After arriving in the morning at Reggio Calabria airport, the first day of sightseeing in the City of the Straits starts with the symbol of Calabria: the Riace Bronzes, housed in the National Archaeological Museum, also known as the National Museum of Magna Graecia, the most important museum in Calabria, which exhibits one of the most remarkable collections of artefacts from Magna Graecia.

Before leaving the city, one cannot fail to take a walk along its splendid ‘Falcomatà promenade’. known to the people of Reggio Calabria as Via Marina, which stretches for about 1.7 km. Gabriele D’Annunzio called it ‘the most beautiful kilometre in Italy’, made unique by the incredible panorama with Sicily in the background.

If the day is hot, but even if it is not, tradition has it that on the Reggio seafront, in one of the many bars in the area, you can enjoy an almond granita, accompanied by excellent brioches.

Continuing the tour in the late afternoon we arrive at Scilla, a well-known tourist resort linked to the myth of the story of Scylla and Charybdis. Scylla, a nymph of overwhelming beauty, is transformed by the sorceress Circe into a hideous monster and haunts the waters of the Strait together with Charybdis, a devastating sea creature created by Zeus, capable of swallowing and expelling the water of the sea causing deadly whirlpools.

Scilla is one of the most evocative seaside villages in Italy, offering visitors ‘picture-postcard’ views and panoramas. The gateway to the Strait of Messina, it is the pearl of the ‘Costa Viola’, which Plato described as follows: ‘Everything is tinged with the different shades of the colour violet, giving life each evening, with its spectacular reflections, to an ever new vision’.

There is only one way to get to know the most authentic part of Scilla: by walking through the narrow streets of its historic centre. A stroll through the Marina Grande and Chianalea quarters is a must; Chianalea, in particular, is what remains of the oldest village from which the town originated, defined by many as the ‘Venice of the South’ for its splendid alley-like streets. The small fishermen’s cottages, built overlooking the sea, are amazingly beautiful.

In Marina Grande you can dine in a typical restaurant overlooking the sea.

Departure in the morning for Pentedattilo with a visit to the abandoned village. Pentedattilo means five fingers, the name of this village in fact recalls the large cliff that rises behind it and is reminiscent of the shape of a hand reaching towards the sky. The devil’s hand, it is said. A ghost town full of myth and legend. A walk through the narrow streets of this small village is a special experience and, if you visit the shops of the small local artisans, each of them will have a story about the village to tell and special artefacts to see.

We then move on to the Roman Villa of Casignana. Discovered in 1963, the Casignana villa is an important testimony to the stylistic and architectural richness and artistic refinement of noble buildings from the Hellenistic period. The mosaic floors, stylistically reminiscent of connections with areas of East Africa such as modern-day Tunisia and Tripolitania, are unique in Calabria.

We then move on to spend the night in Gerace.

In the morning, a tour of the ancient medieval village of Gerace with a visit to the historical centre, the small church of San Francesco d’Assisi (an ancient place of worship), the 11th century AD cathedral (one of the most important Norman buildings in Calabria) and the museum below the church. “The ‘Borgo dello Sparviero’, as Gerace is called, is the ideal destination to immerse oneself in local culture and history. A place where time seems to stand still. This ancient village is also worth a visit for its craft workshops that often carry on centuries-old techniques.

After lunch, we move on to Stilo, whose cathedral is a jewel of Byzantine architecture, among the best-preserved structures of the period. Stilo is the most beautiful Byzantine village in Calabria, dubbed ‘little Byzantium’. Among splendid noble palaces and Byzantine churches, one experiences being in the ‘City of the Sun’ conceived by Tommaso Campanella, who was born here in 1568.

The village is a stone’s throw from Bivongi, where a visit to the Orthodox Monastery of St John Theristis, a Byzantine structure but with Norman dimensions, is planned. Participation in the celebration of the Divine Liturgy according to the Orthodox rite is also planned.

Depart in the morning for the Scolacium Archaeological Park. The Park tells the story of Skylletion, a city of Magna Graecia, which became a prosperous Roman colony, Scolacium. Findings in the Park area testify to frequentation since the Lower and Upper Palaeolithic periods. The foundations of the Magna Graecia colony dates back to the 6th-5th century B.C. by Greek colonists from Kroton (present day Crotone). The Roman colony of Scolacium, with its impressive remains, is the highlight of the tour and represents a unique part of the Calabrian archaeological panorama.

