Planning a trip to the southern Italy’s most mysterious region? Discover the best things to do in Calabria in this complete guide.

“I’ve been dreaming of coming back to Calabria since I was a boy.”

— Stanley Tucci

There’s a good chance that Calabria won’t be the first region you’ve visited in Italy.

Down in the mountainous deep south, the toe to Puglia’s heel and trying to kick Sicily across the narrow Strait of Messina, it’s far less visited than its two sultry neighbours. In comparison to famous and famously crowded coastal destinations to the north - like the Amalfi Coast and Cinque Terre - it’s practically unknown.

Or at least unspoiled.

If you’ve already spent time in all or some of the above, then your Calabrian curiosity is inevitable: this is a place that only emerges once Italy has already got deep under your skin.

For us, after being fortunate enough to spend a decent amount of each of the last six summers in various parts of the country, its call became irresistible.

The poorest region in Italy, Calabria is surrounded by water and split in two by the southern Apennines. Like a sleeping giant’s spine, the rugged silver mountains separate the Tyrrhenian Sea on the west from the Ionian Sea to the east, and almost everything is trapped or tilted between the peaks and the water. Towns and villages are mostly teetering on hilltops, secreted in the folds of the mountains, or clinging on to a coastal cliff edge.

The sometimes challenging topography is what gives Calabria such a distinctive look and feel to elsewhere in southern Italy: all dramatic green hills, steep off-white granite cliffs, slivers of secret white sand beaches, mystical caves, and slender roads twisting down to the irresistible blues of the Tyrrhenian Sea.

The cliché would be to describe its long coastline and sparsely populated countryside all as a bit more rugged and wild than elsewhere, but the fact of the matter is that the peninsula has - hands down - the best water and the most beautiful sand beaches we’ve visited in Italy.

And far fewer people with whom to share them - for now.

Poverty and the malignant presence of organised crime are two factors in large-scale tourism being slow to arrive, and it’s still a nascent destination for European and North American travellers in comparison to many other in the Mediterranean (though more Americans visit due to heritage connections). It lacks some of the beautiful heritage and architecture one simply takes for granted elsewhere in Italy, and may not yet offer everything those with a luxe travel style or need for certain infrastructure require, but for others it will be a delight.

After our road trip last summer, we’re delighted to share our pick of the best things to do in Calabria. With all the essential information and inspiration on the best beaches, towns, foods, day trips, and activities - plus travel better tips along the way - it will help you plan your vacation or adventure in southern Italy.

This is 13 Wonderful Things to Do in Calabria.

The Best Things To Do in Calabria

Explore The Beaches of The Costa degli Dei

The stretch of coast known as the Costa degli Dei (Coast of the Gods) is simply divine.

Stretching just under 35 miles from Pizzo to Nicotera, it encompasses the pick of Calabria’s beaches, several must-visit towns, and has waters that rivals anything you’ll find in the Caribbean or Maldives.Calabria’s beaches

Seriously.

The soft white and pale gold sand beaches are all beautiful, fringing warm, shallow waters with those signature Calabrian blues. Many are free of lidos and development, with lots of spiaggia libera (free beach) to enjoy.

The catch is that some will be too difficult to access for children or those with mobility issues - including our favourites of Spiaggia di Ficara and Spiaggia Praia di Fuocu. Additionally, several of the Costa degli Dei beaches have zero facilities beyond the sand and the sea, meaning you have to take everything in + out with you for the day (and waaaay more water than you think).

Marina di Zambrone is however ideal for families and ease of access.

Know | Using trains and buses to access the Costa degli Dei beaches will usually require a walk: sometimes long, sometimes short, often down a steep hill. If you want to visit the more secluded and wild ones on day trips, then it’s best to have a rental car - we recommend looking + booking via Rentalcars.com or AutoEurope

Tip | If you’re planning a lot of beach time in Calabria for a week or two, then it’s a good idea to buy your own colourful parasol to blend in with the locals and guarantee some much-needed shade.

Plan / We’ve shared all our favourites and all the info you need to pick and plan your own visit in this post - The Best Beaches in Tropea & Costa degli Dei.

Explore Capo Vaticano by Boat

Jutting out from just above the toe of Italy’s boot toward Sicily across the narrow Straits of Messina, the promontory’s scenery is dramatic, rugged, and amongst the best you’ll find on the Costa degli Dei.

