Holidays for older people in Calabria, between sea and mountains

Strolls along the seafront or along mountain paths, clean air, impeccable food and wine, and charming villages to visit in no hurry, rediscovering the pleasure of living in a small, welcoming community, where everything you need is close at hand, from the grocery shop to the pharmacy, from the church to the typical trattoria.

If you too are looking for a tailor-made holiday for the elderly, Calabria has everything you need to enjoy a relaxing break, at any age.

What could be more regenerating than a walk along the shoreline in the morning or along the seafront at sunset? On the Calabrian coast, on both the Tyrrhenian and Ionian sides, there is only a choice between flats or villas for rent, hotels with sea views and tourist facilities offering direct access to the equipped beach. You can find villages offering services such as entertainment, swimming pools, restaurants and activities designed for different age groups. In addition, some facilities offer special packages with discounts or offers dedicated to travellers over 65. There are also assisted holiday options for those who need more assistance.

Locations such as Amantea, Guardia Piemontese, Diamante, Scalea and Belvedere Marittimo, on the Cosenza Tyrrhenian coast, guarantee services and accessibility, with the opportunity to stay just a few steps from the sea and to reach the main street and town centre without too much effort. On the Ionian side, Trebisacce or Sibari, also in the province of Cosenza, are certainly senior-friendly resorts. 

Moving on to the province of Catanzaro and along the Ionian coast, you will also find small hotels and tourist villages offering full board and easy access to the sea, ideal for those seeking comfort and tranquillity but also wanting to visit and discover villages, in settings where socialising will be easy and pleasant. Some facilities also offer day trips or the possibility of short stays at the thermal baths. Places like Soverato, with its beautiful seafront promenade (which provides access to the beach with walkways and bathing establishments equipped for persons with reduced mobility), are ideal for tourists of all ages.

If your direction is Reggio Calabria, you can, for example, explore the picturesque village of Scilla and then visit the town using a convenient public lift.

If sand, sun and heat are not your thing, then your holiday is in the mountains. Calabria has oases of nature, relaxation and fresh air within reach of tourists of all ages.

In Camigliatello, Lorica, San Giovanni in Fiore or in the other small, delightful villages within the Sila National Park, you will have the opportunity to rent, even on a weekly basis, one of the characteristic wooden lodgings equipped with every comfort. It will be easy to organise and pace your days, alternating between walks in the woods and regenerating excursions to the Arvo and Cecita lakes, providing rest and reading and - of course - discovering the local food and wine.

Also ideal for families and the elderly is the Pollino National Park, where every village is a treasure trove of art, culture and traditions. Civita, Morano Calabro, Altomonte, for example, are absolutely recommended for those who want to indulge their need to slow down, far from the frenzy of the cities.

A holiday in the Serre Regional Park will also be under the banner of a fascinating and uncontaminated nature, where, with due caution and the help of expert guides, even elderly tourists will be able to follow some of the naturalistic-cultural itineraries that include visits to places of worship such as the Charterhouse of Serra San Bruno (VV) or heavenly, still semi-unknown environments such as the WWF Oasis of Lake Angitola (VV).