CALABRIA

Discover Calabria

Guide to vacation Calabria

Calabria has enormous tourist potential. A wealth of splendid scenery lies along the littoral which, including the Tyrrhenian and Ionian coasts, stretches for nearly 800 km. and is characterized by a tremendous variety of panoramas, ranging from delightful rocky coves (especially on the Tyrrhenian) to vast beaches fringing a clear sparkling sea. The magnificent inland area is dotted with tiny picturesque villages hugging the hills that slope down to the water, with colourful and typically Mediterranean citrus plantations and olive groves.

The many seaside resorts, some internationally renowned, include: Praia a Mare, Diamante, Cittadella del Capo, Marina di Cetraro, Marina di Paola, Amantea, Pizzo, Tropea, Gioia Tauro, and on the `Costa Viola', Palmi, Bagnara Calabra and Scilla. Melito di Porto Salvo lies on the Ionian coast, Brancaleone Marina, Bovalino Marina, Locri, Siderno, Marina di Gioiosa Ionica, Roccella Ionica, Copanello, Capo Rizzuto, Crotone, Cirò Marina, Mirto Crosia, Trebisacce and Marina di Amendolara on the `Costa dei Gelsomini'. Among the places to visit, Paola offers the Renaissance-Baroque Sanctuary of San Francesco di Paola, a very important cultural location frequented by tourists and pilgrims visiting Calabria.

The mountainous areas of Calabria also have their own attractions: at Gambarie, on Aspromonte and in the Sila villages (Camigliatello Silano, Silvana Mansio, Lorica, San Giovanni in Fiore, Taverna, Villaggio Racise, Villaggio Mancuso) a peaceful summer holiday can be enjoyed, and in season, winter sports.

Many of the inland villages lie in attractive settings and have buildings or objects of artistic interest. Stilo has the famous `Cattolica', a 10th century Byzantine church; Gerace a Byzantine-Norman cathedral; Pentedattilo is a quite unique village huddled on a sandstone spur; Seminara and Polistena are noted, together with Gerace, for their splendid handmade ceramics; Squillace has a cathedral, Vibo Valentia a 17th century Duomo; silk shawls are made at Tiriolo, and Rossano has the Byzantine church of S. Marco.