Calabria, Italy is the most recognizable geographic area in all of Europe, forming the toe of the boot shaped country that reaches out into the Mediterranean Sea, but because it is the least developed state it remains largely unspoilt. Calabria is a contrasting region made up of isolated cities, villages and mountain refuges where tradition and the local culture has been allowed to thrive without much outside influence as well as glorious stretches of coastline with bays and grottos. For those who are able to travel to the region, there are pristine beaches, unspoiled mountain retreats and historic ruins found in every corner.
Unique because of the mountain range that makes up the centre region of Calabria, the locals have learned how to live and take advantage of the agricultural terrain. For thousands of years homes, churches and even entire towns have been carved out of the face of the mountains. Once thought of as a disadvantage or a deterrent to outsiders moving in, the rugged hill cities are now being connected with roads that drive over and through the mountainside, opening up areas of Italy that have been hidden for centuries.
Two of the biggest draws to the region of Calabria are the ancient ruins that can be found in or near almost every city, and the unspoiled beaches that are a center of life to the towns facing the sea. The Ancient Greeks recognized the defensive advantages the mountain offered and left behind the ruins of their temples, tombs and even rough theaters cut into cliffs. The Byzantine civilization is preserved by both the mountain air and the seclusion the location offers, leaving an endless trail of Heritage sights. Coming down from the mountain caves leads locals and travelers straight to seaside cliffs where tiny village beaches spread out beneath the cliff-side homes that have been facing the Mediterranean for years.
Calabria is one of the most beautiful places in Italy and Reggio Calabria is the busiest city of Calabria. It was almost destroyed in the 1908 devastating earthquake along with the other side of Strait of Messina and Messina in Sicily. The town was reconstructed with efficient and planning that helped it become one of the pleasant and attractive locations. It became ferry services transport hub for Sicily. Once a capital of Calabria it is only a provincial capital. Reggio is also known as Reggio Calabria or Reggio di Calabria.
Attractive fishing village Scilla and Tropea near or Costa degli Dei also known as Coast of Gods are the most famous and popular tourist spots that are frequently visited by people round the world. Reghion the ancient Greek town stood here is the important part of Magna Graecia. Many tourists visit The National Museum or Museo Nazionale di Reggio CALABRIA, which is the most popular tourist attraction in Reggio. It has the most valuable historical and ancient collections of Greek exhibits collected from Reghion, Locri and other sites.
The museum also has collection of bronze statues and famous bronze sculptures. The museum is located close near to the sea front and is on Piazza de Nava. The museum is closed on Mondays. The architect of EUR district of Rome designed the museum in 1930s. There are two famous bronze statues of Greek named Bronzi di Riace or Riace Bronzes.
The long panoramic seafront forms the pride of Reggio. People can forget themselves enjoying the upfront view to Sicily. Some times tourists can also enjoy Fata Morgana. It is a phenomenon where a mirage shimmers in the air over the sea. One can also enjoy the ruins of the Greek wall, roman baths, cathedral (Duomo) and municipal art gallery (Pinacoteca Civica).
Botricello is a city in the calabrian province of southern Italy. It is a town present in the province of Catanzaro. The city has incredible landscapes and exquisite sightseeing spots along with shiny sandy beaches and colorful coastlines that offer spectacular sight of sunsets.
One can enjoy the delicious tastes of local cuisines and variety of dishes and also completely spend their time in exploring the ancient tradition of the region. There are exquisite eucalyptus trees, pine groves that make a perfect romantic holiday for people across the world. The serene atmosphere of the region also makes it a perfect place for ultimate enjoyment taking the levels of happiness to unattainable levels.
The sight of the Ionian coast in the near vicinity gives a pleasant and calming feeling thus driving away all the pressures from people making the lives pleasant and perfect. Sila Mountains that are closer to the Ionian coastline makes it a wonderful sight to watch and people especially throng the area to catch the glimpse of the spectacle.
Picturesque locations and mouthwatering Mediterranean flavors along with innovative traditional cuisines make people spellbound. The magic spell of beautiful Botricello delivers a breathtaking experience for anyone making the location the most preferred one amongst the tourists across the world and especially European countries.
Ever-friendly local residents and evergreen lustful trees and gardens along with historical archaeological monuments makes an everlasting impression on the people. Beach side restaurants and bars serving tasty popular drinks and the nightlong party atmosphere draw people towards the region.
From here people can also visit near by places in the province of Catanzaro making their trip memorable and once in a lifetime achievement. All these features make Botricello one of the best locations to visit in the entire country of Italy amongst many people who like to have peace of mind.
Rocella Ionica is a beautiful place in Calabria. People can really enjoy their holidays with many attractive places located near by. It is located in the southern most continental part of Italy and has very good warming climate during winters and has extremely hot during summers. It is well connected from all major cities with trains. The railway station is located right at the center of the town making it convenient for all passengers.