And no, it’s got nothing to do with the Pope.

Comprising just over four miles of that quintessentially Calabrian coastline, Capo Vaticano is home to a half dozen relatively hidden-away beaches and wild steep zig-zag trails from the clifftops down to the heavenly waters.

The very best way to experience it is by boat - and this is one of the most popular things to do in Calabria.

We splurged on renting a little self-drive boat as no licence or experience was required, but there are lots of highly-rated small-group Capo Vaticano boat tours where someone else is behind the wheel and all you have to worry about is swimming, sunbathing, snorkelling, and how many glasses of prosecco one really should have at sea…

Know | Renting and driving our own boat made us feel like millionaires for the day, but it’s important to be aware that the cost of fuel is always charged in addition to rental - and paid in cash. This can add quite significantly to the overall cost (€40-70 for half-day rentals), so do factor it into your budget if the experience is a splurge.

Book | Self-drive boat rentals are offered for the half-day (9am-1pm or 2pm-6pm) or full-day (9am-6pm), and offered by various agencies in and around Tropea.

Alternatively, you can easily book a self-drive boat online with free cancellation here.

A more popular and affordable option is to join a half-day boat trip from Tropea, which includes swimming and snorkelling time, as well as stops to enjoy the beaches and coastal scenes. You’ll find countless options available from tour agencies in town, but if you’d like to book on in advance, this small group, 3.5 hour boat tour (which includes wine and snacks) is a highly-rated and super popular option.

There is also this 4-hour private boat tour with a local skipper for groups or families

Plan / How To Visit Capo Vaticano & The Best Beaches

Visit Tropea | The Clifftop Town

Chances are that, like us, it was an image of Tropea that first piqued your curiosity about a trip to Calabria.

A pretty clifftop town on the west coast of this lesser-visited southern region, perched 150 metres above the irresistible blues of the Tyrrhenian Sea and overlooking a perfect pair of spiagge, just a glimpse is enough to make one's soul yearn for an Italian summer.

Sunshine. Good food. Turquoise water. Sea swims, Vespa rides, Campari spritz, a passeigata and romance by candlelight.

Aside from perhaps Cefalu and Taormina in Sicily and Sestri Levante in Ligura, we can't recall such a typically historic Italian town in such close proximity to such desirable beaches - and it shouldn’t take long to understand why Tropea was the winner of the Il borgo più bello d'Italia (The Most Beautiful Small Town/Village in Italy) a few years ago.

Do | Take in the view from Santuario di Santa Maria and savour the narrow streets of the historic centre - read our in-depth Tropea travel guide for more ideas & inspiration.

Know | For several good reasons - both of practicality and preference - Tropea makes a sensible base for a few nights or longer to enjoy and explore this particularly seductive part of Calabria. It’s less than an hour from the airport, convenient to access by road or rail, and just a short walk, drive, or boat ride to several of the very best beaches in Calabria.

However, we do need to mention that Tropea is very popular with Italian holidaymakers and is the busiest, most crowded place we visited in Calabria, so set your expectations accordingly.

Book | If you get bored of the beach, consider this full-day tour to the Aeolian Islands or for something a little more intimate, this cooking class in the Tropea countryside has excellent reviews, as does this popular pasta making class.

Stay | Palazzo Naso is our pick for a luxurious stay, whereas B&B Costa degli Dei is a great choice if you’d prefer a more simple guest house. Alternatively, there are also some great apartments in Tropea inlcuding Historic Tropea and Terrace Overlooking the Sea.

Plan / The Best Things To Do in Tropea

Admire The Riace Bronzes | Reggio Calabria

On our Calabria road trip, we spent a couple of nights in the medium-sized city of Reggio Calabria.

One of two regional capitals, where the entire council was sacked in 2012 due to mafia links, it’s blissfully untouristy and offers a nice change of pace and atmosphere from the more holiday-centric beach towns.

It won’t feature on every traveller’s Calabria itinerary, and doesn’t have the prestige or past to rival places like Verona, Siena, Perugia or Palermo, but it’s got enough to make a day trip or couple of days stay worth your time.

In our view, the Riace Bronzes are reason enough to go there.

