Discovering the Riviera dei Tramonti in Calabria

The first stop along the Riviera dei Tramonti is the town of Nocera Terinese, facing the lower Savuto Valley and the sea.

The place name evokes the ancient Magna Graecia city of Terina, which many place on the Piano della Terina, a panoramic viewpoint over the Phaeacians' Coast. A walk through the historical centre reveals the beauty of the churches, such as the 14th-century Mother Church, the Annunziata, San Martino and San Francesco.

The religious tradition in these parts is identified with the ancient rite of the Vattienti of Nocera Terinese, one of the most heartfelt and famous ceremonies of Holy Week in Calabria. The Vattienti are flagellants who beat their bare legs with pieces of glass, retelling the Passion of Christ.

Nocera Terinese is also one of the production areas of the excellent Scavigna CDO wine and of the Red Onion of Tropea PGI, which is cultivated in the vast Plain of Sant'Eufemia up to the beautiful beaches of the Riviera dei Tramonti.

Continuing along the Riviera dei Tramonti, we stop in Falerna, one of the most popular seaside resorts for Calabrians and tourists.

Its beaches are perfect for those seeking ample free and natural spaces that alternate with the more equipped lidos. Falerna's beach is not sandy but is characterised by large grey-blue stones. The sea is deep and offers diving, kitesurfing and windsurfing enthusiasts the possibility of practising these sports from spring to late autumn.

We recommend a seafood dinner or lunch in one of the many restaurants that crowd the seafront, at whose tables it is a pleasure to admire the spectacle of the sun dipping into the sea of the Riviera dei Tramonti.

The third stop on the itinerary along the Riviera dei Tramonti is Marina di Gizzeria, known to be one of Calabria's "Kitesurfing Paradises".

This is where the World Kitesurfing Championships, known as Wing Foil National Championships, take place every year in April. An unmissable event for all athletes and enthusiasts of this discipline that combines water and air sports.

The Riviera dei Tramonti is famous for its favourable microclimatic conditions for this type of sport, i.e. the strong wind and deep waters that generate a perfect wave motion on which to test yourself with board and sail.

Do you dream of a quieter holiday, full of scenery and romance? We recommend you reach Gizzeria's vantage points from which to admire the sun dipping into the Riviera dei Tramonti: the Capo Suvero Tower and the Lighthouse.

At their feet, do not miss a relaxing stop at the Turrazzo Beach.

The itinerary "hunting for sunsets" cannot but end in the city of Lamezia Terme, the small capital of the Phaeacians' Coast.

The second city in the province after the capital, the present Lamezia Terme was born in the 1960s from the union of the three centres of Nicastro (today's historic centre), Sambiase and Sant'Eufemia (today the site of the international airport and the main regional railway hub). 

The name evokes the presence of natural thermal water springs along the course of the Bagni stream, in the Sambiase locality, where the renowned Caronte Thermal Baths complex is located. Known since ancient times, the thermal baths of Lamezia are an important attraction for those who want a holiday dedicated to wellbeing and cosmetic and curative treatments.

What to see in the centre? Certainly the Monumental Complex of San Domenico, in the old Dominican Fathers' Convent, now home to the Lametino Archaeological Museum and numerous events; the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul, the Diocesan Museum and the Antique Book House, with over 2500 books printed since the 16th century. The walk culminates in the Giudecca quarter, the old Jewish ghetto, at the foot of the ruins of the Norman-Swabian Castle.

One cannot leave Lamezia or the Riviera dei Tramonti without tasting two excellences of the local agri-food industry: Lamezia CDO wine and Lametia PDO Extra Virgin Olive Oil, both of which are the subject of tastings and tours in the vineyard and among the olive groves to be arranged with the producers.