Walking in Calabria

Imagine waking from a peaceful sleep to the subtle morning light caressing your windowsill, the bright ochre hue only found in the Mediterranean. You're in Calabria, and your day has only just begun.

Step outside your mountain chalet and breathe the fresh, Cyprus-scented air. It's exhilarating, a far cry from the petrol exhausts and damp streets of home. You gaze out across the landscape; the air is crisp and clear and you can see all the way to the diamond-glittering, azure sea. Later on you'll walk to the coast, but for now breakfast is calling and you head down the hillside to the hamlet nestled in the valley.

This is a mountain village, and you received a warm welcome here the day before. The villagers are of Balkan descent and belong to the landscape, their dress and manners unchanged in long centuries. The houses are etched on the landscape, growing from the hillside like the ancient trees that shelter them.

The warm bread and sweet pastries that make up your breakfast are delicious, and you wash them down with cool goats' milk. A guide from the village tells you about the rocky climbs and mesmerising views to be had from a nearby peak, and you join him on a brisk walk up the valley, leaving the hamlet far behind in the morning sunshine.

Exploring History

From time immemorial this precarious landscape has been inhabited. From the Romans to the Byzantines, Calabria has seen empires rise and fall. You reach the top of the peak and find an ancient ruin, crumbled by the passage of time. Your guide tells you it was a watchtower looking out across the sea towards Sicily and the marauding Turks, and you turn to face the glorious ocean and the salt smell on the air. This is where Hercules landed so many years ago; history and legend are entwined in this wonderful landscape.

After lunch you hike to the coast on a twisting path that clings to the hillside like a thin white finger. Hardy mountain goats stare serenely as you pass, grazing on the scrubby plants that grow stubbornly from rocks and crevices. By the time you crest the final rise, you're out of breath and stop to rest for a moment on the rocky promontory overlooking the bay. The Calabrian coastline is world -renowned for its beauty and tranquility.

Below your feet, a golden beach embraces the blue-green sea. Sleek shapes beneath the water catch the sunlight, casting shimmering reflections from scales and sharp fins. The little town clings to the cliff side, hanging precariously above the bay.

Discovering Calabria's Culture

Your road leads you down past the rooftops, into the hustle and bustle of a festival day. You've heard about the many festivals that take place in Calabria throughout the year; this one is for a local saint and sees the villagers dressed as figures from legend, re-enacting some events from long ago. Just as the ancient ruins were preserved upon the peak, ancient traditions live on in the people of this region.

When the festive procession has passed, you wander down through town to the waterfront. Here, fishermen sort their catch on the dockside and pleasure boats launch hourly to take tourists around the bay. A diving school advertises in many languages, and far out from shore you glimpse dolphins frolicking amongst the waves.

You explore the town as afternoon draws on, climbing narrow winding streets to little churches that smell of flowers and cool air. A tiny museum houses objects from the sea, small statues and icons whose origins are Roman and Greek. By evening you're hungry and tired, and a seafront restaurant offers the perfect spot to relax.

At the End of the Day...

As you watch the rose-hued sunset, you dine on a simple salami dish, made with the local peperoncini. The seabirds go home to nest, calling to each other from the darkening cliffs, and you soak up the atmosphere of this myth-shrouded coast. As it gets late you ask the proprietor if there are taxis for hire, and ten minutes later you find yourself in the car of a local. He's visiting his parents up in the mountains and is happy to drop you off on the way. Sleep is upon you as your head sinks into the pillow. Tomorrow you'll hike to the Raganello torrent to see the famous Roman bridge, but for now your dreams are filled with the mountains and the sea.