Two masterpieces from antiquity, the bronze statues were discovered totally by chance by a diver off the coast of Reggio Calabria. Dating back to the 5th century BC, the life-sized bearded warriors are physical perfection, exuding a heroic Greek ideal of masculinity, strength, and lithe athleticism. The statues are captivating enough on their own technical and artistic merits - a rare surviving example a full size Ancient Greek bronze - but the fact that they are in such remarkable condition given they were mysteriously submerged for a bloody long time, certainly adds to the mystique and mystery.

If they were in Rome, Milan, or Florence, there would be queue out the door to see them but, given centre stage in a strictly-controlled room at the Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Reggio Calabria (maps), one can actually take as much time as you like to admire and savour every detail.

Do | Walk along the lively, revamped modern Lungomare Falcomatà (maps), which is ideal for a spritz or two and a passiegata with views across the water to Messina and Etna in Sicily. Consider tagging on the Museo Nazionale del Bergamotto. We had a wonderful dinner at Officina del Gusto (maps)

Know | Much of southern Italy, particularly the coastal parts, were colonised by the Greeks in antiquity. The area was known as Magna Graecia - Greater Greece - and included the regions of Calabria, Sicily, Puglia, and Campania.

Book | Whilst it’s definitely not necessary to have a guided tour of the Arceological Museum, if you’d like to learn more about the Riace Bronzes, consider joining this highly-rated tour. You pay per group rather than per person, so cold work out relatively well-priced if there’s a few of you.

If you’re staying in Tropea and don’t plan on renting a car but would still like to check out the Bronzes, the good news is that there is a daily tour between the two destinations (as well as a couple of hours in Scilla). It’s very much a transport-only sort of experience, but this isn’t an issue as the main sights of Reggio Calabria are all relatively close to each other.

Stay / Our hotel pick in Reggio Calabria is the modern and centrally located Hotel Medinblu but if you don’t need to the facilities afforded by a large hotel, Re Ruggero Rooms is an excellent alternative.

We stayed in - and were very happy with - this one-bed apartment but this option is also well priced an offers cracking views over the Straits. L’Image is our pick if you need two bedrooms.

Plan / Our Little Guide To Reggio Calabria (published soon)

Wander Around Scilla | The Fishing Village

Famed for its swordfish sandwiches, we had only planned to visit this old fishing village for a pitstop but, at the first glimpses of its beach backed by colourful houses and the picturesque homes spilling out on the water, we immediately changed that to a full day exploring in the sunshine.

Nestled between the sea and the mountains and named after a multi-headed monster of Greek mythology, Scilla is an idyllic place that has maintained a slow, traditional way of life dominated by the tides, the catch and the season.

Split in two by the imposing Castello Ruffo, it is composed of three parts: Marina Grande where you'll find the large sweeping beach spiaggia di Scilla (a wonderful place to spend a sunny, summer afternoon); the modern neighbourhood of San Giorgio up above; and to the east is the narrow cobble streets of Chianalea, the original fishing village where many of the homes have steps directly down to the sea.

Do | Devour swordfish sandwiches from Civico5, enjoy the views from Castello Ruffo, and hang out on spiaggia di Scilla - read more in our full travel guide to Scilla.

Know | It’s pronounced ‘sheee-la’ - but don’t say it in the Aussie accent we just put in your head. It’s easy to access by train, and parking can be a nightmare if you take the wrong turn in the historic centre - we’ve got a whole advice section to help you avoid this in the main guide.

Book | A Costa Viola boat excursion along the water to various calas and grottos - you can book this four-hour option or this two-hour swim + snorkel trip online. There’s also a dive centre for those qualified to blow bubbles (or learn here).

Stay | Scilla would be a lovely base for a few nights - check out our favourite Airbnb or Il Casato Deluxe Rooms

Plan / Our Guide To Scilla

Do A Calabrian Road Trip

Long-time readers of Along Dusty Road will know that we’re firm fans of a road trip in Italy.

Yes, the driving may be a tad challenging or concerning to navigate (as Emily says, there are rules but they seem to be passed down like a nonna’s recipe rather than shared amongst everyone), the ZTLs are a pain, and your parallel parking game needs to be up to scratch, but it does allow the traveller to really get to know a region on their own terms.

