Calabria, land of marvelous beaches and wild mountains, but most of all, homeland of Pitagora and expression of the magnificence of Ancient Greece, Magna Grecia.

Today there are low-cost flights landing at Vibo Valenzia airport (the second Calabria airport after Reggio Calabria’s). There, it is better to hire a car and start this tour that touches some of the highlights of Calabria, able to convey the various faces of the region to travellers

Capo Colonna is a promontory marking the western edge of the Gulf of Taranto. It hosted the temple of Hera Lacinia, the most revered and visited sanctuary in Magna Grecia, founded by a group of Achaeans upon order of the Oracle of Delphi. It owes its name to the presence of many columns of the ancient temple kept untouched for a long time, then used to decorate castles and palaces. Today a solitary column is still standing among the ruins.

Not far is Le Castella, one of the most beautiful towns of Calabria. Located on the Ionian coast, Le Castella village overlooks the bay with its ancient Aragonese fortress. Its landscapes aroused admiration among the ancient travelers, which explains why the town is the subject of many legends. It seems that the island of Calypso, described by Homer in his Odyssey, would be situated very close to the village.

6 miles from the village, there is the beautiful Isola Capo Rizzuto. In spite of the name, it is not an island, but a small village boasting an astonishing Marine Protected Area: 40 hectares of Mediterranean vegetation and clear sea full of rare and interesting fish species. Furthermore, a sixteenth-century feudal castle that will surely surprise you.

Amongst olive groves, less than a kilometer from the beachfront area of Catanzaro, you can find the Scolacium Archaeological Park vast area of great interest where the evocative remains of the Byzantine-Norman basilica of Santa Maria della Rocella, are mixed with significant parts of the Roman city, built on the Greek Skyletion.

If you like the monuntains, organize an excursion on the national park of Sila where you will have the opportunity to taste the genuine specialty food from Calabria. Inside the Sila National Park there is one of the most significant biodiversity systems. The symbol of the park is the wolf, a protected species.

Driving west you will reach the “Costa degli Dei” or “Costa Bella”, so called for its bays, promontories, white beaches and clear blue sea. Visit the town of Capo Vaticano, considered one of the 100 most beautiful beaches in the world, Tropea, a natural balcony on the Mediterranean sea, and Pizzo Calabro, one of the most beautiful seaside towns on the Tyrrhenian coast, famous for its the delicious homemade ice cream: the “Pizzo truffles”.

The rocky promontory of Capo Vaticano forms a natural watershed between the gulfs of Gioia and Sant’Eufemia.

The area around Locri is really marvellous if you like arechaeology: its temples, theaters, the artisan quarter, the walls, the Persephoneian, Roman villas ect. Finally, visit to the medieval village of Gerace. The town, which still keeps a setting and a medieval charm, is located within the National Park of Aspromonte, a park that with its Fiumare offers lunar landscapes and poetic views. Since 2006 Gerace has been an Italian World Heritage Site.