Sant'Andrea Apostolo dello Ionio

Sant'Andrea Apostolo dello Ionio is a pleasant surprise of Ionian Calabria because of the history-laden atmosphere of the mediaeval village, the many services for tourists, the uncontaminated panoramas ranging from the sea to the mountains and, last but not least, the excellent flavours of its traditional products.

Sant'Andrea Apostolo dello Ionio overlooks the magnificent Gulf of Squillace like a splendid natural terrace in the Ionian Sea. It’s an attractive area in the south of the province of Catanzaro with unique landscapes halfway between the sea and the mountains.

A great variety of landscapes with a rich environmental heritage, characterized by a remarkable biodiversity.

Such a variety of landscapes is accompanied by a wealthy environmental heritage featuring considerable biodiversity.

The Sant'Andrea Apostolo dello Ionio area can be divided into three distinct areas, each with its different naturalist and landscape features. The marine area, mainly flat and cultivated with olive and citrus groves, is lapped by the transparent water of the Ionian Sea and flanked by wide white beaches. The hill area has evocative vineyards, olive groves and luxuriant vegetable gardens. Lastly, the mountains have uncontaminated panoramas with dense chestnut, holm oak and beech woods, cut by the rivers Alaca and Salubro which create picturesque waterfalls and hide the ruins of old water mills.

The two residential areas of S. Andrea Ionio Centro Storico and S. Andrea Ionio Marina are no less interesting. The historic nucleus boasts a spectacular position on the top of three hills with the mountains, the first foothills of the Serre mountains, behind it and the sea in front, with a splendid view on the clearest days of the Gulf of Squillace from Capo Colonna to Punta Stilo. All this is enriched by the splendid atmosphere of the mediaeval village featuring the classic picturesque entwining of lanes and alleys, some still paved with granite. The Museo della Memoria (Memory Museum), a small museum on the history of the material culture of the local area, can be visited. It hosts a collection of peasant tools and some reconstructions of rooms in the typical rural house and artisans’ workshops. Framed by luxuriant olive and citrus groves, S. Andrea Ionio Marina is a tourist resort par excellence. Overlooking the sea, it guarantees visitors a courteous welcome and tourist services ranging from the two equipped tourist villages to the beach clubs and efficient sports structures. There is a splendid pinewood in the village marina where many trippers go.

Wine and food

The fiscottino is the key player of an old, now abandoned, custom. It’s one of those products that delights the palate with the irresistible taste of Calabrian tradition. In Sant'Andrea Apostolo dello Ionio, this tasty baked product is the symbol of parties because, once upon a time, it was served at pre-wedding celebrations when the bride’s house opened to the future husband’s family, neighbours and relations to display the rich trousseau. The crunchy doughnuts aromatised with highly scented fennel seeds were prepared with great skill and delighted the palates of guests accompanied by homemade wines and liqueurs.Although this custom has been lost in time, the recipe for fiscottini is a pleasant reminder of an antique tradition and emanates all the perfume and flavour of a magnificent land between the sea and the mountains. This tasty speciality was targeted by the Fondazione Slow Food, which included it in the list of products in its Arca del Gusto (Ark of Taste).