In Calabria, as there aren’t major cities to navigate and it’s mostly coastal highway, the most challenging aspects will be the narrow hairpin roads leading down to the sea, the mountain passes if you choose to head up to them and, as ever, the parking.

However, we think the pros far outweigh cons, and a road trip is a wonderful way to explore this part of Italy and access some of its most secluded coastal areas.

Route | Direct flights to Calabria are still quite limited, though that is set to change in 2025. The main airport is Lamezia Terme whilst there’s a small one for Reggio Calabria. For many of you, the easiest start point will be flying in to Naples and renting a car to travel down from there. Alternatively, if you want a (slightly) gentler introduction to the roads, consider flying in to Naples and taking a train down to Salerno to collect your rental car there.

We looked into doing both sides of Calabria on a single slow road trip, but all research and locals’ advice pointed toward sticking to the west coast and the sparkling Tyrrhenian Sea as the best option for a first, slow road trip.

Book | We always look + book our rental cars on Rentalcars.com and AutoEurope. They aggregate local and international hire companies, and usually throw up offers that are cheaper than going direct (it’s a good idea to check availability and dates on both website to get the best rates).

For more money-saving advice and stress-reducing tips, have a read of 9 Essential Tips for Renting Cars in Europe

Alt | If you’re not a driver or not confident about heading out on the roads, the train offers a great alternative option to visit many of the best things to do in Calabria. The track hugs the coastline for much of the route, and it would be an incredibly picturesque along the way. The drawback is that you will then depend on Calbria’s capricious bus network, taxis, or walking to reach several beaches, and tour companies for certain day trips.

For more advice, check out our beginner’s guide to train travel in Italy

Plan / Our Calabria Road Trip Itinerary (published soon)

Diamante | Spicy Street Art

Do you want to know how often team Along Dusty Roads has discussed heading back to Diamante to work, stay, and play for a couple of weeks when the British forecast has been particularly grim?

Four times.

The only reason it hasn’t come off is because we have never been able to find a suitable accommodation for travel blogger twats like us - but one day it’ll happen!

The crazy thing is that we didn’t actually spend too much time in Diamante, with much of the town was shut up for the daily riposo (the Italian version of the post-lunch siesta), but our gut is usually a reliable guide on these things.

An open-air art gallery thanks to all the large-scale street art murals on buildings and walls, there are a number of lovely beaches and lidos either end of its elevated diamond-patterned coastal promenade. Foodies definitely won’t want to miss a stop or stay here: the town is famous across Italy for its chilli peppers and they feature on nearly every menu.

Do | The town’s passion for street art began with ‘Operation Murales’ forty years ago, and new works are added each year - seek out the recent piece by Jorit, who is responsible for several famous murals in Naples.

Know | So important is the chilli pepper that Diamante holds a festival every September to celebrate it! The Peperoncino Festival is the biggest event in the town’s calendar, and a celebration of food, music, and local culture. It’s from the 11th-15th September in 2024, and bear in mind accommodation availability will be limited around those dates.

Stay | As we said, the lack of suitable accommodation (we need enough space to work) in Diamante is the only reason we’re yet to return. For holidays however, there are a few decent options including B&B Diamante Raro and Dimora Leone. If yo’d prefer an Airbnb, take a look at La Vie En Rose, this little traditional apartment or the new Delfino (it only has a couple of reviews currently but looks really nice).

Plan / Not sure how beaches and beach clubs work? You’ll need to. Make sure to read The Art of The Italian Lido

Devour The Foods of Calabria

It’s the south of Italy, so a large portion of your daily thoughts and actions should revolve around food.

The typical menu in Calabria is unfussy, unhurried and incorporates the region's signature local produce in variety of dishes.

For non-veggies, the spicy pork paste of ‘ndjuja (think of chorizo but spreadable) will be slathered on most things, whilst Tropea's famous sweet red onions are used in salads, preserves, and pasta dishes. The peperoncino Calabrese - its famous hot chillies - brings the spice, and you can't leave without having swordfish (spada) pasta dishes and a sandwich in Scilla.

You'll find all manner of pasta dishes, but make sure to try one with fileja - the typical twisted Calabrese pasta that is commonly served with aubergines and all the good stuff in fileja tropeana.

