One thing I did not fully realize about the Calabria was the wide variation in the landscape. Yes, on a map you can see that it is situated between two seas with a mountain range running up the center of the region. And yes, if you google certain locations, you get some idea of how small villages are perched on the sides of hills or sprinkled in valleys but to experience it in person is inspiring. There were no roads for the early settlers and it is hard to fathom how a family might have moved with all of their belongings to such remote locations – donkeys would have been the only form of transportation.
Since most of time our small group was not venturing along the coast (where there is public transportation), we spent a lot of time driving along the winding roads to various locations. The views were diverse and beautiful no matter where we went. Both Motta Santa Lucia and Soverial Mannelli were towns that were home to my Bonacci and Cardamone ancestors.
One day we visited the medieval city of Badolato where we had a private tour with our guide Guardino followed by an awesome private lunch at AQUÀ Ristorante made by Chef Ciro. Stunning views and a seafood lover’s delight for sure! What would an Italian blog post be without a few food photos?
Afterwards Made in Calabria surprised us with a visit to the seaside – Santa Caterina dello Ionia. Only two of us went swimming in the Gulf of Squillace; the others (and our bags/clothes) got soaked by a surprise downpour! The building shown on the left was built in the 13th century as a watch tower for sighting Balkan, Greek, and Anatolian pirates coming from the sea.
This adventure was followed by a trip to the Bivongi wine region located at the northern end of the province of Reggio Calabria. There, we visited the Monastery of St. John Theristis which is still a center of Greek Orthodox monasticism, and merged with a group of visitors from Sweden. The two groups then headed out in Land Rovers down a steep and rough, rutted “road” to the Cosimo Murace vineyards hosted by Cosimo and his daughter, Valentina. We learned about the wine growing region, and how to pick the grapes, then headed to their tasting room for a wine and olive oil tasting.
Another day, after a morning exporing the art museum in Taverna and learning about the Italian Baroque artist, Mattia Preti, we headed up into the Sila mountains – more winding roads – this time through tall pines interspersed with breaks of farmland. On the way, we saw a shepherd herding numerous goats around a rock crop so we stopped to take a few photographs.
We journeyed on to a delicious meal of home-style Calabrian cuisine at Spineto Sapori in Aprigliano. We feasted on a bowl of soup with pasta and potatoes, and a fantastic mushroom risotto (with locally sourced mushrooms) among other dishes, and of course, wine. Next stop? Villaggio Mancuso – a Tyrolean tourist village (yes, in southern Italy!) for a quick espresso at Bar La Rotonda before taking an invigorating walk in the woods at 4,500 feet above sea level!
The Calabrian landscape could not be more varied. While the province enjoys sunny beaches and pristine blue waters on both the Tyrrhenian and Ionian coastlines, the region has so much more to offer. I encourage anyone who visits to take the time to explore areas off-the-beaten path. Rent a car (if you feel up to driving the narrow hairpin turns!) or hire someone so that you can explore the countryside, the woods, the small hillside villages, and the endless views.
I am already planning a return trip in 2026 and look forward to discovering other areas of Calabria. I feel as if I have just scratched the surface.
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