Calabria Italy, Agritourism, holidays in Calabria, calabrian weddings, Cosenza, Catanzaro, Reggio Calabria, Scilla,
Sila national park, Tropea, Vibo Valentia, Crotone, trips to Stromboli, Capo Vaticano, Scalea, Paola.

Calabria is located at the "toe" of the Italian peninsula. It is bounded to the north by Basilicata, to the south-west by Sicily, to the west by the Tyrrhenian Sea, and to the east by the Ionian Sea. The region covers 15,081 square kilometres and has a population of 2.9 million. The capital of Calabria is Catanzaro and the provinces are: Catanzaro, Cosenza, Crotone, Reggio Calabria and Vibo Valentia. Calabria stretches from north to south for 248 kilometres, with a maximum width of 110 kilometres. It is separated from Sicily by the Strait of Messina, where the narrowest point between Capo Peloro in Sicily and Punta Pezzo in Calabria is only 3.2 kilometres.

For a long time Calabria was one of the poorer areas in Italy, but more recently the government has stimulated the economy through land reform, the introduction of new crops, and the promotion of tourism. Farming is still the main occupation with olives, plums, grapes, citrus fruit, and wheat being the main crops. Sheep and goats are also raised. Fishing is well developed along the Strait of Messina.

Calabria is well-known for its beautiful seaside resorts, its long, white sandy beaches with warm, crystal clear water and the colourful nightlife to be found in the many bars and restaurants of the region. Away from the coast, it is mainly a mountainous region. There are three ranges: The Pollino, The Sila and Aspromonte. All three have been designated as National Parks with their own unique flora and fauna. The Pollino Mountains in the north of the region are rugged and form a natural barrier separating Calabria from the rest of Italy.

La Sila is a vast mountainous plateau, about 1,200 metres above sea level, stretching for nearly 2,000 square kilometres along the central part of Calabria. Also a national park, the area boasts numerous lakes and dense coniferous forests and is more reminiscent of Switzerland or Canada than most peoples' perceptions of southern Italy. The most famous part is the Bosco di Fallistro, just outside Camigliatello where you can see the 'Giganti della Sila', trees which are over 500 years old, six feet across and 130 feet tall.

The Aspromonte National Park forms the southernmost tip of the Italian peninsula surrounded by the sea on three sides. Its highest point is Montalto Uffugo, at 1,995 metres.

Catanzaro
The province of Catanzaro has a wonderful landscape which is wooded, mountainous and is in an enviable position sitting between two seas, the Tyrrhenian to the west and the Ionian to the east. It also borders three other provinces in the region of Calabria, Cosenza to the north, Crotone to the north east and Vibo Valentia to the south west.


The north of the province forms part of the beautiful Sila National Park, famous for its unspoiled landscape and wide variety of animals and unusual plants. The Sila National Park is a wonderful place to visit at any time of the year with skiing in the winter and trekking in the cooler summer months. There are some nice villages on the lower levels which make an interesting day trip. Two examples are Taverna, on the lower, southern slopes and Tiriolo with it's medieval castle and panoramic views over both the Tyrrhenian and Ionian seas.


Lago Ariamacina - Sila

Running right across the province, at the narrowest point from west to east, there is a 30km long, narrow valley about 2km wide which separates the two seas. It runs from the Piana di Sant'Eufemia to the Corace Valley and reaches the sea at both ends. It is know as either the Isthmus of Catanzaro or Isthmus of Marcellinara. On the higher ground around the town of Marcellinara it is possible to view both seas at the same time.






The town of Catanzaro is the capital of the province as well as being the capital for the whole of Calabria.

The town is built on a rock which is split into two parts by the Fiumarella valley and the two sections are connected by a huge concrete steel bridge called the Viadotto Morandi.


Viadotto Morandi
The bridge was designed by Riccardo Morandi, built in 1960 and is one of the highest in Europe.


This province is a well known holiday destination and has some beautiful coastal areas, especially along the Ionian stretch.

The indented bay known as the gulf of Squillace is one of the most stunning with long white beaches broken up by magnificent rocks. The bay is named after the small town of Squillace which is a very popular resort as well as being an important archaeological site and home to a Norman castle.

Cosenza
The province of Cosenza borders the Tyrrhenian to the west, the Ionian Sea to the east, the provinces of Catanzaro and Crotone to the south and the region of Basilicata to the North. It has some beautiful beaches along both of its coastlines with clear blue water and a backdrop of the mountainous interior. With the two very different coastline and parts of the Sila National Park and the Pollino National Park stretching into it the region is geographically diverse. This makes it a fascinating area to visit and provides endless outdoor activities from deep sea diving and sunbathing to skiing, trekking and white water rafting.


The provincial capital of the region is the town of Cosenza which is dominated by a Norman Hohenstaufen castle which is perched on a high hill above the town.



The centre of old town is one of the oldest in Italy with many beautiful old buildings and steep, narrow streets. The new part of the town is now an agricultural and commercial centre of great importance to the region of Calabria.





There are many old, historic villages to explore in the beautiful countryside. There is the university town of Rende, Coriglian Calabro with its ancient ruins and the village of Rocca Imperiale clinging to a hillside near the border of the region of Basilicata.