For dessert, your first choice should be the tartufo. Born in Pizzo, it's a decadent ball of chocolate-coated gelato that those without a sweet tooth should share, whilst those with a sweet tooth will polish it off in a few spoonfuls.

Due to its mountainous topography, Calabria is not as renowned a producer of wine and olive oil as Puglia, Sicily and Tuscany. Yet, you can still find and enjoy local varietals, with a new generation of winemakers called ‘The Cirò Boys’ generating a lot of buzz in vino circles. You should also try to sample anything with bergamot too - the fragrant citrus fruit that isn’t quite a lemon, nor nearly an orange, that is only able to grow here.

Throw in all the standard wonderful Italian ingredients and fare - with menus often reflecting Sicilian and Neapolitan influences too - and we guarantee that you will eat very, very well in Calabria (and abandon the diet as soon as you step foot in the region).

It is also much more affordable to dine out, and decadently, than many other parts of Italy.

Know | Breakfast here takes care of itself. Like the rest of Italy, it’s exclusively revolves around pastries, coffee and, for many a local, cigarettes.

For dinner, nothing will make you stand out like a tourist more than having dinner at 6.30pm, so try to push it back to at least 8 to enjoy your meal around Italians rather than foreigners. You should also be aware of the ubiquitous coperto charge at restaurants: The Italian Coperto Explained.

Book | To learn more about traditional Calabrian cooking, and pick up some tips for when you head home, consider joining a cooking class during your stay in the region.

· Tropea. For a glimpse into rural life book this popular farm-to-table cooking class (it has excellent reviews), or alternatively if you’d prefer to remain in Tropea, as does this pasta making class is also a great choice.

· Reggio Calabria. Join a local in their home to cook three meals, including pasta from scratch.

Watch // If you want to make yourself feel ridiculously hungry, or just excited for the upcoming trip, then check out the Calabria episode of Stanley Tucci ‘Searching For Italy’

Find The Ghost Towns of Calabria | Pentedattilo

Melancholy isn’t something you really want to feel on a holiday.

But, it’s not uncommon for it to hit when we stop by some remote villages and smaller towns in Italy where it feels like a way of being and a community may be gone in less than a generation.

Pentedattilo didn’t make us feel that though.

There are thought to be over 50 ghost towns and villages in Calabria (not to be confused with the many half-built construction projects which have got much different reasons behind them…), abandoned primarily due to earthquakes and landslides rather than poverty, isolation, and emigration. Pentedattilo, in a magnificent setting on the edges of the Aspromonte Mountains, is the most famous and one we prioritised visiting.

Wandering around its empty streets and buildings is strangely calming, rather than creepy, but there are several mysteries to Pentedattilo which we won’t spoil for you here.

There is hope of an afterlife though, with the ghost town emerging as a tourist destination, with a few artists moving in to set up workshops, a couple of restored guest rooms, and a new permanent resident with lots of cats.

Do | Pentedattilo is so photogenic that it’s definitely a worth stop on any road trip, but other lesser-visited towns may offer more of the ‘atmosphere’ you’re hoping for: Roghudi Vecchio, Cirella Vecchio, Africo Vecchia, and Avena were the others on our list.

Know | Ever heard of the €1 houses in Italy? It’s a headline-grabbing initiative to reverse population decline in specific villages, with people able to purchase houses for almost nothing in return for setting up a business or home in the community. A number of these are still available in Calabria, with the region actually going so far as to offer people money to relocate or invest - find out more in this CNN article.

Book | A private walking tour of Pentedattilo or a private tour of Roghudi Vecchio

Stay | There are a few lovely little traditional houses for rent in Pentedattilo for those wishing to go completely off-grid for a couple of nights, including two charming properties owned by a local lady called Rosella (this one and this one).

Case Rurali Pentedattilo is slightly more modern but has extra beds making ti better for a family.

Plan / It’s a short drive from the coast to the free car park (maps), and then a 5-10 minute walk up the hill to the village.

Spiaggia dell'Arcomagno & San Nicola Arcela

In the north of Calabria, the colourful coastal town of San Nicola Arcella is perched above several grey pebble coves and beaches, and bookended by 16th century towers to guard against pirate raids.