The highways leading to Rocella Ionica are toll free and one can take the one from “Salerno-Reggio Calabria and then “autostrada dei due mari”. You can get a very good pleasant view in the parks like Aspromonte and Sila. One can also enjoy the historical remains and monuments in the Greek ancient town Locri. People can have a beautiful sight of medieval castle on a rock right at the very top of Rocella. One can enjoy strolling through 500 years old churches and ancient villas.
In summer one can enjoy different sporting activities like water sports and other beach activities. Parties and seaside discos in Roccella and its surroundings make up the nighttime entertainment. The delicious tasty food keeps people spellbound with dishes like dry sausages soppressata, eggplants preparation similar to Greek Moussaka and fresh fried anchovies. Most of the dishes are typically spiced with garlic, fennel, onion and oregano. People can also savor famous liquor “Amaro del Capo”.
One can enjoy their stay in luxurious and prominent hotels and B&B is preferred in the city. Another best option is to rent a room or house by making use of contacts. There is no centralized service and room renting is mostly informal and unstructured. One can really enjoy the lonely, calm and pleasant atmosphere that gives peace of mind and helps in solving all the problems in the world.
Gerace
Town of Gerace is located in the province of Reggio Calabria in the southern region of Italy. It is situated in Calabria and is in the inlands far away from the town of Locri. People can view sea from the top of 500 m rock top. Gerace town stands tall on a hill that was formed by the sea fossils’ conglomerates 60 million years ago.
City of Gerace derived its name from Ierax meaning Sparrow hawk in the Greek language. The inhabitants of the city who were living near the coastline, when attacked by Saracen or followers of Islam during the 915 CE, fled towards the mountains and hills under the leadership of Sparrow hawk. Gerace Marina, the modern city was built near the coastline in the 19th century that was later changed as Locri in the year 1934.
10th century construction by the Byzantines, the Old Norman Castle is the famous tourist attraction of the city. One it used to be housing around 128 churches and now only remains of few prominent ones are there. Precious Baroque altar is present in the 13th century Church of St. Francis. The Norman Castle is the largest religious building in the entire province of Calabria. It also includes the prison of five martyrs of Gerace in 1045. It also gives host to collections from the temples of Locri that include two aisles each of which are divided into 13 columns. Even the crypt is also accessible. This museum was found in 1996.
10th century little St.John or the small San Giovannello and 1083’s Santa Maria del Mastro, which was also known as Greek Rite till 1480. All these collections in the city of Gerace make it a notable and wonderful pace to reside in all of Italy and enjoy for people across the world.
Sellia Marina
Sellia Marina is a village present in the southern part of Italy in Catanzaro town of the province of Calabria. There is Lorcan –C master station of the Mediterranean Sea chain. It is a small municipality situated near the Ionian coast of southern Italy.
Picturesque location of the town is making people especially from Russia and Europe throng to the place. The village has beautiful coastlines, sandy beaches, exquisite resorts and pine forests. The restaurants and beach bars make your outdoor life and sporting adventures a memorable one. One will get carried away with the small promenades in between and the delicious Italian foods like gourmet food is a treat to taste.
Locales here have the common surnames or family names like Amelio, Talarico, Corea, Dardano and Garcea. It is just 22km away from important and prominent place Catanzaro. With the growth of tourism there are many luxurious resorts coming up from where one can have a pleasant view of the breathtaking beaches, curving coastlines, peculiar colors of blue green waters of the sea, crests and troughs of the waves and also have an exhilarating experience of adventure sports like skiing, mountaineering and horse riding.
Friendly nature of the people make the tourists instantly fall in love with the place and this will make it really difficult for them when they think of parting ways with the place. People can have a wonderful experience by visiting Sellia Marina and the historical and archaeological background of the place makes it even more interesting.
Homely resorts that are contemporarily planned gives you a blend of traditional and cosmopolitan outlook and the exotic eucalyptus gardens makes an everlasting impression on you. All these makes you fond of the place in such a way that you think of purchasing a property here and settle permanently in Sellia Marina.
Siderno
Situated in the province of Reggina, Siderno is a splendid modern town with ample plazas, lot of regions and wide roads that form all the characteristics of urban structure. It is located in Calabria 3 km from Locri. Siderno has spectacular beautiful vast and long beaches, crystal clear sea and coastline, well equipped bathing establishments; pensions, campings, apartments, hotels and most importantly extremely favorable climatic conditions making tourists throng the city. Activities like craftsmanship of use and decorum, small manufacturing industry, Commerce, agriculture, tourism, societies of services and zootecnic are the most prevalent and famous in the town of Siderno. It is the urban center and with historical structures of tourist attraction.
Siderno is equidistant from Catanzaro and Reggio Calabria and is a lonely place abandoned on the southern area of the Iconic coast Reggina. Sidereno is differentiated into two regions. Siderno Marina is located on the Iconic coast and is the newer town. Older town is Siderno Superiore has lot of historical monuments and places, narrow streets and old buildings. Since newer Siderno offers more opportunities and services most of the people migrated from Siderno Superiore making it a ghost town.
