Beautiful and atmospheric Calabria lies at the tip of Italy’s boot, next to Sicily. It is a fairly mountainous and scenic region. There are many altitude differences and many of the beaches are sheltered by steep cliffs. Calabria has four mountain ranges, the peaks of which are among the highest in Italy, reaching over 2,000 metres. The natural sites offer a wide range of activities including hiking, climbing and horse riding.
Calabria is renowned for Italy’s best beaches, clear swimming and diving waters, quality food such as olives, lemons, cheeses and wines and its colourful history. Like Sicily, Calabria is known as the Nrdangeta Mafia region, but this has no impact on the lives of tourists.
Calabria enjoys a relaxed and peaceful small-town atmosphere. In Calabria you can see and experience traditional and authentic Italian without the crowds of tourists or the congestion of a million cities. Beach towns are dotted along the coastline on the edge of steep cliffs, offering spectacular scenery.
The local food is prepared in a traditional style, favouring local food and fresh ingredients. Cipolla di rossa – sweet red onions – are a speciality of Tropea and are often displayed on the doorsteps of shops and stores. Another Calabrian speciality is fiery pasta with chilli and spicy pork nduja – salami.
The most interesting tourist towns in Calabria are Reggio Calabria, Tropea, Scilla, Capo Vaticano, Pizzo and Zungri, all of which are worth visiting during your holiday.
Taormina, Sicily
Discover the island of Sicily and picturesque Taormina on this popular full-day tour.
From the mainland, we take a ferry to the island of Sicily, where we can explore atmospheric Taormina and its charming little alleys.
During the day you can also explore on your own the magnificent Greek amphitheatre, the Teatro Greco, which is the most beautiful in the village and overlooks both the Mediterranean Sea and the volcano Mount Etna.
Price 109 e/person
Reggio Calabria and Scilla
We visit Reggio Calabria, Calabria’s largest city, where the main street, Corso Garibaldi, is full of shops, boutiques, cafés and restaurants.
The charming little fishing village of Scilla, with its colourful houses, is built on a steep hillside. The village is famous for its deliciously prepared swordfish dishes, which we will also have the chance to taste on our trip.
Price 109 e/person
Wines of Calabria – wine tasting
On this half-day excursion, we will learn the secrets of wine growing and making at a beautiful winery.
We will taste and learn about the production of quality wines from a local family and local snacks.
You can buy products to take home and bring back as souvenirs.
Price 99 e/person
The mountain hideaways offer a wealth of interesting little villages with a history that may go back to the Middle Ages.
Tropea
Tropea is a diverse city with a beautiful historic old town, stunning seascapes, delicious local food, shops and shopping. Here, hotels are not allowed to be built right on the beaches, but are located a little further inland. The most famous attraction in the town of Tropea is the church of Santa Maria dell’Isola, built on a cliff. At the foot of the same cliff are the most popular beaches in Tropea.
Scilla
Scilla is a charming little fishing village with colourful houses and narrow streets built into a steep hillside. The atmosphere here is traditionally Italian and the small town is particularly renowned for its deliciously prepared swordfish dishes.
Pizzo
Pizzo is a pretty little port town, whose main attractions are the old town and the beach. The town is also home to the interesting Chiesetta di Piedigrotta, a chapel built in a cave. This seaside town is particularly famous for its own ice cream dish, tartufo. The dish is a ball of chocolate and hazelnut ice cream with chocolate sauce inside and the whole thing is covered in cocoa powder.
Zungri
About 10km inland, the peaceful village of Zungri is known for its cliff-top cave dwellings, which have been inhabited since around the 500s. At an altitude of around 500m, the village offers beautiful views of the surrounding green hills.
Reggio Calabria
Reggio Calabria, the capital of the region, has a population of around 200 000 and is steeped in culture and history. The city was devastated by an earthquake in 1908 and rebuilt afterwards. The most popular attractions in the city are the Museo Nazionale della Magna Grecia and the main street, Corso Giuseppe Garibaldi.
Sicily
Sicily is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea in Italy, just over 100km from Tropea. The island of Sicily is separated from the Italian mainland by the Strait of Messina, across which there is a ferry connection. The island’s most famous attraction is, of course, the mighty volcano Mount Etna, which dominates the Sicilian landscape.
The beaches of Calabria are clear and clean. Most beaches are light sandy or pebble beaches. Many beaches are sheltered by steep cliffs and some are accessible only by steps. Some hotels have their own beach areas and shuttle services to the beaches.
In and around towns and cities, there are larger grocery stores and e.g. shoe and clothing shops and boutiques, but in smaller villages there are small shops or boutiques. In Tropea, along the main street Corso Vittorio Emanuele, there are several boutiques, cafés and restaurants.
About 25km inland from Tropea is the Centro Commerciale Vibo Center in the town of Vena, which has several Italian and international clothing and shoe shops.
In Calabria, siesta is not literally celebrated, but here it is called “riposo”. Many shops and restaurants are closed from around 12 to 17. It’s a good idea to factor siesta time into your holiday itinerary and get an early start in the morning, rest up in the afternoon in the local style and go out for dinner later in the evening, just like the locals.
You can buy Italian fashion, clothes, shoes, bags, ceramics and more. Olive products, local wines and other local produce can be bought in delicatessens and supermarkets.
