Calabria is not #1 in Italy on most lists. And that’s its strength! It is not nearly as industrialized as the north, nor as overrun as say Venice, Milan, Rome, Puglia or the Amalfi coast. The real estate prices are among the lowest in Italy. You will not run into many international tourists. There is no Disney land, no Neu Schwanstein castle, no Eiffel Tower. The two major airports have no direct flights to the US. So why do I write that Calabria has a lot to offer? Because it is more Italy, less touristy, than all these other places. In fact, most tourists are Italians from Naples. Now, there are pockets of international Expats. We’ve discovered a dozen or so Americans who live in our small town of 5000 by joining various Facebook groups.
Calabria is long and narrow. The middle spine are high mountains, and the rest is coast. If you are looking for an amazing view from up top AND the beach, then Calabria is for you. Puglia is the only state with a longer coast line, but has basically no mountains. Trento has the amazing Dolomite Mountains, but no sea access. Sicily has high mountains and the sea, but is isolated from Italy. Sunny fact: The volcanic island of Stromboli (the lighthouse of the Mediterranean) is even closer to Calabria than to Sicily. And while you can live right next to the Etna Volcano in Sicily, you can watch it from southern Calabria erupt just as well from a safer distance.
But don’t take my word for it:
>> I find this land [of Calabria] very varied, with landscapes that change from place to place, from the green forests to the coasts that follow from Ionian to Tyrrhene. […] Calabria is the land of amazing sea, colorful backgrounds, quaint villages, people who make you feel at home, even if you’re not from Calabrian origin. This is a land where one can find one’s primordial rhythms and reconcile with nature by finding oneself. If only my Calabrian friends understood the treasure they have in their hands, it could be one of the best possible destinations. <<
(Paolo Pulvirenti – Milan)
Please read our >> blog << for a documentation of our journey, lessons learned, and general advise,
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What’s is so great about Calabria …
- It is the toes of the Italian boot and has two coasts: To the west we have the Tyrrhenian Sea, and to the east the Ionian Sea. It is separated by only 3.2 km (2 mi) from Sicily.
- It has the second longest coast line of Italy’s mainland regions.
- It is home to three national parks:
- Pollino National Park (Italy’s largest!),
- Sila National Park (The great Wood of Italy),
- and Aspromonte National Park (geodiverse and full of historical sites).
- The air is unpolluted, and the sea crystal clear.
- It is a budget friendly destination both in terms of real estate as in cost of labor.
- It is not as overcrowded in Summer as other regions.
- It has many historic sites from the ancient Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Saracens, Spanish, French, and Austrian times.
- It has even four ski resorts, where at some you can ski with the sea in the distant background.
What is Bad about Calabria?
- It is the toes of the Italian boot:
- Calabria is far away from Rome and the industrial north. This means it is not as overcrowded in Summer as other regions, not as polluted, and more budget friendly.
- The closer you are in the south and to Sicily, the higher risk earthquake territory you become. Also, the spine that separates the two coasts is a high risk earthquake territory (Zone 1). But the north of Calabria in a lower risk zone (Zone 2).
- Parts of Calabria are high risk territory. Note that where tectonic plates meet and pile up, you get majestic mountains. And in Calabria’s mountains are three amazing national parks: Pollino National Park (Italy’s largest!), Sila National Park (The great Wood of Italy), and Aspromonte National Park (geodiverse and full of historical sites).
- Calabria has many high mountains, thus it is agriculturally not as productive as other more flat regions. But it has four ski resorts, where at some you can ski with the sea in the distant background, hiking paths, and many hilltop villages with amazing views and lots of hiking opportunities.
- Calabria has a high unemployment rate. The good thing is, because it lacks major industries, the air is unpolluted, and labor and properties are cheap.
- Very few people speak English. Calabria is mostly old-school Italy. But even our small town of 5000 has a dozen Americans living there, and in the neighboring town of Scalea are many more, so many, that an American couple opened a small American cuisine restaurant! In a hilltop village! (“The Fig” In Santa Domenica Talao; they were even featured on CNN).
