We Like South

Tourists will land at LAMEZIA TERME airport, then transfer by bus to a hotel in AMANTEA. We suggest the Tyrrhenian town for several reasons. First, because there you can find different types of hotel, there’s a competitive situation. Many of them have a beachfront location. Amantea's position is excellent to reach all our tour destinations. Alternatively, you can select hotel in Rende, very strategic travel point on Calabrian routes. Third option: city of Lamezia Terme.

In the morning we will take a walk in Cleto village. It’s funny to begin with an exciting urban trek, between the buildings and alleys clung to the hard rock characterizing the site. The tour ends in the enchanted medieval restored stronghold, the castle of Pietramala Barons. The village is also known for a rich oil production. You can see an infinity of olive trees on the hills. It is possible to organize a free tasting inside a farm. Lunch at a local restaurant. In the afternoon, the tourist guide will lead you in the historic center of Fiumefreddo Bruzio. This pretty town is an illustrious member of the community of the most beautiful villages in Italy (Borghi Più Belli d'Italia). The itinerary in Fiumefreddo will touch the most important buildings and churches, ending with the castle Della Valle, superb view of the Tyrrhenian Sea. This tour allows you to discover the fanciful, weird and provocative art of Salvatore Fiume, a Sicilian artist whose pictorial and even sculptor traces marked the history of this town. The painting works are a sort of public open air museum – frescos on the walls of the castle and on the cupola’s vault of st. Rocco chapel. Some of his sculptures stand out in the squares. In Fiumefreddo there are no entrance tickets to be paid. Cleto's castle: to be defined.

In the morning, before 10, we'll arrive in the historic center of Rossano to visit a very rare manuscript. We will see something special, in detail: the colorful miniatures of the Codex Purpureus, a collection of Gospels written in the Byzantine age. The drawings on the parchment are so sharp, a masterpiece of art. After Rossano, we will reach archeological museum of Sibari. A glass case protects the Toro Cozzante, rare bronze exhibited for months at the Egyptian Museum in Turin. Then we visit the archeological excavations. On the site there are the remains of the Roman colony of Copiae. The underlying layers hide the Greek colony called Thurii, founded after the annihilation of the great Sybaris in 510 BC., which was the first one on this site.

Lunch in a restaurant. At around 4 pm you can visit the Licorice Museum close to Rossano Calabro, by Amarelli company, a worldwide recognized successful team.

At 4.40 pm we will be at the majestic ducal castle in Corigliano Calabro. The works that gave the castle much of its current configuration - a quadrangular structure similar to the Maschio Angioino in Naples - were started during the Aragonese government. In the 1600’s it became a sumptuous noble residence. In the mid-1800’s baron Luigi Compagna called Ignazio Perricci from Monopoli, who built a fantastic hall of mirrors in the throne room. Perricci created beautiful decorations. The ceiling is frescoed with a "trompe-l'oeil" effect. Upturned eyes, look at that awesome open perspective on a starry sky - known as “The stage of life”. It gives a feeling of three-dimensionality.

Codex ticket: 5 euros per person.

Sibari museum and park ticket: 5 euros per person.

Ducal castle, entrance ticket: 5 euros per person.

We're going to check if there are discounts and free pass.

You will admire the archaeological area of Scolacium park - the Roman Calabria - in Roccelletta di Borgia. The museum, with its magnificent displays (with finds ranging from the end of Prehistoric Age to Magna Graecia and Roman age), is curated by the Ministry of Cultural Heritage. The forum, the theatre and the amphitheatre are still today a privileged place of studies for archaeologists coming from all over the world. The lunch break will take place in a very particular location: the agricultural laboratory of NIDO di SETA cooperative, in the luxuriant SAN FLORO countryside. Here we will learn about the story of some young valid farmers who have started the silkworm rearing again. They will show us the rough silk extracting and its processing…   Scolacium ticket entrance: 5 euros per person. We're going to verify if you can pay lower fares. Nido di Seta + lunch: 25 euros per person.

