Day 1

Depart from your home airport for your overnight flight to Lamezia Terme, Calabria, with a connection in Europe.

Day 2

Arrive in Calabria (D)

Arrive at Lamezia Terme Airport and be transferred (group transfer) to your host hotel in Tropea, the Tropis Hotel, and check into our sea-view rooms. The hotel is centrally located with a mere 8 minute walk to the Centre of Tropea – offering ease of access for self-exploration during your free time. Facing the Tyrrhenian Sea, Tropea is one of the most enchanting locations on the Calabrian Coast. Tropea has that lovely timeless feel that is characteristic of southern Italian seaside towns. You’ll love the maze of pretty streets, hidden squares, palazzi, oh and that view! Enjoy an included welcome dinner in short walking distance from our hotel.

Accommodations: Tropis Hotel in Tropea for 2 nights

Day 3

Tropea Exploration (B)

Ease into the tour with a relaxing day exploring Tropea with our guide to better acquaint you with this beautiful seaside town. It’s foundation dates back to Roman times and also included settlement by the Byzantines, Arabs, Normans and as a part of the Kingdom of Naples.Tropea is nicknamed the ‘Pearl’ of the Tyrrhenian Sea and for good reason. Not only does it boast magnificent walls, towers and gates but it also has a sandy beach so if the weather is just right, that might be a great option for the afternoon. The food item that Tropea is most associated with is the famous Tropea red onion. Exported for two thousand years, the red onion has built its reputation around Italy and the world thanks to its intense red colour and sweet taste, a feature that is not found in any other onion among the 50 existing types. Enjoy a tasting at a shop that is all about the local onion!

Your lunch, afternoon and dinner are your own today. If you are jetlagged and need a nap, take advantage of the leisure time or relax by the hotel pool. An optional, lovely scenic boat tour could be arranged in advance as well for those interested. Just let us know and we will arrange it for you.

Day 4

Spilinga and San Giorgio Morgeto (B, L, D)

We will check out of our hotel this morning before we start off. Our next full day in Calabria is going to be a little spicy, hearty and rounded out with lovely olive oil. Not too far outside of Tropea we find Spilinga which is the birthplace of Nduja (IN-DOO-YAH) which is a particularly spicy, spreadable pork salumi. It is typically made with parts of the pig such as the shoulder and belly, roasted peppers and a mixture of spices. The very interesting thing about Nduja is that it is a relatively new food item originating only in the last two decades. Ask any of your friends whose family originated from Calabria and they won’t know what it is; buy them a small jar on your travels and they won´t stop talking about it. We will visit a relatively small manufacturer to see how Nduja is made. You’re going to love the hot pepper farm!

From here we will travel one hour south east and arrive in the San Giorgio Morgeto area. This is from where Natalina Bombino Campagnolo´s family originates. On top of that fame, San Giorgio Morgeto has two other gems – one of the best salumi producers and arguably one of the best olive oils in Italy!

We’ll arrive at an award winning macelleria (butcher shop) which took the crown for best salumi in all of Italy. Quite the achievement! It all began in the 1940s with grandfather Vincenzo and continues to this day as a family run operation.

It’s almost time for lunch and we are at an award winning Macelleria so you guessed it, an Antipasto style lunch with all the traditional Calabrese salumi, cheeses, breads etc. complete with the family wine!

After lunch, we head off to the olive groves for a stroll and discussion on authentic, extra virgin, olive oil production with a tour of the facility and tasting. This Olive Oil producing business was established in 1940 by the father and his 5 sons renting an olive grove and an obsolete oil mill. After much hard work, the family bought larger parcels of land to cultivate more olives and the rest is history.

Enjoy some free time in the village of San Giorgio or the famous Norman Castle Ruins. Hey, maybe we’ll run into one of Natalina’s cousins!

We will drive to our next stop, Reggio Calabria, check into our next hotel and also meet for a group dinner. Our Host restaurant is a treat tonight, like visiting family for a family celebration , no tourists here… we are Calabrese tonight!

