Calabria Holidays

The curtain has only just come up on Calabria. This region of southern Italy, just across the water from Sicily, has always been relatively unknown. Italians from the north spend their summers here, but it's starting to make a name for itself further afield. Traditional seaside towns are spread out along the clifftops, and the coves and beaches below are some of the best in the country.

The main reason for Calabria’s growing popularity is its beaches. The region’s home to some of the best stretches on the Italian mainland. On the west coast, Capo Vaticano is sprinkled with dinky coves and bays. Tropea, meanwhile, takes a leaf out of the Caribbean's book. Vanilla-coloured sands are lapped by the bluest waters around, and there's an idyllic hilltop church overlooking the shoreline. Elsewhere, castles, churches and teetering townhouses watch over the waterfronts in sleepy towns like Pizzo, Scilla and Parghelia.

Beaches aren’t Calabria’s only forte – the towns out-shine the rest, too. Lots of them are rooted on top of cliffs, meaning sweeping sea views are the norm. There’s plenty to explore, as well. Tropea’s old town is home to a Norman cathedral and a Benedictine monastery. Meanwhile, Pizzo’s historic heart is a maze of narrow lanes, winding down to a 15th-century castle. And at the tip of the toe you'll find Reggio Calabria, which is the city slicker of the bunch. Grand architecture and a smart seafront corniche are among the highlights, and you can spy Sicily across the water.

Calabria’s all about good old-fashioned Italian food, just as mama used to make. And it just so happens that the region’s sunny climate guarantees top-of-the-range, fresh produce. Cipolla di rossa – sweet red onions – are a speciality in Tropea. You’ll see them hung from shop doorways all over town. Plus, they’re thrown into bowls of zuppa di cipolle, onion soup with Italian brandy. Bowls of fileja pasta – a cross between penne and tagliatelle – are loaded with piccante peppers and blobs of spicy nduja sausage. Then there's Pizzo's famous tartufo dessert, where spheres of gelato are wrapped around a fruity core and given a chocolate shell.