Calabria Travel Guide: Experience The Slow Life in Italy

In this Calabria Travel Guide, we’ll give you the details you need to plan your Italian Slow Life trip, to Southern Italy. Calabria is well known for the spicy Calabrian pepper, and it’s also where the true ‘slow life’ exists in Italy. So grab your passports and prepare to get spicy in Calabria!

Marina in Scilla, Calabria, Italy

Sail to Other Sections of this Calabria Travel Guide

• Things You Should Know About Calabria
• Getting to Calabria
• When to visit
• Where to Stay in Calabria
• What to See 
• What to Eat
• Nearby Places to Visit

Calabria Travel Guide: Things to Know About Calabria

Where is Calabria?

Calabria, called the “toe of the boot”, is the southernmost region of mainland Italy. It sits with coastlines on the Ionian and Tyrrhenian Seas. The regions of Basilicata and Campania border it. For further reference, this is south of Naples and the Amalfi Coast. Sicily is visible across the Strait of Messina from Reggio Calabria (the capital of the region of Calabria). In the interior of Calabria, you will find plush mountains, waterfalls, and plenty of places to hike. The seaside towns of Calabria are all fishing villages. 

What is the ‘slow life’?

When you hear the term ‘slow life’ about Italy, you’re probably thinking that there is no rush, the days are full of relaxation, siesta, and no worries. This is mostly true. But with days like this, you’ll also find that other things are slow too. Trains, infrastructural advancements, and services in general are slower. Making it a great place to ‘escape the rat race’ of a busy life. 

An insider’s introduction to Calabria exposed us to what it truly means to live the slow life. We were fortunate to have been invited to Calabria by a friend. He spent his summers there when he was growing up. Our ‘home base’ was the small town of Curinga, which is near the city of Lamezia (Lamezia has an airport). Each morning, we would go to the same cafe to say hello to Giuseppe. He is the owner (and maybe the only employee). We would pick up Giuseppe’s dog and take him for a walk. 

Our friend, Gabriele, was greeted by just about everyone we passed when we walked through the town. Gabriele’s mom grew up in Curinga, and everyone knows her. People would come out of their shops to say hello to Gabriele. We’d stop by the panificio (bread bakery) on the way out of town each day for bread for later. On our first day, we went to the market to get seafood, kaciuto (a local digestif), and other goodies. Then we had lunch at home along with the two men who sold us the seafood and other tasty items. Some of which Gabriele would ship home. On our last day, we drove through town, stopping at each shop to say goodbye to the locals we met. They were all some of the nicest and most welcoming people!

The best way to get around Calabria

It is best to get around Calabria by car. You can get a good price for renting a car at the airport in Lamezia. The sedan-sized car was €160 for 6 days, with insurance. A compact car was less than €100. We recommend getting a car because you can get almost anywhere in Calabria within a 2-hour drive. Most of the towns in Calabria are small. You’ll want to visit several parts of Calabria to get the most out of your time there. There are some train lines, but they are all regional, they move slowly, and they don’t run too often. For efficiency and freedom, you should rent a car.

Calabrian history

The area of Calabria is steeped in Etruscan history (late Bronze Age, 11th/10th century BC). Calabria was ruled by the Greeks (part of Magna Graecia) and was taken by the Romans (3rd century BC). The Greeks named the whole peninsula “Italia”, including the region we know as Puglia. Italia became the namesake of the Italy we know today. Byzantines ruled the area after the fall of the Roman Empire, and renamed it Calabria. Calabria was later united with the Kingdom of Naples after the Normans conquered it in the 11th century AD. Additionally, Calabria was ruled by the Aragonese and the Bourbons until the Unification of Italy in 1861. Much of the ruins you will see in Calabria are Greek, with some Etruscan, Byzantine, and Roman remains. 

Is Calabria like the rest of Italy?

Each region of Italy is unique, none are alike. Furthermore, you will find that the North is quite different from the South. Generally, the South refers to everything south of Naples and the Amalfi Coast. Although some would say that Naples is more Southern than Northern. Truthfully, visiting the South versus the North is like visiting another country. Sure, there are some similarities, but they are quite different. It’s one of the things that makes Italy so spectacular.

To really know Italy, you have to explore all the beautiful parts of Italy. The reality of the South is that the population is suffering. There are fewer jobs and opportunities in the South. The South has less industry and manufacturing than in the North. When young people complete a post-high school education, they often leave the area. If they learn to speak another language, they will likely leave Italy altogether. This also means that there is less financial abundance in the South. It’s truly a place where people find happiness with less. They focus on their immediate surroundings and finding happiness right where they are. 