Accommodations: Hotel Excelsior in Reggio for 3 nights

Day 5

Reggio Calabria and Cooking Experience (B,L,D)

Today we wake up in Reggio Calabria, the largest and most populous city in all of Calabria. Reggio is located on the “toe” of the Italian Peninsula and is separated from the island of Sicily by the Strait of Messina. Reggio has commonly used popular nicknames: The “city of Bronzes”, after the Bronzes of Riace that are testimonials of its Greek origins; the “city of bergamot”, which is exclusively cultivated in the region; and the “city of Fatamorgana”, an optical phenomenon visible in Italy only from the Reggio seaside.

Silvia will take us on a leisurely stroll this morning along the promenade outside our hotel for a “walk & talk’ experience. Learn some general history of the area while getting some exercise with stunning views!

Optional for those interested, we will discover the famous bergamot and all its expressions. The bergamot is a wonderfully unique citrus that has a bitter, almost musty-smelling pulp and incredibly light, fragrant zest. Historically, this citrus has been prized principally for its essential oil that is obtained by pressing the skin and then used as perfume or even for medicinal uses. Ninety percent of bergamot oil in the world comes from the Reggio Calabria region. We will visit a shop for a tasting and opportunity to purchase their products.

At lunch time, we will arrive at an agriturismo north of the city to enjoy a “hands on” culinary experience followed by a farmer’s lunch. And since this is at an agriturismo, just about everything we will be enjoying at lunch is sourced from the farm.

The farm has 25 hectares of land, of which 6 are destined for chestnut wood cultivation. Everything from cereals, vegetables, vines for wine, olives and medicinal plants are grown here in addition to cattle and sheep rearing. Sheep are milked and milk is turned into cheese and ricotta. Delicious!

After lunch, we will head back to our hotel which is conveniently located near the prestigious National Archaeological Museum of Magna Græcia, dedicated to Ancient Greece (which houses the Bronzes of Riace, a rare example of Greek bronze sculpture, which became one of the symbols of the city).

After a museum visit, it will be a “don’t mind if I do” gelato tasting at a 3 generation family run establishment which has just won best gelato in all of Italy. Don’t worry; it’s just steps away from the hotel so you can indulge over the course of the next couple of days – guilt free of course.

Dinner this evening will be enjoyed as you wish. Our hotel is located right in the Town Centre so there are many places to choose from.

Day 6

Pentedattilo and Scilla (B,L,D)

After breakfast we will head out and travel just 30 kilometers southwest to arrive at village Pentedattilo on the edge of the Aspromonte Mountains. The direct translation of Pentedattilo means five fingers in the local greco-calabro language and was so named after how the village looks from a short distance. What’s very interesting about this village is that it is a ghost town and has been since the 1960s. Pentedattilo has seen it all, from earthquakes to a supposed massacre. You will be in awe of this very unique opportunity.

And if you like cats, be prepared to make a few friends!

Next, we will travel to the coast where we find the stunningly-located fishing village of Scilla. What contributes to its beauty is the hill topped ancient fortress that towers over the village.

Scilla is mythically the home of the fearsome monster Scylla who, along with Charybdis (over the sea towards Sicily) guarded the narrow Strait of Messina and menaced Odysseus / Ulysses as he sailed by. It is said that the castle dates back to the time of Ulysses.

We’ll enjoy an included fish lunch here and some free time before heading back to Reggio Calabria.

Once back in Reggio, time to refresh before heading out to a group dinner in nearby Gallico. Tonight some of Natalina’s family will host us in their award winning restaurant! Buon appetito!

Day 7

Mammola and arrive in Crotone (B,L,D)

Today we depart for Crotone with a couple of stops along the way. Mid-morning we arrive in the village of Mammola. Mammola is a charming village located between the Serre and the Aspromonte mountains. The first settlement dates back to the 4 – 5th century B.C. and it developed at the end of the 10th century A.D. when a stable village rose and housed people who fled from Saracen raids. It was the refuge of Byzantine monks who contributed to make Mammola a town where activities, like silk growing, as well as literature and science studies flourished.

Our main reason for visiting Mammola is to see an extremely interesting museum called Musaba. It is an expression by artists Nik Spatari and Hiske Mass as both a park, museum and laboratory located in the foothills of the rugged Aspromonte Mountains. We will be guided through the property enjoying art, culture and the outdoors!

A stock-fish lunch (with meat options) will be enjoyed at a local restaurant. The centuries-long tradition of stock-fish in Mammola is obtained from dried codfish and was regarded as food for the poor laborers when they carried out hard work in the fields. From here we will depart for Crotone with a brief stop on the way at Le Castella. Is it an optical illusion or is that castle floating in the water?

