Camping in Calabria: some ideas for your summer camping trip

Looking for a destination where you can stay with your camper to enjoy the sea and the mountains together? Camping in Calabria allows you to do so.

Discover Calabria's camping locations perfect for the whole family and groups of friends who want a fun, affordable summer holiday without sacrificing comfort and, above all, nature.

Where to camp in Calabria

Bathed by two seas, the Tyrrhenian and the Ionian, Calabria offers unspoilt beaches that are cooled by pine forests close to the sandy shore and large areas of Mediterranean scrub. Perfect places for your summer camp!

Amidst beautiful natural scenery and historic centres rich in tradition, hospitality and good food, camping in Calabria becomes an unforgettable experience for young and old.

Here are a few tips on some of Calabria's camping locations between sea and forest.

Camping in the province of Cosenza

The Piana di Sibari, on the Ionian coast of Cosenza, never disappoints. Among the coastal resorts and equipped marinas in the municipalities of Cassano all'Ionio and Corigliano-Rossano you can find some of the best equipped campsites in Calabria.

This is ideal for those who want to wake up early and enjoy the unique spectacle of sunrise over the sea, then take a dip in the crystal-clear waters of the Ionian Sea and cool off in the shade of the extensive pine forests that characterise the area.

In addition to pitches for camping in the pine forest, the local tourist offer includes real family villages consisting of bungalows and accommodation units surrounded by greenery, with services, catering, swimming pools, sports facilities and animation.

The Cosenza Tyrrhenian coast competes with equally beautiful and professional camping areas in Praia a Mare, Scalea and Diamante. Locations with small pebble beaches where you can admire one of the most beautiful sunsets in Italy.

Here too, typical parking pitches for tents, campers and caravans are flanked by bungalows and green areas that are closed to outside traffic.

Dreaming of a campsite in the mountains? The Sila National Park awaits you with pitches and cottages in Lorica, near Lake Arvo.

Camping in the province of Crotone

The entire Costa dei Saraceni in the province of Crotone is dotted with high-quality camping areas.

Camping in Calabria in this area means immersing oneself in the absolute relaxation of a stretch of fine pink sand, enhanced by parks and archaeological sites that crop up around the so-called "City of Pythagoras", while tasting some of the area's most prized branded products, starting with Cirò and Melissa CDO wines.

Don't miss camping at Punta Alice (Cirò Marina) and Isola Capo Rizzuto. The latter is one of the largest Marine Protected Areas in Europe, with breathtaking seabeds to explore by diving or in the special transparent bottom boats.

Camping in the province of Catanzaro

The province of Catanzaro offers camping areas both on the Tyrrhenian side, along the coast of Lamezia Terme and Gizzeria, ideal locations for kitesurfing and all kinds of water sports, and on the Ionian side, from the marinas of Sellia and Cropani to the Riviera degli Angeli, passing through the Gulf of Squillace and the Roccelletta di Borgia camping area.

Along this stretch of sea, you can choose to camp in Soverato, in the unmissable Ippocampo Bay, with free or super-equipped beaches, or in the nearby towns of Badolato and Santa Caterina dello Ionio.

Camping in the province of Vibo Valentia

The entire Costa degli Dei, the stretch of the Tyrrhenian Sea in the province of Vibo Valentia, offers well-equipped campsites in the most beautiful seaside locations of the area.

Just drive your camper or caravan along the coast from Pizzo Calabro to the wide beaches of Nicotera, passing Tropea and the magical cliffs of Capo Vaticano, in the municipality of Ricadi, to camp in one of the most beautiful areas of Calabria.

A Caribbean place with solutions for all budgets, from ultra-luxury glamping to family resorts.

Camping in the province of Reggio Calabria

Dulcis in fundo, the Reggina beach that leads from the Costa Viola to the opposite one, Costa dei Gelsomini, is a succession of equipped camping areas on stretches of wild nature, from Lazzaro to Caulonia Marina.

We are in the places favoured by the Caretta Caretta turtle, which nests every year along the Ionian coast of Reggio Calabria, offering the exciting spectacle of summer hatching. It is no coincidence that the municipality of Brancaleone hosts one of the most important rescue and rehabilitation centres of the Mediterranean.

Camping in the province of Reggio Calabria allows you to go from the mirages of Fata Morgana, on the Strait, to the beauty of the Grecanica area and the so-called "ghost towns".

What to see around

Camping in Calabria is the best way to move around the area independently and to enjoy the proximity of sea and mountains.

The three regional national parks, Pollino, Sila and Aspromonte, can be reached in a few minutes from the beautiful coastline and protected nature areas, where guided hikes and trekking in the forests can be enjoyed.

It is even easier along the aforementioned coastlines (almost all of which have been awarded Blue Flag and Green Flag status) to visit the great Calabrian archaeological parks and the adjoining museums displaying, among others, the most important finds from Magna Graecia.

The surrounding hills are a succession of perched villages and some of The Most Beautiful Villages in Italy, where you can get to know small communities that preserve authentic Calabrian traditions, starting with the tantalizing ones of the typical cuisine that accompany festivals and summer celebrations.

Have we convinced you? Get on board the camper and reach your campsite in Calabria!