Calabria Travel Guide: Getting to Calabria

Calabria has three major airports: Lamezia Terme International Airport, Reggio Calabria Aeroporto dello Stretto, and Sant’Anna airport in Crotone. You will likely not find a direct flight from the United States to Calabria. However, many airports throughout Italy (and select European cities) have flights to these three airports. The best way to get to the region is to fly. Read our Essential Guide to Flight Booking Like a Pro for tips on how to tackle the monumental task of booking a flight. Once you get south of Naples, you won’t find any high-speed trains on the west side of Italy. 

If you really prefer the train, you can take a train to many of the major cities in Calabria. It may take a while (and sometimes costs as much or more than a short flight), but you can do it. You would probably start in Rome or Naples if traveling by train. Learn about Navigating Italy by Train with these tips. And if you are coming from Sicily, you can take a ferry from Sicily to Reggio Calabria.

Calabria Travel Guide: When To Visit Calabria

Calabria will be quite hot in the summer months. However, if you spend lots of time on the beach and indulging in granita and gelato, you’ll be fine. April, May, September, and October will have more bearable temperatures than the hot months of June-August. The shoulder months of April, May, September, and October are perfect if you want to do some hiking and exploring. Winter months are a bit less harsh and cold than in the North. Being coastal, you can expect some rain and wind.

Calabria Travel Guide: Where to Stay in Calabria

Several amazing cities and villages dot the coast of Calabria. We recommend staying somewhere central to the Calabrian west coast. Easily day trip to other towns, both coastal and inland, that are worth a visit, from the west coast. If you want some beach time, stay in Tropea, Scilla, or Pizzo.  Many of the beachfront cities have resorts and hotels to choose from. Making beach days very convenient.

Map of Calabria

Calabria Travel Guide: What To See (and Where)

To help you easily plan your time in Calabria, we’ve ordered the top highlights of key Calabrian villages, from north to south and then to the east. Five days is enough time to explore each of these cities. If you want some extra time on the beach, you’ll want a couple more days in Calabria.

Tropea

Visit Tropea to see the alluring cathedral on the cliff by the sea and stay for the beaches and the food. Calabria has many soft sandy beaches. The sweet Cipolle di Tropea (Tropea onions) of Tropa are famous. They use these onions on everything; pasta, pizza, and caramelized for bruschetta/crostone. We’ve heard that these sweet onions have been used to make gelato (a flavor we hope to try sometime). Grab an aperativo by the sea and watch your worries melt away with the sunset.  Go for an adventure, hire a boat tour to take you out on the sea to see some of the nearby islands like Stromboli.

Terrace view in Tropea

Pizzo

A lovely little town with a bustling piazza in the historic center and a lungomare (literally meaning along the sea, but generally a path built for walking). The Lungomare provides the best sunset passegiare (strolls). Pizzo invented the tartuffo, not the savory truffle but the sweet truffle of gelato. This tasty treat has a melty chocolate center inside gelato, which is then coated in chocolate. It’s an absolutely divine treat to have in the piazza.

Piazza della Repubblica, Pizzo, Calabria, Italy

Scilla

A perfect seaside marina town, one side of town has a beach, and the other side is a marina. As you walk along the streets of the marina side, you are transported back in time. The narrow streets are lined with little shops, restaurants, and cafes. Seafood in Calabria is fresh and some of the best in all of Italy. Get a table outside on the water’s edge and get lost in the view. If you are there in the summer, spend some time at the beach with rented sun beds and umbrellas.

Calabria Travel Pro Tip: Use the Spiagge app to make beach reservations. Check out our other recommended travel resources here.

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Reggio Calabria

The largest city in Calabria, and likely the most industrial of the region, is directly across the Strait of Messina from Sicily. On a clear day, you can see Mt. Etna from the lungomare. Reggio Calabria’s lungomare is a great place for a long stroll with some gelato, or even for a run- if you’re into that sort of thing. The Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Reggio Calabria (National Archeological Museum of Reggio Calabria) has an in-depth look at the people who inhabited the area centuries ago. Southern Italy was inhabited by multiple civilizations, from the Etruscans to the Byzantines, and is home to the Bronzi di Riace. 