Upon arrival in Crotone, we will check into our host hotel – Lido Degli Scogli where we will enjoy a 2 night stay. This hotel is the most modern of all of the hotels on this trip and is an expression of the brothers who run it. One of the brothers for example is an accomplished artist and his work is found everywhere – from the hotel rooms to the dining rooms and even the outdoor terrace. You get more bang for your buck as it truly is a museum hotel. We’ll enjoy a welcome dinner here and then rest up for the next day.

Accommodations: Hotel Lido Degli Scogli in Crotone for 2 nights

Day 8

Strongoli and Cirò (B,L,D)

Today the emphasis is on cheese and wine! We will start with a visit to the area of Calabria known for the cheese that is simply known as Crotonese cheese. We will arrive at a farm to learn about the cheese production and most importantly to enjoy tastings of this distinctive cheese. It’s one of Natalina’s favourites!

A short distance from Strongoli is the famous wine region of Cirò. Considered one of the oldest named wines in the world, with a winemaking history stretching back thousands of years, this is Calabria’s flagship wine. The highest-quality grapes come from vineyards employing the Alberello Basso Vine Training Method, meaning grapes are harvested by hand due to their bushy shape. The main grape types of Cirò include Greco Bianco and Gaglioppo. Instead of traveling into the village centre to visit a winery, we thought it be much more interesting to enjoy the Cirò experience in the vineyards! A lovely tour of the vineyards, the private winery museum, tastings and lunch round out the “wine portion” of our day!

Arrive back in Crotone to relax and refresh for our final dinner in the village centre. We will be transferred to town for dinner with optional time in town.

Day 9

Camigliatello Silano and San Giovanni in Fiore (B,L)

We will check out of our hotel this morning and head to the country. This morning we will arrive in Camigliatello Silano, a mountainous region (1300 meters above sea level) to discover what food products it is best known for. We will hear about Caciocavallo cheese (literally meaning cheese on horseback) gets its name from the manner in which the cheese is always tied together in a rope and dangled over a wooden board to drain and age. The history of Caciocavallo goes back to 500 BC when Hippocrates first mentioned the cleverness of the Greeks in making it.

We will arrive at an agriturismo for a “hands on” cooking class and lunch including the famous cheese and other local products! Enjoy a walking tour of the farm which includes all sorts of vegetables, fruits, and animals. The lunch will consist of farm sourced mixed antipasti, pasta entree and dessert. As a bonus we will learn about the traditional ‘Tarantella”, dance of Calabria. The Tarantella is most often played and danced during religious festivals and other social occasions. Here is your chance to strut your stuff.

We depart Camigliatello Silano for the quaint Cosenza for our final 2 nights. Its historical center is one of the best preserved in Italy which entertains lively crowds in the evenings. Your hotel is best positioned to enjoy a walk into the city centre. This is a free evening with an optional “Aperi-Cena” at your own expense with the group. As the lunch time Pranzo enjoyed today will be equivalent to a “small wedding banquet”, Aperitivos and a light bite will be just right, and you can experience the famous, Italian Aperitivo Culture!

Accommodations: Royal Hotel, Cosenza 2 nights

Day 10

Greater Cosenza/Catanzaro Touring (B,L,D)

This morning we will drive south to Soveria Mannelli and arrive at a family run Lanificio (woolen mill) that dates back to 1873. It prides itself on being located in “… a place of the soul that tells the stories of its people.” Merging tradition with technology, this lanificio produces blankets, carpets and more. You’ll feel the difference in their products on a tour of the workshop.

A light lunch will be enjoyed at a gorgeous agriturismo a short distance away. We’ll arrive back at the hotel late afternoon to enjoy some free time exploring and then later enjoy a farewell dinner this evening in the centre of Consenza.

Day 11

Depart for Lamezia Airport (B)

This morning we will depart for the airport or other travels.

We are sure you will leave with many incredible memories of the food culture of Calabria but most especially the connections you have made with its people and your fellow travelers.

There is an expression in Italian: “mangiare per vivere e non vivere per mangiare” which means “Eat to live and not live to eat”. We trust this experience has furthered your endeavor to enjoy the beauty & food of Calabria to its fullest!