Weekend at the Lakes of Sibari, wellness and hiking

There is a place along the Costa degli Achei that combines sea, lake area, Mediterranean scrub and thermal springs in a single ecosystem: the Sibari Lakes, in Calabria, are the place that offers all this and more.

Let's discover the Lakes of Sibari on a weekend of wellness, sea and nature.

The Lakes of Sibari constitute, in their ecosystem, a very special bathing resort.

We are in the municipality of Cassano all'Ionio, a seaside village at the mouth of the river Crati. It is a unique place for its history, archaeology and landscape, appreciated since ancient times.

In this context, a futuristic project was born at the end of the 1970s: the Sibari Lakes Oasis, a series of artificial basins that combine a wide sandy beach with green Mediterranean scrub. The Sibari Lakes are connected by a large canal parallel to the coastline, equipped with a marina. 

The Lakes of Sibari tourist complex offers wellness and relaxation for the whole family, with the possibility of choosing various holiday formulas and practising dozens of different sports and recreational activities.

Not only that, a short distance from the Lakes of Sibari, the precious thermal waters of the Sibarite Thermal Baths gush out, another naturalistic treasure known since antiquity. Among the most complete and appreciated Calabrian spas, the Sibarite Thermal Baths offer cosmetic and curative treatments for every need. 

Finally, the marshy area of the Sibari Lakes is one of the most important rice fields in southern Italy: the prized Sibari Rice, recognised and awarded among the best varieties in Italy, is grown here.

If you are wondering at the Sibari Lakes what to see, know that you are spoilt for choice!

Starting from the Marina of Cassano all'Ionio, we immediately discover the archaeological site that gives its name to the entire area of the Sibari Plain:

we find ourselves in the territory of one of the most important city-states of Magna Graecia, ancient Sybaris (8th century B.C.), the remains of which can be seen at the National Archaeological Park of the Sibaritide, with the adjoining National Museum. 

After visiting the archaeological park, we reach the historic centre of Cassano all'Ionio and visit the most representative places of local history and art, starting with the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin, a church of Byzantine origin with a Baroque façade.

In the main square, we admire the beautiful Lion Fountain, an 18th-century work by Bartolomeo Grasso. Among noble palaces and alleyways, we encounter the Museum of Sacred Art and the Diocesan Library. Finally, we reach the panoramic cliff where the remains of the Castle stand. 

Not only the Lakes of Sibari: excursions in the surrounding area, with or without the accompaniment of a guide, give the opportunity to appreciate the marine-lacustrine ecosystem in all its beauty.

The surroundings of the Sibari Lakes are rich in endemic flora and fauna but also in migratory species that seasonally arrive in the Sybarite marshes to nest or stop over. These extraordinary specimens are the object of birdwatching by enthusiasts, who can stop to observe them in the special observation areas set up within the nature trail.

There are many thematic excursions, in nature or historical-cultural, that can be organised during a weekend in the sybaritide:

from the excursion to the evocative Sant'Angelo Caves, one of the most extensive karst systems in Calabria (2,563 m), formed by three cavities connected by tunnels with very important prehistoric remains, to the visit to the Shrine of the Madonna della Catena, a 10th-century monumental complex that preserves a venerated image of the Virgin.