The sea and the mountains of Calabria.
This geophysical feature is perhaps the only one found in Liguria. In just half an hour by car you can visit two ecosystems: sea and mountain. From 30-degree heat to forest coolness.
Filled with legends and myths, the wonderful and beautiful Schilla, after a walk through its narrow picturesque streets and a visit to the medieval fortress, you can stop at a favourite restaurant and taste the freshest fish and shellfish. Swordfish is the brand of this place, and many different dishes are made from it. But don’t overlook mussels, venus, sea urchins and oysters. Fans of marine delicacies can choose a lobster or lobster moustache directly from the aquarium. You will be offered a choice of house wine or bottled wines of excellent varieties. You can also visit the WINE-BAR and taste several varieties of I.G.T. wines from the producer, as well as soft drinks made from bergamot (a type of lemon). In the fresh air your appetite will be whetted again and in one of the cosy forest restaurants you can try antipasto (an appetizer) of various sausages, cheeses, the freshest ricotta, pumpkin flower fritters, parmigiana (aubergine and parmesan puff pastry) and other delicacies. First courses: homemade pasta or noodles with ragu sauce made of wild boar meat or with porcini mushrooms. For the second course delicious grilled boar meat Calabrian style, porcini mushrooms. The wines here are special – mountain wines. By the way, along the roads in the mountains locals sell their products: olive oil, wines, sausages, cheeses, fruits, vegetables, nuts.
Unexplored Greek Calabria.
And for nothing! Here, as in a precious box, the soul of Calabria is kept here. In the small town of Bova, located on a mountain top at an altitude of 915 metres above sea level, the inhabitants carefully preserve the traditions and language of the Greeks who once lived here. Street names are written in three languages: Greek, Italian and Greek. The traditions of cuisine and winemaking also trace their history back to those times. After visiting the local sights of “one of the most beautiful settlements in Italy”, take a last look at the wine cellar in an ancient building and taste the local wine, pressed from grapes that have been nourished by the abundant sun and generous soil. For a very reasonable fee you will be fed in such a way that you will remember this meal for a long time. And if you want to peek into the kitchen and learn the secrets of Greek cooking, they’ll be happy to share them with you: a masterclass in Calabrian-Greek cuisine!
Descending from Bova Superiore, you’ll see the breathtaking scenery of the Ionian coast, the gentle sea glistening below, and you’ll definitely want to take a dip in its waters. Bova Marina has many beautiful, uncrowded beaches where you can spend the rest of the day in complete peace.
Enotourism – Farm “Statti”.
Visit the exemplary winery “Statti” near Lamezia Terme.
Although Statti has been around for more than 200 years, it is a well-maintained, modern farm set on more than 500 hectares of land with olive groves, vineyards and citrus orchards, where forage is grown to feed six hundred cattle, two hundred and fifty of which produce 6600 litres of milk a day.
After a pleasant walk under the shade of olive groves and vineyards and a tour of the extensive grounds of the farm, you will be invited to taste the DOC wine produced here and get answers to any questions you may have. In the farm shop you can buy your favourite wine as well as interesting souvenirs with the brand name.
Drive to Pizzo (30 min). On the way stop at the church of Piedigrotta, dug in tuff in the XVI century by Neapolitan sailors who miraculously escaped during a storm. Arrival in Pizzo. Familiarisation with the town, visit to the medieval Aragonese fortress where Joachim Murat was imprisoned and executed. Lunch in the main square on the basis of fresh fish cooked in Calabrian style and for dessert you must taste the local brand “tartufe” – ice-cream-column made of 2 types of ice-cream with liquid chocolate in the core.
Walk along the pedestrian shopping street, buy souvenirs.
Visit a cheese factory.
Who loves Italy can’t imagine it without the famous Mediterranean cuisine, fragrant cheeses and sausages, wonderful wine.
Every region, every place is famous for its gastronomic brand. In Calabria there are many such brands! It is especially rich in cheese. And of all the cheese factories in the region, the best is located near the town of Rosarno in the Gioia Tauro valley. Here they produce more than a dozen types of cheeses, from soft tear-stained mozzarella, both from cow’s milk and buffalo milk, to aged hard six-kilogram heads of sheep and goat cheese. The process, by the way, is waste-free. All of the farm’s waste goes into bioenergy production here on the farm. Once you have finished exploring the cheese factory and the livestock farm, it is worth having lunch in a rural inn based on the products of kilometre zero. The Calabrian cuisine and the skill of the local chefs leave no one indifferent or hungry.
When customers leave the farm, in addition to the various cheeses and other delicacies they buy, they take with them a lot of bright impressions of a pleasant day spent with open and hospitable farmers and cheesemakers and a feeling of belonging to the real Italy!