Historical center of Siderno High has the medieval suburb characteristics preserved intact. It is present on the hill 4 km away from the harbor along the Siderno-Canolo provincial road. People will be thoroughly interested in the church of S.Borrmeo along with the Building Elves that are attached with the chapel, national monuments, the Building de Moià, precious attractive cloths, church of S.Nicola of Bari on homonym plasea, church of S.Maria of the arc and last but not the least the interesting mask in the Building Englen that keeps and drives out all the evils. People cannot take off their eye from beautiful Siderno and one should make it a point to visit at least once.
Nocra Scalo is one of the best locations In Calabria where people want to stay at resident. Not only for the seafront beauty and clam and quiet atmosphere around, this place is characterized by historical background and simple lifestyle in the convention of Old Italian tradition. In Nocera Scalo sometimes it may seem to a person that here time has stopped in its old age or the place itself has captivated the old roam of truly Italian tradition.
The front of this small sea township is sunny long beaches with golden sands; a beautiful promenade is built on the edge of the beach so that the residents can stroll here and can enjoy the stunning beauty of seamless Mediterranean. However, the community of this place is small and comprised of only 5000 people around in number.
Recently the real estate market of this place has witnessed a boom and some of the new constructions are taking place here which really deserves mention and will get high priority from the property investors.
Besides its natural pastoral beauty and sea landscape, it is holy place. The grave of St Francis is situated here and the birthplace of this holy Saint is located here in Basilica of St Clare. If you walk through Assisi, you will be able to see the monuments of Franciscan. Walking by the side of Topino River will take you in the age back and the reminiscences of old houses and fort ruins will start the seeds of nostalgia in your mind.
The roads around this mall town are neat and clean and not complicated in pattern; one can take car and stroll around the places by his/her own. It will give you better feel of the touring and enjoying the true essence of Italy.
Not only the architectural arts, the religious surrounding also will make your soul elevated and peace will feel your mind.
For is typical geographical location, Calabria is called the toe of the Italian boot and has unique versatility of natural climate here comprising of hot summer region and chilled cool zone. The result of this climate contrast is delicious and tasteful resulting in abundant production of two types of grapes of Greek origin: Greco in whites and Gaglioppo for red wines. By default, the varieties of wine produced form these two varieties are completely different from each other.
Calabria has a few unique wine productions: Ciro is one of the best jewels in the wine casket of Calabria. There is a legend related to Ciro that once in the past the athletes of Calabria celebrated their victory in Olympiad with this wine which was originated from Krimisa. After a lot new sophistication in brewing as on date Ciro is accounted as riserva version of wine and is considered as one of vintage wines of this area.
There are red wine varieties available in Calabria and this red wine variety is made from grape quality Gaglioppo and this quality of grapes are available from vineyards situated on the higher altitudes. Savuto, Pollino, and Donnici are some of the famous red wine varieties of this region. These red wine varieties are excellent in their tastes and special aroma and lighter in weight which is similar in Alpine red flavored.
There are a few white wine varieties available in Calabria which stands out as the finest wines in their own category. Mostly these white wines are formed from Greco types of grapes. Greco di Gerace is a non-DOC type wine which carries the old name of its ancient origin. Mantonico di Bianco is another famous white variety of wine from Calabria region; it is a sherry like amber wine, it is has a blended flavor of citrus and almond in flavor and bouquet.
Amantea is beautiful sea side township in the southern region of Italy in the region of Calabria. This small town is situated on the Tyrrhenian coast between Lamezia Terme and Paola. It has an attractive old center on the hill top and facilitated with long stretch of sunny beach full of warm sunshine in the backdrop of emerald green sea. Amantea is a calm and quiet township away from hurly burly of popular tourist destinations. Touring in Amantea is like relaxing one day in the midst of tranquility on the lap of Mother Nature.
The small township is also flavored with historical memorable places; Church of San Bernardino along with the monastery. The exclusive gothic portal contains different ceramic decorations which are unique in the whole region.
The remains of the Byzantine castle on the hill top is also a spot where anybody can go back past and can taste the smell of gallantry of legendary kings and his brave associates.
There are different style of house in this township which is a lively document of stsep by step development of this town. It is less busy than popular cities but today’s Amantes is also full of activities. There are hardly any tourist shops but the most lively street of this place is Via Vittorio Emanuele II.
The whole beach has a walkway for strolling around. Sea beach of this place is combo type made of gravel, sand, and pebbles. Till date a few boats can be seen on the beach reminding the tourist once it was a fishermen’s village only.
Although not very lavish, but there are comfortable places where one can drink and dine comfortable with generous ambience. There are different food joints where Calabrian foods re available in affordable price and in good quality.
Amantae tour with its simplicity and coziness will be lifetime memory in the whole Italy tour plan.
There are several unpretentious places to eat and drink around Amantea, mostly in the modern part of town. The smartest place to dine though, is the Palazzo delle Clarisse, on the winding road that leads along the hillside out of the centro storico. The restaurant is set in an old convent on the steep slopes below the castle. We enjoyed a filling meal with good local wine in the modern part of town at Due Bicchieri on Via Dogana.