Locals flock here on summer weekends for lazy days of sunbathing, but it’s become more known to outsiders because of the secluded Spiaggia dell'Arcomagno.

Accessed via a dusty up-down trail on the right hand side of the lido-lined San Nicola Arcella beach (maps), the short, sweaty 10-minute hike to it is absolutely worth it. Do be aware that the light and time of day affect the glory of the natural arch, with much of beach in shade from mid-afternoon onwards.

The sunsets are meant to be incredible, but we weren’t able to witness one on our route.

Our suggestion is to spend some time slowly wandering San Nicola Arcella, drive down to the eponymous beach, do the hike over before it gets too hot, take your photos, and then continue a little further on the trail and clamber over to find a rock under neighbouring Arco di Enea (maps).

You can always then time it to come back for sunset or when it’s bathed in light.

Do | Enjoy the views from the Belvedere di San Nicola (maps)

Know | Spiaggia dell'Arcomagno was free to enter when we visited, but it seems a charge of €3 (€1.50 for children under 12) has recently been introduced. The trail and beach is also now only open from 9am to 7pm in summer, with people only permitted 20 minutes on Arcomagno beach.

Please let us know any relevant updates on this in the comments as it may affect whether it should remain as one of the best things to do in Calabria.

Tip | The pretty little town of San Nicola Arcella would make a lovely base for a few nights on a road trip (or a longer stay for a beach-based holiday), but we actually stayed a little further north in this spectacular renovated apartment in the historic village of Scalea.

Scalea has a very long, pleasant beach attached to the modern part of town, and was a good base for exploring this part of the region. The small cat-filled historic part has emptied out quite a lot relative to other Italian towns, and is a little run down, but may end up becoming a place that’s revived by tourism. So do check out the Airbnb (we were the first booking but it’s since accrued only excellent reviews) and consider it for your itinerary.

Stay / If San Nicola Arcella sounds like your sort of place, there are a number of excellent accommodation options available - three of our favourites are La Casa nel Borgo, Suitetti Camere&Relax and Dimora Manfredo.

Pizzo | The Tartufo Town

What a joy to grow up with a sweet tooth in Pizzo.

This town on the Costa degli Dei is where the decadent tartufo dessert was created, and one cannot leave Calabria until they can say they have polished one off in its Piazza della Republica.

There are several longstanding rival tartufo institutions on both sides of the piazza, but our allegiance lies with Il Gelateria Morino (maps). Family-run since 1973, it was absolutely delicious, but the real highlight for us was the son telling us to come back an hour later so that we could see his father - the namesake founder - showcasing his tartufo-making skills live and in living-colour.

There is more to Pizzo than its signature sweet treat though, and it’s a popular alternative holiday base 40 minutes north of Tropea. The town’s beach doesn’t come close to rivalling others in Calabria, but we found the waterfront and general atmosphere to be very southern Italian, and very charming.

Do | Take in the views from Castle Murat, and the smart traveller should tag on a visit to Chiesetta di Piedigrotta (maps), a remarkable one-of-a-kind church carved within and from a seaside cave; the wise traveller adds on some time to enjoy the lovely, quiet series of beaches it backs. The parking charge of €5 is however a rip-off, and you can find a few free places down by the bins

Know | We’re not huge dessert people so only tried a couple of other tartufi on the trip. They really didn’t come close to what we shared at Il Gelateria Morino, so don’t write them off entirely if you the first one you try is more akin to overly frozen ice-cream.

Book | If you’d like to learn more about Pizzo - or just ensure you don’t miss its most picturesque corners on a day trip - consider joining this walking tour

Stay | Piccolo Grand Hotel and Palazzo Paladini are our two top hotel picks but if you’d prefer a more low-key B&B then Pizzo Central House and Casa Angelieri are two popular and well-priced options.

There are also quite a large umber of really excellent apartments and airbnbs in Pizzo, but we recommend taking a look at this one with a rooftop terrace, this historic property with killer views, and Studio Sant'Antonio first.

Plan / Our Little Guide To Pizzo

The Calabrian Countryside

Beyond the sea, Calabria has a reputation for wild, rugged, and impenetrable landscapes; to truly appreciate this region, one must therefore venture inland at least once.

And the Aspromonte Mountains are as good a starting point as any.

