clear water you can dive and snorkel.
- Discover the unspoilt nature of the Sila National Park. On the plateau in the heart of Calabria, civilization is moving far into the distance. The untouched landscape owes its wildly romantic charm to clean mountain lakes and dense forests with 400-year-old black pines. The national park is a retreat for deer, wildcats and wolves. Eagles, spotted woodpeckers and eagle owls also live here.
Tips for families
As everywhere in southern Italy, children are very welcome in Calabria.
When picking ripe oranges directly from the tree, when visiting a charcoal burner or on long beach days with splashing around and building castles, the youngest ones will collect unforgettable holiday experiences.
A visit to the water park Zambrone near Tropea, where water slides and a flow-rider offer pure action, guarantees fun during your family holiday.
Parents and children can relax during a ride on the narrow-gauge railway from Cosenza to the Sila Grande.
In the Capo Rizzato Aquarium, young researchers have the opportunity to touch sea anemones, fishermen and even sea urchins.
Food & drink in Calabria
As an Italian region, Calabria also spoils its guests with pizza and pasta, as well as fish and seafood, game and mushrooms from the local forests on the menu of the restaurants.
Calabrian red, white and rosato wines are accompanied by local cheeses such as Pecorino sheep's cheese. Real specialities are the fileja, a type of pasta turned around knitting needles, and the spicy, spreadable pork salumi 'Nduja.
The red onions from Tropea are among the sweetest onions in the world and are used to make antipasti and jam, among other things.
Climate Calabria
Calabria is one of the most attractive destinations all year round. Even in the winter months the temperatures do not fall below twelve degrees and already in April the thermometer regularly shows values above 20 degrees.
The bathing season in Calabria lasts from May to October. The warmest months are July and August. Then, with eleven hours of sunshine, the temperatures climb daily above the 30 degree mark and almost no rain falls. The sea is also pleasantly warm, with water temperatures well over 23°C.
The winter months belong to active holidaymakers who enjoy hiking, cycling or mountain biking. In the higher mountain areas - for example on the Sila plateau - modern ski lifts start operating.
