Reggio di Calabria – Italy’s Most Beautiful Mile
Italian poet Gabriele d’Annunzio called Reggio di Calabria, that was destroyed by an earthquake and then re-erected, "Italy’s most beautiful mile" – which actually deserves some consideration.
General Info
One of the most famous and prestigious cities in Italy, Reggio di Calabria, or simply Reggio as the locals call it, is also one of the oldest in the country, being founded by the ancient Greeks as a colony. Throughout the years it became a very important strategic point, the main link to Sicily via Messina, but also a cultural, economical and political center which is why today it’s also a Yacht Charter destination.
Known as the “city of Bronzes” due to the famous Riace bronzes made here or the “city of Bergamot” for the plant that is exclusively cultivated here, Reggio di Calabria still manages to retain its rural aspect despite the economic development and thanks to its many beautiful beaches, it’s made its name with the Yacht Charter community as a perfect summer retreat.
Travel & Arrival
If you’re thinking of flying into Reggio, you’ll mostly likely have to catch a connecting flight because the Reggio Calabria Airport has only internal flights from Verona, Milan, Bologna and Rome. Yacht Charter holidaymakers will have to take a flight to any of these cities first, connect with Reggio and then make the 6,5km trip back into town by bus or car.
The majority of Yacht Charter visitors arriving here come via the ferry service from the Messina run. The ferries arrive here at the rate of one every hour, except on Sundays, when the frequency is reduced to one about every 2-3 hours.
By land, you could arrive by train which stops at either of two stations: the one at Lido and the one by the harbor which is located in the south part of town. Both provide Yacht Charter arrivals with tourist information.
Avant & Apres Sail
The vast variety of options when it comes to things to do or see might seem a bit overwhelming to the inexperienced Yacht Charter adventurer at first, but upon a closer look over the map of Reggio, things become a little clearer. The Yacht Charter crowds are divided into two parts, the one by the Ionian Sea coast (Costa Jonica) and the one by the Tyrrhenian Sea coast (Costa Viola) – there might laos be a few on the Aspromonte, the mountain overlooking the city with the Aspromonte National Park.
As far as buildings go, no Yacht Charter trip to Reggio would be complete without a visit to the Cathedral, the largest in Calabria, the Aragonese Castle, the walls of the old city, the old Roman baths and the church of Saint Gaetano Catanoso. For the romantic, an evening stroll along the Lungomare promenade is not to be missed.
The Calabrese cuisine is simple yet healthy and delicious, pasta and vegetables with an abundance of olive oil and aromatic sauces made with herbs make the bulk of the dishes. Yacht Charter visitors can also enjoy desserts such as the famous Italian gelato or ice-cream arancia calabrese, a special kind of orange that grows only here and has its skin boiled and candied to make sweets and pastries.
If you fancy a drink in the evenings, there are a lot of bars and cafes to accommodate the Yacht Charter hoards. Especially in the piazzas, along the main boulevards and along the promenade you’ll find establishments where you can serve a glass of Bergamotto liqueur which is similar to limoncello.
Actions & Events
Lucky for all the Yacht Charter sailors that plan to head out to Reggio, most of the local events are massed up together during summer and are mostly related to religion (celebration to the Madonna della Carmine in July) or traditions such as the Palio di Ribusa, races, costumes and gastronomical events, all at the end of August.