The price level for shopping and eating out in Calabria is slightly cheaper than in Finland.
Small and atmospheric local restaurants and eateries can be found in every town and village, serving authentic Italian food; pasta, pizzas and seafood. The ingredients are locally sourced, fresh and of high quality, and the recipes are often family recipes that have been used for decades. Here you can get a taste of real and authentic Italian food!
The region’s most popular specialities include the spicy and soft Nduja salami, Tropea’s local red onions and bergamot-flavoured products such as tea and chocolate. Small hot Pepperoncino chilli peppers are also a popular local product and are commonly used in pizzas and pastas.
Locals tend to eat quite late in the evening and dinner is enjoyed on a long, unhurried schedule. Evening life in Calabria is quiet, except in mid-summer, when Italians from all over the country come in droves for their holidays.
There is a train service along the coast between the major cities, and you can also travel between the towns by bus.
Taxis usually only accept cash payment and the fare must be agreed in advance before the trip.
The streets in small towns and villages are often narrow and often have no pavements. There are many cobbled streets, differences in height and stairs, so good footwear is recommended.
You can also explore Calabria on your own by renting a car. The local traffic culture is somewhat different from that in Finland, and traffic rules are less strictly enforced. A relaxed attitude to the rules and driving with the rest of the traffic is the best way to keep up with Italian traffic. In the mountains and smaller villages, roads can be winding and narrow.
We do not recommend the site for people with reduced mobility or wheelchair users due to the height differences, uneven pavements, lack of pavements and steps.
Airlines: several different airlines fly from Finland to Italy. At Aventours, we fly to Italy with Enter Air.
Airport: Lamezia Terme (SUF)
Distance to resorts from Lamezia Terme Airport: hotels in the Tropea area are about 60km away and take about 1 hour to reach. The distance to the hotels in Tropea Terme and to the hotels in Capo Vaticano is just under 70 km and takes about 1.5 hours.
Flight time: about 4.5 hours.
Language: the official language of the whole country is Italian. English and German are relatively well spoken in the main resorts.
Time difference : -1 In Italy, the time is one hour less than in Finland. The time zone is UTC +1.
Population: the entire Calabria region has just under 2 million inhabitants, compared with 60.9 million in the country as a whole.
Passport: Finnish citizens need a valid passport or a chip ID card to travel to Italy.
Currency: the Italian currency is the euro. Card payments are accepted in larger shops, restaurants and hotels, but smaller shops and cafés prefer cash. Taxis generally only accept cash. Cash payments are much more common than in Finland, and it may not even be possible to pay for small purchases by card. ATMs and banks can be found in larger villages and towns.
Tipping: it is common in Italy to leave a tip in restaurants, bars and taxis. The amount of the tip commonly used is around 10% of the total bill. In restaurants, it is common practice to round up the final bill slightly.
Tap water: tap water in Italy is potable, but calcareous. Bottled water is recommended for those who are sensitive. Tap water is safe for brushing your teeth and cooking.
Accommodation tax: in Italy, there is a hotel tax of between €0.50 and €7 per room per night, depending on the local hotel classification. The tax is payable directly to the hotel in cash or by card at check-in or check-out.
1. Tropea means sun, sea and unforgettable scenery and is one of the most enchanting places on the Calabrian coast. Situated on the shores of the Tyrrhenian Sea, Tropea is a town where the pale limestone cliffs, tens of metres high, fall almost vertically into the turquoise blue sea. The town is relatively small in area and the distances are short. Small beach coves are located just below the atmospheric centre, on the edge of the turquoise sea.
In addition to the beautiful beaches, Tropea’s attractions include the town centre, with its atmospheric small streets, colourful apartment buildings and restaurants serving excellent Italian food. With pizzerias and gelaterias aplenty, Tropea is ideal for the tourist who loves Italian atmosphere and culture.
One of the most photographed sites in Tropea is the cliff-top church of Santa Maria dell’Isola, surrounded by beautiful beaches and a sparkling sea.
2. The “ghost town” of Pentidattilo is located in the south of Calabria, on the crest of Mount Calvario, some 250 m above sea level. The mountain ledge is shaped like the hand of a giant with five fingers, from which the village takes its name. The old village, a little higher up the slope, was finally abandoned in 1971 after being declared uninhabitable three years earlier. The inhabitants had moved a little lower down the valley to form a new small centre from which the old ghost town could be seen. More recently, the ghost town has seen a revival of activity and life: local craftsmen have opened a few shops to sell their wares, and there is a restaurant. The partial restoration of the village has included resurfacing the main street and restoring some of the buildings. The village is located about 140km from Tropea.
3. The Calabria region’s food tradition favours local fresh ingredients. Wine is also grown in the region, but the hot climate means that the wines produced here are not among the most appreciated. The most famous wine of the Calabria region is the Ciro. Local specialities include Nduja, a fiery salami made from pork, Sardella, an anchovy spread and Soppressata sausage.
Calabria’s cuisine emphasises spiciness, especially chilli and the local delicacy peperoncino chilli, as well as seafood from the clean sea, such as swordfish, tuna and anchovies. Be sure to sample the local delicacies and get some to take home.
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