A spine that splits the region in two, these mountains are the reason why so much of Calabria’s population and activities are concentrated into hilltop towns and coastal villages - look up or across from most of them and the mountains will be watching over you.

The roads quickly tightened as the corners became blinder, the bends more extreme, and the signs of humanity grew further and further apart. Our rental car barely made it out of first gear and, at one point, the only other cars we saw for an hour were two elderly chaps in their trusty Fiat Pandas (honestly).

This was the countryside of Calabria we’d hoped to spend a little bit of time in and, having watched the excellent ZeroZeroZero recently, certainly a place where one could disappear.

Do | If you’re visiting Calabria in summer, as we were, then hiking through the mountains is really not advisable. However, if you plan to be in the region during the cooler months, we can imagine this would be a glorious place to discover on foot.

The best place to start planning or get to know more on the trails + routes is the official website of the Aspromonte National Park or pop in to the visitor centre in Bova.

Book | If the idea of setting off into the mountains by yourself feels a little overwhelming, there are a number of tours you can join and guides you can hire to ease your concerns of getting lost and pointing you in the direction of local highlights.

This private trek to the Maesano Falls is a great option if there’s a group of you travelling to Calabria, but if you’d like a more customised itinerary or have a trail in mind, this flexible option may be ideal.

For a bit more of a fun way to get to know the landscapes of Aspromonte, check out this ‘safari’ in an old Fiat Campagnola jeep.

Know | While Italian is the official language of Calabria, you will still find small communities in the Bovesia area (particularly the villages of Bova Superiore, Roghudi, or Gallicianò) and parts of Reggio di Calabria that speak a unique dialect known as Calabrian Greek - a remnant of the ancient Greek colonisation of Magna Graecia.

Tip | If, like us, you set off with no plans and just a desire to see what you can find, we’d recommend taking snacks or a packed lunch. Villages are few and far between, and those that exist are exceedingly quiet, with the one or two restaurants on offer seemingly open during the evenings.

Also, traditional hours for lunch and the afternoon break are strictly adhered to in this area.

Stay | Go off-grid in this delightful Nordic-style cabin located within the Aspromonte National Park. No wifi, just you and the starry sky within a hectare of private land. Not quite everyone’s cup of tea (and not really a summer holiday destination) but spring or autumn here would certainly be magical!

Fiumefreddo BruzIo | The Borghi of Calabria

Long-time readers of Along Dusty Roads will know that we often end up in some places totally at random - and that we encourage others doing the same to avoid just doing the same itinerary as everyone else everywhere you go.

That approach - plus Emily’s superpower of tracing an Airbnb map to find hidden gems - is what led us the most perfect little house in a little medieval village for a few nights at the end of our road trip.

We had been seduced by the story of Erika’s house and its balcony over the sea, but Fiumefreddo Bruzio itself ended up delivering several of the elements which had lacked up to that point (namely a vibe and setting that wasn’t principally Italians on a beach holiday).

All we really did was drink espresso at one of two cafes, wander around its nooks and crannies, hangout down at the long, near-empty beach, enjoy a spritz or two, cook with local produce, enjoy the passeigata and take in the stunning sunset each evening from our balcony - but it was all a lot closer to our typical Italian travels than the rest of this Calabria trip.

Aside from an American family, we’re pretty sure there were no other outsiders!

Do | Visit the ruins of Castello della Valle, savour the sunset from Largo Rupe, dine in the courtyard of the excellent slow food restaurant Convivio (maps)

Know | Whilst we aren’t insisting that you all flock to Fiumefreddo Bruzio, the main takeaway is that, as much as you should absolutely follow our recommendations, some of your most memorable or special experiences in Calabria will come from those unexpected moments or serendipitous choices. There are many hamlets and villages (collectively known as ‘borghi’ in Italy) in this region where tourism is just starting out and where you’ll be able to have a very different experience to places like Pizzo, Tropea, Scilla, and Reggio Calabria, so do try to take a chance on one for a night or two if you have the time.

Stay | There are a handful of hotels, guesthouses and apartments available, but we only have eyes for that little Airbnb that brought us to Fiumefreddo Bruzio in the first place - it’s really very special and a few followers have got in touch after staying there too!

Plan / A Short Guide to Fiumefreddo Bruzio (published soon, maybe)