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Calabria: The Ruggedly Wonderful Side of Italy!

The Calabria Region of Italy is an area that time seemingly has forgotten. It is a region of vastly different geological extremes. You can nurse a tan on a sun-drenched beach one day, and meander through mountainous terrain the next day. This is the Italy for those who thrive on adventure, even a relatively sedate adventure like basking in the Ionian sun. You will find no resemblance to Florence, Siena, or any of the Umbrian hill towns. What you will find is a rugged naturalness that is peppered with the ruins of every major culture in the Western world.

Calabria is literally surrounded by water on three sides. To the east, the Ionian sea offers a respite for the weary. To the west, the Tyrrhenian Sea rolls calmly by on its way toward the Mediterranean. At the southern tip, right across from Sicily, Calabria runs smack dab into the Mediterranean Sea. Some of the most beautiful beaches in Italy are in the Calabria region. The dramatic cliff structure give the beaches an added benefit: incredible vistas of the surrounding seas. Pizzo, where Napoleon's brother was imprisoned, has a crescent shaped beach set against the backdrop of a beautiful picturesque village. Tropea is a seaside resort that sits on a hill that cascades haphazardly toward the sea. A terrace perched over the rocks gives a dramatic view of the beach below and the crystal clear water that is waiting to welcome swimmers. The beaches around Parghelia and Capo Vaticano are teeming with fish, (or "pescoso" as the Italians say), and plenty of seafaring captains to take you out for a day's angling. The area is also part of a reef system residing just off shore, making for some excellent snorkeling and scuba diving opportunities.

At one time or another, the Greeks and Romans set up shop in the Calabria region. They left ruins that can still be seen, practically around every bend in the road. A more concise way to learn about Calabria's history is the Museo Nazionale della Magna Grecia in Reggio di Calabria. The museum houses an excellent collection of artifacts from ancient Rhegion, a Greek city on the site of the present town. Chief among the collection are the Bronzes Warriors, larger than life Greek statues that were discovered during a dredging of the Ionian Sea. One of the statues is thought to be the work of the Greek sculptor Phidias, hitherto only known from Roman copies of his work.

If you are visiting during winter, you might want to strap on your cross-country skis and head to the small town of Camigliatello. With all of the chalet style homes dominating the architecture, you might think you had stepped into a Tyrolean hamlet instead of southern Italy. The town is equipped for both downhill and cross-country skiing. Just to the west of town on the state road leading to Cosenza, farmers and sheepherders congregate every Sunday morning to sell a cornucopia of cheese, salamis, crusty breads, wild mushrooms in oil, Sila lentils, dried herbs, liqueurs, mountain strawberries and sun-dried tomatoes.

Calabria is not your posh, glamorous Italy. This is the area where agriculture and farming, not art and architecture, reign supreme. The inland mountain roads are dotted with roadside fountains dispensing natural mineral water. Wheat fields rival mountain peaks in sheer beauty. Grandmothers can be seen sitting in their doorways knitting, weaving, or embroidering. Superstitious villagers wait outside the door of the local santina (the town psychic) waiting to speak with their long departed relatives. Earthy charm permeates the region, and anyone with an adventurous spirit will find Calabria a perfect vacation destination!