A whole day dedicated to excursions in Pizzo and Tropea (COSTA DEGLI DEI), an evergreen Must See for those who come on holiday in Calabria. Morning stops in Pizzo for guided visits to the small church of Piedigrotta, then the panoramic terrace in piazza della Repubblica (you can try the famous tartufo, an ice cream specialty) and Murat castle (Napoleon's brother-in-law was imprisoned and shot there). Piedigrotta is a unique tourist attraction. The sculptures carved into the rock are something extraordinary. The Tartufo is an invention of the last century, an incredible combination of tastes. The story of Murat and his wife Carolina Bonaparte, well, it deserves a film adaptation. Lunch in a local restaurant. The delicacies of the place are tuna and red onion. They go well together, we recommend a menu to taste both. In the afternoon, strolling around the lovely historic center of Tropea. The old town stands on a giant rock cliff, from above the sublime maritime scenery will be better appreciated. Tropea is the most chosen Calabrian resort destination in the summer. We will tell you the story of how the city of Tropea was born in the Middle Ages. It's very nice to know the local stories, of the noble families who made this place great. It's nice to know how the wonderful beaches - that tourists storm today - were born. Finally, we will get to know the cathedral church and the works of art kept there.   Entrance fees: 4.5 euros per person for Piedigrotta church + castle of Pizzo. We're going to verify if there are lower fares for groups.

A special day for Art Addicted, in Cosenza and Altomonte. In the morning, we travel along the highway towards Altomonte. A brief visit to the church of santa Maria della Consolazione. Then a suggestive itinerary nearby in the civic museum hosting documents of great value: from the paintings of Tuscan masters of the '300 up to the works belonging to the school of Antonello da Messina, as well as a rich collection of sculptures, furnishings and sacred vestments, reliquaries, canvasses, slabs of alabaster, ancient books of fine workmanship. Lunch in a local restaurant. In the afternoon we will visit Cosenza, home of excellent thinkers (the great Bernardino Telesio), as well as a center full of historical, artistic and architectural highlights. In the "old city" we will visit the rich collection of paintings in the Arnone palace, which also houses paintings of the great Mattia Preti. At 17 we schedule a visit to the cathedral that houses the splendid icon of Madonna del Pilerio. We want you to visit the diocesan museum where is the exhibition of the rare cross reliquary, the stauroteca of the XIII century. It's a gift brought by Frederick II. Late afternoon, we'll have a little promenade on Corso Telesio. Altomonte museum: 3 euros per person. Cosenza diocesan museum: 2 euros per person. Arnone palace: free entry.

In Amantea, our hotel destination, we reserve a full morning to learn more about its roots, its traditions and monumental places. We will visit: church and convent of saint Bernardino from Siena; the main church (st. Biagio); church of the Jesuits’ College; the little church of St. Francis from Assisi; the former Clarisse’s convent, with the 11th century arab funerary stele inside, the only evidence of Islamic culture; Chianura area, cradle of the maritime tradition, the place where many fishermen lived; Catocastro neighborhood and the immense cave (villa comunale), marked by spectacular natural scenic design. Lunch based on local specialties (anchovies). In the afternoon we will hike in the small village bordering Amantea – Belmonte Calabro, an industrious town that is characterized by some uniqueness, such as to be the home of a "diffuse hotel", a new innovative way of considering hospitality. We will tour around Belmonte’s alleys, passing through the castle ruins area, today it is the Civic Library. We visit the Collegiata dell'Assunta or the mother church, Palazzo Pignatelli, Palazzo della Torre... We will end with an educational workshop that will let us discover the local high specialization in the processing of figs.   No entrance tickets to be paid.

An hour and a half traveling by bus to discover the legendary Scilla. Chianalea is its picturesque seaside location. We will also visit the castle, for a very long time belonged to Ruffo family. Lunch in Scilla, where in some places they cook an excellent swordfish (there is also a fast solution with a sandwich stuffed with tomato or vegetables, potatoes and grilled swordfish...). At about 14.30 departure for Reggio Calabria. We want to tell you the whole story of the Riace Bronzes. Starting with some important insights into how archeologists work underwater. After the visit to the Riace Bronzes and the various floors of the archeeological museum (with in-depth information about temples, sanctuaries of Magna Graecia and some votive objects with considerable value), we'll take a walk along corso Garibaldi, the main street in Reggio. Then, a brief stop on the marvelous Reggio's waterfront for souvenir photos enjoying Etna's peak and the Strait of Messina. Scilla castle entrance: 2 euros per person. Reggio museum: full ticket 8 euros (5 euros from 18 to 25 years old, free pass for UE citizens under 18). You get a special discount all Wednesdays: full ticket 6 euros, 4 euros the reduced one.

Emotions change when the landscape changes. We let you experience a strange mix of emotions, going from the most beautiful sea to the amazing mountain. It's time to live a tremendous SILA experience. Sila is the green lung of Calabria. It is really considered by some researchers as the place with the cleanest air in Europe. Sila is the primeval forest, which covered the Calabrian land since the beginning. We can visit some astonishing green areas close to Cecita Lake or Arvo Lake. The Sila Plateau (Monte Botte Donato the highest peak 1928 meters high) has horizontal lines, soft hilly ridges, airy valleys, exciting trekking trails. "Calabrian Alps", someone said. Among the Italian mountains it is certainly one of those with the oldest formation, millennia older than part of the Apennines. Sila's peaks formed something like a group of islands in the midst of prehistoric seas, when the Apennines had not formed yet. The name comes from the Greek "hyle" and from the Latin "silva", both indicating the forest... The tree symbol of Sila, in general is the pino laricio (larch pine); but you find extensive woods of beeches, maples, chestnuts and oaks. In Sila Grande, in the zone of Fallistro and Gallopane, we have a few pini larici 40 meters high and with a diameter of 2 meters!! It will be a pleasure to meet and... embrace them. Meeting with the guide at the Cupone Visitor Center, Camigliatello Silano (Cs). Natural reserve entrance: 3 euros kids 4/14 years old; full ticket 5 euros.

In the morning we visit Capo Colonna, a monument and an archaeological park near Crotone. Capo Colonna preserves the wonderful column of Hera Lacinia temple, directly from Magna Graecia. This surviving column is standing out on the promontory, impressive sign of that age called Magna Grecia. When Calabria and Southern Italy were really a "community" of the best productions made by Greeks. The column is known for a very beautiful story: it was part of a doric style temple, which had rectangular layout of 24 x 59 meters, dating back to the 5th century BC. Hera Lacinia's temple had six columns on the short side facing the sea. Guided tour also in the adjacent museum, a very interesting place. Packed lunch or in restaurant along Santa Severina road. In the afternoon we visit to the enchanting village of Santa Severina, erected on a rock, highly sought-after by tourists. We will visit: the castle, the cathedral of Saint Anastasia and the baptistery considered one of the most significant byzantine monuments.   Capo Colonna entrance: currently free, to be defined. Santa Severina's castle: 4 euros per person; baptistery: 1 euro. We're going to check if you can pay less, special offer or discount.

Very special day. Morning in Gerace, the elegant village "with hundred churches". You will appreciate: the magnificent cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, 11th century, with the diocesan museum of sacred art hosting the sensational Jan Leyniers’ tapestry; the church of st. Francis from Assisi (13th century); the small church of San Giovannello belonging to the 10th century (san Giovanni Crisostomo, the oldest church); piazza delle Tre Chiese; the gate of the sun (XV century); the beautiful terrace overlooking Locride; the ruins of the Norman castle; we will end the morning, between ancient fountains, alleys, small squares, palaces and gardens, with a free tasting of bergamot. Lunch in a local restaurant or packed lunch. In the early afternoon, on the way back, an immersion in the heavenly and playful art of Nik Spatari, founder of the MuSaBa park, in the town of Mammola. The visionary artist has created an amazing journey inside contemporary art on the remains of an old monastery. You'll see a mix of geometric lines, colorful sculptures, architecture and visual works, including the so-called "Sistine Chapel" of Calabria.   Entrance to the diocesan museum and cathedral: 2 euros per person. MuSaBa: 15 euros per person.

In the morning, breakfast at the hotel. We would like to say goodbye with a special day. We “married” the idea of ​​a group of boys and girls from Jacurso, a small town of almost 700 inhabitants in the isthmus of Catanzaro - the narrowest part of Calabria where, from some hills, with clear skies, it is possible to contemplate at the same time the Tyrrhenian and the Ionian sea. Experiential tourism, here, in this tiny village, will have surprising “implication”. A joyful experimentation will bring us in contact with centuries-old gastronomic traditions, perpetuated by patient funny grandmas with tenacity and simplicity. From tomato preserves (to do sublime sauces in the next future), cracked olives, various cherry and strawberry jams up to the elaborate cuisine of pork and beef. We will spend memorable hours rediscovering farming know-how, ending with a hearty lunch, a cheerful table in the home of a local family. In the afternoon flight from Lamezia Terme airport, reachable in an hour by bus from Jacurso.