In the afternoon, we move on to Le Castella, where the tour continues with a visit to the seaside village and the majestic Castello Aragonese, a military fortress dating back to the 13th century located on an islet in front of the small town. In fine weather, it will also be possible to take a short rubber dinghy excursion in the marine protected area.

Free evening in Crotone.

In the morning, a traditional cooking lesson at an agritourism in Santa Severina, and in the afternoon, a visit to the medieval village. Crotonese cuisine is the classic ‘cucina povera’ that is based on ingredients from the land but has strong flavours, made even more special by preparation techniques that are still linked to the culinary tradition handed down from generation to generation.

Piazza del Campo, which divides the Norman Castle and the Municipal Villa from the Co-Cathedral of Sant’Anastasia and the Diocesan Museum, immediately conveys the charm of this ‘medieval’ village that, amid myths, legends and history, takes on a magical dimension. ‘The Stone Boat’, as Santa Severina is called because of its shape that from above resembles a ship aground among the rocks, is included among the ‘Most Beautiful Villages in Italy’.

We wake up early to move into the Calabrian mountains: Sila. First stop is San Giovanni in Fiore, the region’s largest mountain centre, where one of Calabria’s most fascinating monuments is located: the Florense Abbey. The Florense Abbey, with the adjoining Church of Santa Maria Assunta in Cielo, is the main historical-monumental building in San Giovanni in Fiore. Erected in the 11th century by the Benedictine monk Gioacchino da Fiore, it represents one of the greatest religious monuments in the Sila area and the whole of Calabria. Continuing the visit in the historical centre, it is then possible to admire the typical medieval constructions of the houses made with admirable stone work; the remains of the ancient arches that once constituted the city gates and the small alleys that lead to splendid squares, first and foremost the main Piazza Abate Gioacchino.

We leave San Giovanni in Fiore to reach Fallistro Nature Reserve in Sila National Park. Unique in its kind, this majestic centuries-old forest in the centre of Calabria has survived intact since the 17th century in the shadow of its imposing ‘patriarchs’, which create a grandiose spectacle of nature. Here grow ‘the giants of Fallistro’, specimens of larch pine that reach 50 metres in height and 2 metres in diameter.

The tour ends in Camigliatello, a ski resort and tourist resort in Sila. Here you can visit Lake Cecita, the largest lake in Calabria; the Cupone Visitor Centre, with its nature trails, wildlife area, and nature museum; the Nave della Sila, a characteristic museum on Italian emigration; and the characteristic classically ‘mountain’ church dedicated to Saints Roberto and Biagio.

In the morning we visit a winery in Cirò. The oenological riches of this area were known even to the ancient Greeks, who called the territory Enotria, where the ancient colony of Krimisa stood, with its temple dedicated to Dionysus.

Cirò is certainly the most famous appellation in the region, thanks mainly to the typical taste of its red wines, although current production is specialising in excellent rosés and delicate whites.

The Cirò wineries are the ideal place to see where history embraces innovation, where tradition meets modernity. The real goodness of the wines can be easily appreciated during the tour through the vines and cellars.

In the afternoon, return to Crotone to visit the historic centre. The city is developed around the Aragonese military fortress (the largest in southern Italy), built in 840 AD to defend against Saracen raids. The alleys that criss-cross it connect the ancient noble palaces and splendid places of worship such as the Church of the Immaculate Conception, Santa Chiara and San Giuseppe. Noteworthy is also the Cathedral, dedicated to San Dionigi, inside which you can admire the chapel of the Madonna di Capocolonna, with its sacred effigy with its peculiar dark colouring, for which it has been given the name ‘Madonne Nera’. Crotone is the city of three millennia, founded in 718 B.C. It soon became the capital of Magna Graecia. Its majesty is fully represented in the exhibits in the archaeological museum in Via Risorgimento.

The Calabrian adventure ends in the morning, after breakfast we head to Lamezia Terme Airport for the return flight.