My 10 Favorite Things to do in Calabria
Calabria, Southern Italy. It’s hard to arrive, and it’s hard to leave. It always takes me some time to settle in because it’s loud, chaotic, crowded, and almost impossible to go to bed early. But life is slow here. There’s no rush, no need to make plans, no agenda — just living in the moment and letting the day unfold. And once I get used to that, it always feels strange to go back to a busy city.
This place feels like home. I’ve been coming here for more than a decade because my partner is from Calabria, and we spend our summers in a small town called Amantea.
I get asked about traveling to Calabria all the time, and the first thing I always say is that it’s one of the most authentic places you can visit in Italy. Of course, that also means that you won’t always find the services you might be used to, and most people don't speak any other language than Italian.
But isn’t that what traveling is really about? Diving into a culture that’s different from your own, stepping outside your comfort zone, and letting go of some of the things you’re used to having at home?
Calabria is quite big and there is so much to discover. So I wanted to keep it more personal and share my ten favorite things to do in Calabria.
1. Start Your Day on the Beach
I love spending a few hours at the beach in the morning because it’s not too hot yet. I usually don’t even need a beach umbrella, so I just put my towel down close to the water. I swim in crystal-clear water, dry off, read for a while, and then go back into the water again. A nice side effect is that you get a pretty good tan, too. I love that there are long stretches of beach all along the coast, and even during the summer months, you can still find plenty of space without seeing rows and rows of lounge chairs and beach umbrellas. And nothing feels better than taking a shower, having a home-cooked lunch, and taking a nap afterward.
2. Spend a Day in Tropea
Tropea is located in southern Calabria and is probably the most popular destination in the region. That also means prices are higher and you’ll usually see more tourists, especially during the summer months. But you’ll also find white sandy beaches, crystal-clear blue water, and, in my opinion, some of the most beautiful beaches in Europe. The only places where I’ve seen beaches like this are Sardinia and Greece.
You can go to the beach right below the old town. It’s small, but the setting is amazing. If you have a car, there are also beautiful beaches outside of town, such as Michelino Beach.
The town itself is beautiful, too. You’ll find plenty of shops, bars, and restaurants in the old town, and there are stairs leading up from the beach. From up there, you can enjoy some amazing views of the sea.
3. Visit Pizzo for Tartufo and Sunset Views
Pizzo is quite close to Tropea, so it makes sense to combine the two. I like spending the day at the beach in Tropea and then heading to Pizzo in the late afternoon. There’s a beautiful main square overlooking the sea, with plenty of places to eat and have a drink.
A must-do is trying a traditional Tartufo, which is famous throughout Italy. But Pizzo is where it originated, so this is the place to try it. It’s a chocolate and hazelnut ice cream with a molten chocolate center. Eat it slowly and take your time to enjoy it.
And then it’s time to watch the sunset, which is even more beautiful from Pizzo because, on clear days, you can see the Aeolian Islands in the distance. You can even see smoke rising from Stromboli, an active volcano.
It’s one of those moments that makes you understand why Calabria feels so special to me.
4. Go on a Boat Tour
As I mentioned before, the water here is absolutely beautiful. It’s crystal clear, calm, and perfect for swimming as well as snorkeling. This year, we took a boat tour from Diamante. Diamante is another charming beach town, and from there you can take a boat to Isola di Cirella, where the boat stops and you can jump off for a swim and go snorkeling. I didn’t see that many fish, but it was still a really fun experience and a great way to spend a few hours on the water.
5. Explore Small Hilltop Villages
Calabria is full of beautiful hilltop villages, and Fiumefreddo is one of my favorites. I love walking through the narrow streets of the old town, looking at the old stone houses and discovering little corners that you wouldn’t find anywhere else. Since the village is up on the hill, you also get amazing views of the sea and the surrounding area. It’s the kind of place where you don’t really need a plan — just walk around, stop for a drink, and enjoy the atmosphere and the view.
6. Hike in the Mountains of Sila
Calabria doesn’t only have beautiful beaches. If you want to escape the heat for a while, you can even head to the mountains. The Sila is around 1,200 meters above sea level, and being there feels a little like being back home in Austria. There are lots of hiking trails, restaurants where you can try traditional food, and even spa hotels. It’s the perfect contrast after spending several days at the beach.
7. Try Local Fruit and Vegetables
Calabria has great fruit and vegetables, and there are so many farmers coming from their small villages selling the products they cultivate themselves. It’s very affordable, and everything is so fresh and tasty. My favorites are the yellow peaches, fresh figs picked from the tree the same day, sweet tomatoes, as well as the small purple eggplants.
Being a vegetarian is very easy, and there are so many options. One thing I always grab when I am here is polpette di melanzane. They are small eggplant balls made with eggplant, breadcrumbs, Parmesan, and herbs. They are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, and they are absolutely delicious.
8. Enjoy Gelato, Granita and Caffè Shakerato
Calabria is also full of bars and ice cream places, and if you like coffee on hot days, you should definitely have a caffè shakerato, which is just espresso shaken with ice and topped with a wonderful foam. I confess that I have ice cream every other day, or even more often, when I’m here because it’s just delicious. You should definitely try mandorla and pistachio, which are some of the most famous flavors in Southern Italy. And if you want to save some calories, have a granita al limone or granita alla mandorla. Granita is a refreshing, semi-frozen dessert made from ice and sweetened lemon, almond or other flavors, and it’s perfect on a hot summer day.
9. Watch Sunsets
I love coming back to the beach as the sun sets. It’s beautiful to swim while the sunset reflects its colors on the water. A breeze starts to pick up, and it feels like everybody is here, waiting to watch the sunset. It’s always a special moment, but you can only experience from the Tyrrhenian side, where Tropea is located
Live like a local
Let your agenda go completely, don’t make plans, and just go with the flow. Spend the morning at the beach, go for lunch, take a nap, and then go back to the beach again. Have dinner after sunset, go for a walk, talk to whoever you meet, and have ice cream or a drink at one of the many bars.
Mornings here are slow, nights are long, and they often feel too long for me since I’m used to going to bed early. But traveling is also about adapting and letting go of what we’re used to. People are loud, there’s music playing, events start late, so just let the night become day and allow yourself to sleep in in the morning.
If you really want to experience Calabria, try to talk to the locals and learn a few words of Italian before you go. Not everyone speaks English, especially in smaller towns, so even knowing a few basic words can make things much easier and also much more fun. But more than that, people really appreciate it when you try to speak their language.
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