The Bronzi di Riace are a pair of bronze statues that are nearly 2 meters high. Their existence is surrounded by mystery. They were found off the coast of Riace on the seafloor of Calabria’s east coast. No evidence exists as to how they arrived there, and no signs of a shipwreck either. There are many theories as to how they were made. We know that there was some casting of the bronze, which are hollow. The thickest parts are a centimeter thick, and as thin as 3 millimeters. They were constructed in 460-470 BC. Little else is known about these mysterious, well-preserved (and restored) masterpieces. Uomo A (Man A) is pictured below. Somewhere between Reggio Calabria and Scilla, you will find a lovely terrace in Sant’Elia di Palmi, with views of Sicily, Mt. Etna, and Palmi. 

Pentedatillo

Exploring this abandoned town was one of our favorite stops. The town sits in the hills at the base of a mountain with a large rock formation that looks like 5 fingers, thus the original Greek name pente (five) dáktylos (fingers). This village never had running water, and the inhabitants would have to go down the mountain to a creek to get water. When you see the view of the mountainside and the sea, you’ll understand why anyone would want to live here. Deemed uninhabitable in the late 1960s, Pentedatillo became abandoned. 

Pentedatillo is now a site for tourists to see, locals living in the new town have returned to revitalize it for others to see. There is a church that is still in use today. You can also see some of the old tiny homes still set up like they were when people lived there, before it became a ghost town. If you are with your honey, stop to grab a photo on the kissing bench and add a hashtag (#kissme #baciami #pentedatillo or #panchinadelbaci) if you post it on social media!

Pentedatillo, Calabria, Italy

Le Castelle

This seaside town was once home to two castles that sat on the water, overlooking and protecting the town. Today, one of the castles still stands, and you can walk along the beach to get to it and explore the remains of the castle. Although this town is small, it has a vibrant culture. We were there on a Sunday, and the townspeople were everywhere enjoying gelato and aperitivo after church. There is a decent stretch of beach that you can relax on and rent beach loungers and umbrellas if you are there in the warmer months.

Capo Collona

Gerace

This mountainside fortress and town is built atop a 500-meter vertical rock, overlooking the winding roads and sea below! Seriously, Google Maps took us on a twisty turny path to get to this cute stone town, and it was all worth it. You’ll want to take pictures of this town around every corner. The views are stunning. Grab some lunch while you are there and take a walk around the town. Unfortunately, the old fortress is not open for visitors (in fact, the bridge to it collapsed), but you can see it from a park at the top of the town. Park there and walk down to the center for lunch. 

Stilo

Calabria Travel Guide: Delighting Your Taste Buds

If you’ve been to Italy or read any of our other guides, you are probably aware of the fact that food all over Italy is different. Meaning that while you will find pizza and pasta in every corner of Italy, you will find that the dishes themselves (and certain ingredients) are regional. And for this reason, it’s best to eat the local foods, as they will never be better than where they are from. 

When you enjoy a meal in Italy, in any region, take your time. This is another part of the culture where you can learn the essence of the slow life in Italy. Italians don’t rush a meal; they sit and enjoy each part of it with whoever they are dining with. If you feel like it’s taking a long time to get the check, that’s because it’s not coming. Head to the register to pay your bill when you are ready to leave. Check your table to see if there is a table number on it, and tell the person at the register the number.

‘Nduja

Calabria is known for spicy food. You’ve probably been exposed to salami calabrese or calabrian chillies, but have you heard of ‘nduja? It takes spicy to another level of flavor and spice. ‘Nduja is a smoked spreadable sausage made of a blend of sun-dried Calabrian chilies and pork sausage. You will find this in pasta, on pizza, inside arancini (fried risotto balls), and for antipasti on top of bread. It’s not just spicy, it’s savory and flavorful. Get it every way you can, every day, because it will never be as good anywhere outside of Calabria. 

Fresh Seafood

Fresh Seafood from the Tyrrhenian Sea is top quality, so if you like seafood, get some in Calabria. For the first time ever, we finally tried gamberi rosso while in Calabria. This is common on Italian menus, it is raw or poke-style shrimp. I know, if you’re an American, you’re probably thinking “yuck! There is no way I’m eating raw shrimp!” We Americans tend to believe all shellfish/crustaceans should be cooked. It took us 2.5 years to try this, Gabriele said that this area was one of the best places to try this. Raw shrimp surprised and delighted us. Paired with a good olive oil and some lemon or orange citrus, it was quite tasty.

Fried seafood (fritto misto) is rather popular in the coastal parts of Italy, and Calabria is no exception. We found the fritto misto in Calabria to be some of our favorites throughout Italy (Cinque Terre and Puglia are two other great places to get this). Fish, mussels, and calamari are also very good and fresh in Calabria.