Crotone
The province of Crotone was only founded in 1992 from an area that used to be part of Catanzaro. It borders the Ionian sea on two sides, Catanzaro to the south west and Cosenza to the north west.

The coastline is beautiful and includes the Capo Rizzuto area which is a protected marine reserve with a 37 km of coastline and just over 13.000 hectares of open water.


Inland it is has spectacular scenery with woods, lakes, mountains and part of the Sila National Park. The largest and most impressive lake is the Ampollino which was originally created by the damming of the Ampollino river.


Crotone
Crotone town, the provincial capital, is a coastal town with long, sandy beaches and excellent shops and restaurants in the new part of the town. The old part is pretty with winding streets, markets and ancient buildings, like the 16th century Castle of Charles V.


The town has another ancient castle, known as La Castella, which is built on an island just of the coast and joined to the mainland by a narrow strip of land. This castle is only accessible on foot, by means of the of the narrow causeway.




On the coast, not far from the town of Crotone, there is the Capo Collano Archaeological Park with many important historical remains, one of which is an ancient temple which has been there since the 5th century BC.

Carcurri
The rest of inland Crotone is dotted with elightfully natural mountain villages such as Palumbo, 1479m high and surrounded by forests of beech and black pine. There is Cirò which is famous for its wines, Carccuri which has a castle built over a Byzantine fortress Santa Severina where there is a traditional Italian music festival every August.

Reggio Calabria
The Calabrian province of Reggio Calabria is right on the 'toe' of Italy in the heart of Mediterranean Sea. Reggio Calabria has the Ionion Sea to the east and the Tyrrhenian Sea to the south and west and the land inbetween is high, wooded and rich. It faces Sicily which is just 3.2 km across the Strait of Messina on the Tyrhennain side. To the north it borders the provinces of Vibo Valentia and Catanzaro.

The Tyrhennain coast in this province is notable for its buildings and terraces high on the cliffs overhanging the sea. This coastal area is known as the Costa Viola because of the reflections, particularly at sunset, which turn the colour of the sea to violet.



This stretch of coast also has a large and important port at Gioia Tauro which is on the route connection the Suez to Gibralter and is one of the busiest maritime corridors in the world.







This is a very fertile province heavily wooded with beech, fir, chestnut and oak trees. Vines and olives are produced along with the bergamot orange, clementines and other citrus fruits. A large part of this province is taken up by the Aspromonte National Park which is covered with hectares of pine forests on the Tyrrhenian side and beech on the Ionian side.




There are a lot of fast flowing rivers in this province, the largest of which is the Stilaro which is almost 60km long. Because it is mountainous there are also many spectacular waterfalls of which the Cascata del Marmarico which is 114m high.

The province of Reggio Calabria is also rich in history and mythology and there are many traces of the Magna-Graecia culture. Mythology and history merge into one in the little town of Scilla which is distinctive with a rock jutting out into the sea on top of which sits a castle (Ruffo Castle).

The town of Reggio Calabria is the capital of the province is the largest, oldest and most heavily populated town in the region of Calabria and one of the oldest towns in the whole of Italy. It is a popular holiday resort and has a lovely, wide open promenade called the Lungomare Falcomatà where you can stroll and look across the Straits of Messina to Sicily.




There are many important and interesting building and musuems in this town, the most important being the National Museum of Greater Greece where the Riace Bronzes are housed.

This province is also home to a ghost town, Pentedattilo, which was damaged, and subsequently deserted, by an earthquake in 1783. The village remained empty until 1960 when volunteers spent 20 years partially restoring it.

Other villages worth noting are Bova which is dominated by the ruins of a Norman Castle, Roghudi, a good example of Magna-Graecia colonisation, Galatro a famous thermal establishment, Gerace which was built on a hill of sea fossils and the fast growing tourist resort of Palmi.

Vibo Valentia
The new province of Vibo Valentia was only established in 1992 and is in a wonderful position on the Tyrrhenain Sea. It has the province of Catanzaro to the north, Reggio di Calabria to the south and has 75km of stunning coastline full of small bays, white sand beaches, rocky inlets and turquoise water. The rugged cliffs rise steeply from the coast rising to a backdrop of green, wooded mountains. It is possible from the coast here to see the Aeolian Isands and even Etna in Sicily on a clear day.

The towns on the coast are built into the steep cliff face and look down precariously to the sea below.


Tropea
One of the most famous of these towns is Tropea which is well known and much loved holiday resort.

Not far away from Tropea there is another smaller, attractive coastal town called Pizzo which is high on a cliff overlooking the Gulf of Santa Eufemia.



It has on old Aragonese castle which was built in the 15th century and also has a 17th century church, the Church of Piedigrotto, which was built in a cave. Pizzo is also famous for an ice cream dessert called Tartufo.

The capital of the province is the town of Vibo Valentia with it's harbour which is very important to the local economy. There is a Norman-Hoehenstaufen Castle which was built around the year 1000 and today houses a state museum.

The other location worth visiting in this small province is Serra San Bruno where you will find the famous Carthusian monastery, Certosa di San Stefano di Serra San Bruno, around which the town grew up.

Certosa di San Stefano di Serra San Bruno

Area: 15,081 km²
Population: 2.9 million
Capital: Catanzaro

Provinces:
Catanzaro
Cosenza
Crotone
Reggio Calabria
Vibo Valentia

List of Comunes within: