Antologia Calabra

per person

This tour includes 9 experiences, to be completed in 6 days. These are monuments and places we consider Must See Destinations for those traveling to Calabria. A rich week tour for travelers who want to discover Calabrian unmissable beauties. It is a short tour, a concentrate of touristic offer, some places of recognized excellence. One week tour in Calabria to discover the best. We’ll see the splendid marine scenery of Le Castella combined with the magic of the village placed on the rock, Santa Severina, which really looks like a “stone ship”. The painting masterpieces belonging to Mattia Preti , influenced by Caravaggio style, are kept in Taverna, his town. Scolacium, the Roman archaeological site with the graceful red brick architecture of the medieval basilica of santa Maria della Roccella. Pizzo Calabro, with its particular “tartufo” ice cream (the classic is soft hazelnut, covered with cocoa powder, with a heart of melted dark chocolate), which perhaps takes its name from a chocolate praline made in Piemonte in the 1950’s.

Riace Bronzes are the symbols of Reggio Calabria city and “ambassadors” of Calabria region in the world. Sila, the Calabrian forest to be discovered, with an exciting trek through the protected area of the National Park. Stilo, a village with the most illustrious trace of Byzantine architecture in Calabria: the small church called Cattolica at the feet of mount Consolino. And a little further to the east, on the Ionian coast, we reach Monasterace and the archaeological park of the ancient Kaulon. Here the museum preserved the well-known Dragon Mosaic, which has recently found a remarkable popularity among professionals and tourists who visit the deep south of the region. The last stop of our tour is on the Tyrrhenian Sea, for an unforgettable passage in Tropea, a few km from the promontory of Capo Vaticano.

6 days

Featured Tours

Departure

It begins with the direct flight to Calabria - airport of Lamezia Terme - or you move by bus via A2, Autostrada del Mediterraneo. Then we reach hotel in Catanzaro lido (seafront area), good starting point for each daily tour.
Dress Code

We suggest you to wear sports shoes, you will often walk on cobblestones of the historic centers, may be on difficult, rough floors or roads. We're going to practice hiking in the Sila national park (the wonderful Sila Piccola), highly recommended in spring-summer-autumn. Bring with you a tracksuit and trekking shoes. If you do it in winter, check if there is the possibility of on-site rental of snow boots, poles and snowshoes to walk more easily. To explore the canyon of the Valli Cupe in Sersale, you need to bring a complete change of clothing on the bus.
Included

Food Tasting

Licensed tourist guide

Radio whispers, receivers appropriate for listening in the museums, in crowded places and for better social distancing, as the WHO recommends

Umbrellas if necessary (also parasol)
Not Included

Hotel, accomodations

Lunch, dinner

Museum tickets

Parking tickets

Transfers

From Our Gallery

the famous byzantine church known as Cattolica, in Stilo

Flight, SCOLACIUM archeological park, lunch and visit to MATTIA PRETI homeland

Town of TAVERNA, public museum, some details of san Sebastiano painted by Mattia Preti

Tourists arrival in the morning at LAMEZIA TERME airport and transfer by bus to a hotel in CATANZARO LIDO area. The region capital offers good hotel solutions for all the tours planned in the various provinces. We go to the Ionian coast, to the lovely SCOLACIUM archeological park – great evidence of Roman Calabria. Scolacium is in the locality of Roccelletta di BORGIA, near Catanzaro. Lunch at restaurant. Hotel check-in. In the early afternoon we reach Taverna, a small village at the feet of Sila Piccola, one hour by bus. In the Civic Museum of Taverna, housed in the former dominican convent attached to the monumental church of san Domenico, you will admire works realized by several painters. In particular, we will focus our attention on the collection of the star Mattia Preti, celebrated artist of the '600 who left in the church some of the most meaningful paintings of his long activity. The so called "Cavaliere Calabrese", who worked in Rome, Naples and Malta, is appreciated by art lovers all over Europe. Scolacium entrance ticket: 5 euros per person. Taverna museum: 5 euros per person. We're going to check if there are discounts and free pass.

STILO and Monasterace marina (ANCIENT KAULON Museum)

Stilo, la Cattolica

Stilo is the birthplace of the philosopher Tommaso Campanella, in the valley crossed by Stilaro river. Stilo "inaugurates" – moving to south - the fascinating and wild territory known as Locride, also identified with the name of Costa dei Gelsomini. Here, we will stop in the Cattolica, a small church that was a meeting and prayer place for monks following the rule of st. Basil, probably in the IX-X centuries. It shows a square plan, it was made of red bricks (various shades of red), three apses looking at the East as the Byzantine liturgy wanted. Notice the five cylindrical domes that make it wonderful and recognizable among the various symbols of medieval Calabria. Packed lunch or we stop in a local restaurant. In the afternoon, transfer to the Ionian coast very close to the sea, where we will visit the archaeological park of the Ancient Kaulon (we are in Monasterace), then the museum where splendid finds are preserved together with the most cherished "flower": the Dragon Mosaic. It is a polychrome work, depicting a fabulous sea dragon and it constitutes the threshold of a great hall, probably an androceo (part reserved to men). That's a superb mosaic example of Hellenistic age. It is composed of large pieces of marble, colored stones and lead sheets, it is dated around the 3rd century BC . Cattolica entrance ticket: 4 euros per person. Kaulon museum entrance ticket: 4 euros per person. We're going to check if you can pay less, special offer or discount.

LE CASTELLA and SANTA SEVERINA

Le Castella di Isola Capo Rizzuto, fortress seen from the sea

In the morning we will visit the medieval fortress of Le Castella. Lying on the sea, on a rocky islet, the fort has an overwhelming fascination. In the past it attracted directors such as Monicelli and Pasolini, who in the 1960s shot some movie scenes of L’Armata Brancaleone and Il Vangelo secondo Matteo. Lunch in a local restaurant. In the afternoon we go up in the hinterland towards Santa Severina, the village set on a rock that many call "the stone ship". We will visit: the castle, the cathedral of saint Anastasia and the byzantine baptistery next to it. This is a very good opportunity to learn about the historical evolution of the villages and the birth of castles in Calabria. Le Castella Aragonese Fortress ticket entrance: to be defined. Castle S. Severina, entrance ticket: 4 euros per person; rare baptistery: 1 euro. We're going to check if there are discounts and free pass.

PIZZO CALABRO and REGGIO CALABRIA (archeological museum, Riace Bronzes, walk on the beautiful waterfront)

Pizzo, sunset view of the castle where Joachim Murat was shot

A whole day to explore Pizzo Calabro, a pearl on Costa degli Dei, and to feel excited close to the most famous bronze statues in Italy, hosted in Reggio Calabria. Riace Bronzes are an unmissable stop for those who come on holiday in Calabria. To be so close to the two bronze warriors, well, that’s some kind of magic. In the morning we'll schedule a stop in Pizzo's famous little church, Piedigrotta, built inside a cave. We keep on walking along the panoramic terrace of piazza della Repubblica, to taste the famous tartufo (ice cream), the most popular pastry specialty; then a guided tour of the Murat castle (Napoleon's brother-in-law was imprisoned and shot here) and st. George cathedral. Packed lunch or lunch in a restaurant in the historic center. At about 14.30 we’ll move to Reggio Calabria. After visiting Bronzi di Riace and the rich exhibits of the National Archeological Museum, home of Magna Graecia, we will make a brief stop on the marvelous Reggio's waterfront for souvenir photos enjoying the Strait of Messina. Murat castle + Piedigrotta, entrance ticket: 4.50 euros per person. Reggio Calabria 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.

Trekking day in SILA (“Orme nel Parco” or Valli Cupe di Sersale)

Trekking in Sila Piccola (ph Antonello Martino)

We’ll walk through the green heaven of Sila Piccola, passing through centuries-old forests of beech trees and valleys where we will see the remains of the "vaccherie", old stone huts built by shepherds. During the summer transhumance period, they lived and prepared there something special: the delicious Caciocavallo Silano (an aged cheese made with the milk of cows). Our environmental guide will propose a gratifying trekking event or an eco-sensory experience: all five senses, through smells, sounds, lights, shadows, tastes and tactile sensations, will be stimulated to gift you a total experiential involvement, incredibly symbiotic. Otherwise it is possible to cross the exciting canyons of Valli Cupe close to the town of Sersale, a fabulous scenery. No entry tickets to be paid.

TROPEA, lunch and back home

Tropea, the beach and the big rock (with church) of santa Maria dell'Isola

The return flight home will be scheduled in the late afternoon, at LAMEZIA TERME airport. We have a full morning (and lunch) to conclude our tour of Calabria in a grand way. It's time to appreciate the poetry, romance, beauty of Costa degli Dei! It's time to visit TROPEA, the queen of tourism in Calabria. We will take an intense tour through the alleys of the medieval Tropea, which lead to the beautiful cathedral, where the effigy of the patron saint called Maria Santissima of Romania is kept. The group can also visit some typical food shops. We suggest a taste of PGI red onion jam from Tropea, as well as a tasting moment of pecorino cheese from mount Poro. Here we are to contemplate the turquoise sea from the balcony at the end of the main street. The sea view, from which you can see the rock with the church of Santa Maria dell'Isola, is the tourist postcard of Calabria. Lunch in Tropea. No tickets to be paid.