Day 1 – Reggio Calabria
Arrival in Reggio Calabria. Accommodation in Hotel/B&B. Welcome cocktail and handing out of information material. Dinner and overnight stay.
Day 2 – Reggio Calabria/ Scilla
Breakfast in Hotel/B&B. Meet with the guide and visit of the city: The National Archaeological Museum, with significant evidence of Magna Graecia colonies and archaeological finds of unparalleled value, including the famous Riace bronzes, wonderful bronze sculptures found in 1972. Visit to Pinacoteca Civica, which includes works of great artistic and historical prestige. Walk along Lungomare Falcomatà promenade, offering a magnificent view of the Strait of Messina. Departure for Scilla. Lunch in a local restaurant. In the afternoon, visit to the village and stop at Ruffo Castle, symbol of the city, a legacy of rare beauty. Strolling among ancient churches and palaces, you will enjoy the beauty of the alleys leading to the sea, up to Chianalea, the characteristic fishermen’s quarter, particularly colourful and evocative at sunset. Return to the Hotel/B&B. Dinner and overnight stay.
Day 3 – Pentedattilo/Bova
Breakfast in Hotel/B&B. Departure for Pentedattilo, one of the most picturesque and fascinating villages in Calabria, nestled in Aspromonte mountains, in the heart of the area called Grecìa Calabra (Calabrian Greece). Also known as the “Ghost Town”, this characteristic village takes its name from the shape of the rock on which it lies, similar to a giant stone hand (penta and daktylos, i.e. five fingers). Among narrow streets and the legends that permeate them, you will find yourself immersed in an atmosphere full of charm.
We continue to Bova, one of The Most Beautiful Villages in Italy (I Borghi più belli d’Italia). Visit to “Gerhard Rohlfs” museum and the village, considered the capital of Bovesìa, the cradle of Grecìa Calabria’s culture. For centuries, this area has been linked to the presence of a Hellenic-speaking minority, direct descendanst of ancient Magna Gaecia and Byzantine populations. Here all the streets, inscriptions and various signs are written in Griko, a Modern Greek dialect spoken in Calabria, testifying to this rich linguistic and cultural heritage that has managed to survive to this day. Tasting of famous lestopitta, a symbol of agro-pastoral gastronomy, consisting of unleavened bread similar to Turkish pitta. In the afternoon, we head to Bova Marina and visit Archeoderi Park, which preserves the remains of one of the oldest synagogues in the West. Return to the Hotel/B&B. Dinner and overnight stay.
Day 4 – Brancaleone/Casignana
Breakfast in Hotel/B&B. Visit to a factory renowned for the production of bergamot, a prized citrus fruit cultivated exclusively on the coastal stretch from Villa San Giovanni to Roccella Jonica due to the favourable climatic conditions of this area. At the end, tasting of the product. The tour continues to Casignana with a stop at Villa Romana, where the thermal complex, its great variety of polychrome and figured mosaics (4th century AD), has been brought to light. On the way back, stop in Palizzi for lunch. Return to the Hotel/B&B. Dinner and overnight stay.
Day 5 – Locri/Gerace
Breakfast in Hotel/B&B. Departure for Locri and visit to the Archaeological Park of the ancient polis Locri Epizephiri, expression of Magna Graecia’s magnificence, and whose Museum preserves the most important finds of the time, including famous pinakes (votive tablets now kept in Palazzo Nieddu due to the restructuring of the Museum). At the end, lunch at a local restaurant with typical Calabrian products. In the afternoon, transfer to Gerace, one of The Most Beautiful Villages in Italy (I Borghi più belli d’Italia), perched on a sandstone cliff, from which there is a panoramic view of Riviera dei Gelsomini. The ancient village has maintained its medieval setting and charm with the ruins of the Castle, its splendid Cathedral, the Church of San Francesco, a series of smaller churches and the alleyways structure. Tasting of renowned Gerace’s granita (slush ice) in Piazza del Tocco, one of the village central points. Return to the hotel/B&B. Dinner and overnight stay.
Day 6 – Stilo / Mammola
Breakfast in Hotel/B&B. Departure for Stilo, birthplace of philosopher Tommaso Campanella. Visit to the small village and the Church, a jewel of Byzantine art, built at the base of a sheer cliffs on Mount Consolino. Transfer to Mammola. Lunch in a local restaurant based on stockfish, the region’s gastronomic excellence. In the afternoon, visit to MuSaBa, a contemporary art museum founded by Nik Spatari and Hiske Maas, which attracts hundreds of artists from all over the world every year for exhibitions and cultural events. Return to Hotel/B&B. Dinner and overnight stay.
Day 7 – Return
Breakfast in Hotel/B&B. Return to headquarters.