First time in Calabria? 5 places you absolutely must visit

The starting point of the itinerary to discover the most beautiful places in Calabria is the so-called "City of the Bruzi": Cosenza and the mountainous area of the Sila National Park (Sila Grande).

Also known as the "Athens of the South", due to its numerous cultural places and institutes (from the Accademia Cosentina, which was ruled by the philosopher Bernardino Telesio, to the "Alfonso Rendano" Theatre), the city is arranged around the historical core of Cosenza Vecchia and the more recent one, around Corso Mazzini and in the suburbs, until it touches the territory of Rende and the university campus of Arcavacata.

The charm of Cosenza Vecchia unfolds along Corso Telesio and its alleys, encompassing the 14th-century Cosenza Cathedral, among the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Calabria, and a series of important museums (including the Archaeological Museum of the Bretti and Enotri and the National Gallery of Palazzo Arnone), monuments and historic premises.

Beyond the Monumental Complex of San Domenico, which houses the contemporary art museum BoCS Art Museum, lies the modern part of the city, with the main shopping street and the not-to-be-missed M.A.B. - Bilotti Open-Air Museum, an open-air itinerary among sculptures by the greatest contemporary artists.

Cosenza is also the gateway to the mountainous territory of the Sila National Park and is the perfect opportunity to admire some of Calabria's most beautiful naturalistic views and places: from the ski resorts of Lorica and Camigliatello Silano to the mountain villages where you can taste typical products such as Caciocavallo Silano PDO and Patata della Sila PGI.

First time in Calabria, where to go on the Tyrrhenian Sea and the Costa degli Dei, in the province of Vibo Valentia?

Obviously to Tropea, among Italy's Most Beautiful Villages and among Calabria's Blue Flags not to be missed in all seasons of the year.

The village's scenic gem? Largo Migliarese, the belvedere overlooking the rock on which the Shrine of Santa Maria dell'Isola stands. Not only one of the most beautiful places in Calabria, but also "the most beautiful viewpoint in the world" according to the Sunday Times.

If you visit Tropea in the summer, you absolutely must take a swim and a boat trip to discover the most evocative beaches and sea caves, also reaching the unforgettable tourist resort of Capo Vaticano, in the municipality of Ricadi, among the places to visit in Calabria just a few kilometres from Tropea.

If, on the other hand, you visit Tropea in autumn, you will be spoilt for choice between cultural events and tastings of typical products, with the queen of the table at the head: the sweet PGI Tropea Red Onion.

Continuing southwards, we reach the province of Reggio Calabria and discover one of the five places you absolutely must visit in Calabria: the seaside village of Scilla.

We are in the centre of the Costa Viola, a place of myths and legends linked to the Strait of Messina, such as the Homeric legend of the sea monsters Scylla and Charybdis.    

Seen in the form of a sculpture by Francesco Triglia, on top of the Belvedere in San Rocco Square, from which there is a view of the Aeolian Islands and the Ruffo Castle, among the Calabrian castles not to be missed, Scilla seems almost like a harmless mermaid. 

The fishermen of the Chianalea district, also known as the "Little Venice of the South" because of the sea that runs through the houses, with the boats ready to set sail for the traditional swordfish fishing (typical street food), and the restaurateurs who offer their fish-based cuisine directly on stilts planted in the water, know something about its power.

Scilla is very close to Reggio Calabria, which is why we recommend reaching the city and discovering, in addition to the famous Falcomatà Seafront and other marvellous places, one of the places to visit in Calabria that is a must: the National Archaeological Museum where the Riace Bronzes are exhibited.

Our tour of the most beautiful places in Calabria moves to the Ionian Sea, along the Costa dei Saraceni, in the province of Crotone, to admire the uniqueness of Le Castella.

We are in the municipality of Isola Capo Rizzuto, the largest Marine Protected Area in Italy and among the largest in Europe, with a Blue Flag beach. In this naturalistic oasis stands one of the best-preserved castles in Calabria: the Aragonese fortress at the water's edge, one of the most photographed places in the region.

After visiting the castle from the inside, we discover the story of the character to whom the bust in front is dedicated: a certain Giovanni Dionigi Galeni, or the fearsome corsair Uluç Alì, a local child kidnapped in 1536 by the pirate Barbarossa and who in turn became the "terror of the seas", one of the few survivors of the Battle of Lepanto.

That this is one of the most beautiful places in Calabria is demonstrated by the fact that it has always been one of the region's best-loved film sets: several cinema masterpieces and TV series have been filmed here, from Monicelli's "L'armata Brancaleone" to Pier Paolo Pasolini's "Il Vangelo secondo Matteo".

Before continuing on to the fifth and final stage of the itinerary, we recommend a fish tasting accompanied by a glass of Sant'Anna di Isola Capo Rizzuto DOC wine.

The journey of discovery of places to visit in Calabria for first-time holidaymakers ends along the Costa degli Achei, in the town of Corigliano-Rossano.

We are in the vast territory of the Sibaritide, the Plain of Sybaris, where the union of the two large towns of Corigliano and Rossano has given rise to a district of great artistic and cultural value, landscape and agribusiness.

The double historic centre is home to some of the most beautiful places in Calabria, starting with the imposing Ducal Castle of Corigliano, extraordinarily well-preserved with original furnishings and a breathtaking viewpoint over the entire plain.

Moving on to Rossano, two more unmissable gems await us, among the main places to visit in Calabria: the Abbey of Santa Maria del Patire (or Pathirion), one of the most important Byzantine-Norman (12th century) buildings in the region, and the Codex Diocesan Museum.

The last takes its name from the precious artefact it houses: the Codex Purpureus Rossanensis, an ancient illuminated Greek gospel book, among the UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Calabria.

A fertile area rich in branded products, from the prized Sibari Rice to the Calabrian Liquorice PDO (whose secrets can be discovered by booking a visit to the "Amarelli" Liquorice Company-Museum), the Plain is home to the remains of the ancient city of Sybaris, at the National Archaeological Park of the same name.