Cipolle di Tropea

Tropea onions (cipolle di tropea) are some of the most flavorful onions you will find. They are sweet and make a fabulous addition to pizza, pasta, antipasti, and even gelato. Coming from Tropea, you will find them all over Calabria and the rest of Italy as well. These onions are found in grocery stores throughout Italy. However, the best are from the fresh markets and roadside stands in Calabria.

Gelato

Ok of course, you can get good gelato all over Italy (and every city or region claims to have the best). Our advice is to try it everywhere. It’s the perfect complement to your Calabrian afternoon. We always say look for the places that cover the gelato, but even if they don’t, it’s probably pretty good. There are two special ways to enjoy gelato in Calabria: tartuffo and brioche con gelato. Tartuffo was invented in Pizzo. This large serving of gelato, with a melted chocolate center, is coated in chocolate powder. The gelato is usually vanilla or fiore di latte (which is a ‘plain’ flavor that is creamy and milky). 

Tartuffo in Pizzo, Calabria, Italy

Brioche con gelato is a brioche roll sliced open to create a pocket. Then, 2-3 scoops of gelato are placed inside. If you want something lighter, try the granita, it’s not gelato, but you’ll find it at most gelaterie. Granita is probably what ‘Italian Ice’ in the U.S. is supposed to be. Refreshing crushed ice bits have a syrup-like liquid poured over them for a refreshing treat. Don’t be surprised if you find a spoonful or two in your spritz!)

Digestivi

Kaciuto and Amaro– Italy loves digestivo (an after-dinner drink), and you’ve probably heard of limoncello, maybe grappa, and amaro too. Amaro is very popular in Calabria; it’s a little bitter for us, but many enjoy it after a filling meal. Kaciuto is similar to amaro but slightly more herby. It is best served very cold, and you will find it in most bars and restaurants. So try something new, and if you don’t like it, you can get some limoncello instead.

Calabria Travel Guide: Other Places to Visit If You Are Going To Calabria

Since this Calabria travel guide focuses on a whole region, we’ve already given you many ideas of cities to day trip to, from wherever you stay. If you are spending more than a week in Italy, you may want to go somewhere else nearby. 

By flight, you can get to Rome, Florence, Naples, and Bari/Brindisi fairly quickly. We have a guide for first-timers and return visitors if you are interested in going to Rome. And if you want to go to Florence, we also have a guide on Florence. Unfortunately, we have not been to Naples yet, but we know you can get there by flight (or a long train trip) from Calabria. To keep experiencing the slow life in a coastal region, we strongly recommend Puglia. We spent a month in Puglia, and it was unforgettable. 

Puglia

We’ll soon be writing about things to do in Puglia. Subscribe to our newsletter so you know when we publish and update our guides. In the meantime, a few quick notes: the main airports are in Bari and Brindisi, and there is a train running through nearly every town in Puglia. It is easy to take lots of day trips throughout the region known as ‘the heel of the boot’. Puglia is also a great region to connect to a tour to Matera to see the temples built into the cliffsides. This is also a fantastic region for seafood (try the octopus sandwich- it’s photogenic and even tastier). 

Some popular stops in Puglia are Polignano a Mare, Monopoli, Ostuni, Lecce, Alberobello, and Gallipoli. This region is said to have the clearest waters along its coastline. The Puglia coastline touches the Ionian and Adriatic Seas. Additionally, Bari is a port town, and many cruises dock here; you can take a cruise (or a ferry) to Greece or Albania from Bari.

Sicily

Another option is to take a quick ferry over to Sicily from Reggio Calabria. There are so many places to visit on the island of Sicily (and other smaller Sicilian islands) that you could easily fill a couple to a few weeks in Sicily. Considering the position of Sicily within the Mediterranean, you will find Greek, Arabic, African, Spanish, and Italian influences throughout Sicily. Much of the ‘Italian culture’ that you see in movies is based on Sicily. It is home to Arancini and Cannoli, as well as some of the biggest and best pistachios in the world. Sicily is another location we have yet to explore, but it’s on our list!

We hope this Calabria Travel Guide is useful for your next trip to Italy. Now go off and explore Calabria, the sites, the adventures, the food, and the slow life in Italy! Let us know if you have questions about Calabria. We are happy to help. If you just need some inspiration, check out more Calabria photos here. Check out our City Guides to learn more about what to do, where to stay, and what to eat in other Italian cities.

-XO, The Twins

How can we help? We would love to hear your questions!
Contact us by email at thetwins@twicethetraveler.com

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