With Karen’s Travel LLC
May 30 – June 9, 2027
Wonderful small-group tour of Calabria at an easy pace! This fabulous itinerary is for travelers who want to have a great time visiting castles and villages, enjoying spectacular vistas, and dining on exquisite local cuisine paired with excellent Calabrian wines. Join Karen Haid, award-winning author of Calabria: The Other Italy, on this exclusive tour of a beautiful Southern Italian region!
Sign up for a 2027 tour by September 30th and save $100!
Castles and Wines of Calabria Tour Itinerary
11-day land tour
Day 1 – Arrival Lamezia Terme – Scilla – Strait of Messina
Transfer from the international airport or train station in Lamezia Terme to our costal accommodation. On our drive south, we will make a stop in Scilla, a picturesque village named for the sea monster of Homer’s Odyssey. Today, Ruffo castle sits atop the legendary promontory, from where the creature destroyed ships traversing the Straits. Just a few kilometers further and we will arrive at our lovely 18th-century castle property with modern, luxury hotel accommodations that offer a breathtaking panorama of the Strait of Messina. Recuperate from your journey with a walk in the garden or a dip in the pool before our first dinner and overnight.
View of the Strait of Messina from Calabria
Day 2 – Gallicianò and Palizzi Marina
From a seaside winery to a hillside village, our day’s excursion takes us to the southernmost point of the Italian peninsula for a tasting at a winery dedicated to indigenous grapes – ancient roots with a modern vision. We will then immerse ourselves in an Aspromonte Mountain village, where the inhabitants still speak the ancient Greek language of their ancestors.
Day 3 – Reggio Calabria
Our visit of Calabria’s largest city begins at Reggio’s National Archeological Museum, home to the famous Riace Bronzes, 2,500-year-old statues unique in the world. The city’s waterfront is considered one of the loveliest in Italy – stroll at your own pace along the sea or the elegant pedestrian-only shopping street. Following lunch in the city center, we will enjoy a private, open-air bus tour, where we’ll view Reggio’s Aragon castle, amongst other architectural gems. 
Day 4 – Fiumefreddo Bruzio
We check out and drive north along the Tyrrhenian Sea, Calabria’s dramatic western coastline. Along the way, we visit Fiumefreddo Bruzio, one of the Borghi più belli d’Italia (Italy’s Most Beautiful Villages), for a typical lunch and tour of the historic center, highlighted by romantic castle ruins and unexpected contemporary art. We continue our scenic drive, turning inland to our tranquil accommodations, a castle-hotel in the heart of the Calabrian countryside. 
Day 5 – Pollino Foothills
Luxuriate in a relaxing day on the estate, exploring the 16th-century castle and its 21st-century agricultural enterprise, both out on the farm and dining in the castle restaurant, savoring a cuisine “a chilometro zero,” literally, farm-to-table.
Day 6 – San Nicola Arcella and Santa Maria del Cedro
A morning drive through the Pollino Mountains brings us to the northwest coast of Calabria where we will have the opportunity to circumnavigate Dino Island on a boat ride that features azure water, grottos, a majestic natural arch known as Arco Magno, and a coastal tower named for the American writer Francis Marion Crawford. Our beach-side lunch will feature local seafood, and as we’re spending the day on Calabria’s Citron Riviera, we will visit the Citron Museum in Santa Maria del Cedro to learn all about this special citrus fruit. 
Day 7 – Sybaris and Corigliano Calabro
We check out and depart for Calabria’s east coast, where we will visit two monumental locations, an ancient historical site and a ducal castle. Lost for thousands of years, Sybaris, the Greek city-state renowned for the self-indulgent behavior of its inhabitants that gave rise to the word “sybaritic,” can now be explored through its fascinating archeological park and museum. In contrast, Corigliano’s castle stands in all its glory with a beautifully restored interior. The hill-top stronghold has been an Italian national monument for almost 100 years!
Castle ballroom in Corigliano Calabro
Day 8 – Le Castella
A morning of leisure at our beachside hotel, walk the red-sand beach, take a dip in the sea, lounge under an umbrella by the pool and and enjoy an al fresco lunch. In the afternoon, we will head to Le Castella and visit its majestic Aragon fortress surrounded by the waters of the Ionian Sea and dine with this spectacular view.
Day 9 – Crotone
We’ll explore modern Crotone, celebrated in antiquity for the prowess of its Olympic athletes and noted throughout time for its most famous citizen, the philosopher and mathematician Pythagoras. Anchored by an imposing medieval castle, the port city preserves its old town, featuring a bustling food market and internationally recognized jewelers.
Day 10 – Capo Colonna and Wine Tasting
Today, we will have the opportunity to see Calabria’s last standing column from ancient times and visit an archeological museum full of precious artifacts, perhaps once held by the important philosopher himself… With lunch, we will enjoy our final wine tasting, raising our glasses to toast our time together, savoring our final meals and experiences. Back at our beach hotel, our last views of the Ionian Sea, one of the many gorgeous landscapes we enjoyed on our journey, imbued with history, the warm, calabrese people and their exquisite culinary traditions.
Outstanding farm-to-table Calabrian food and wine
Day 11 – After breakfast, we will depart for Lamezia Terme, the airport and train station, and say a final arrivederci to Calabria.
Karen’s Travel LLC
Castles and Wines of Calabria Tour basics:
$5,400 USD per person double occupancy, $600 single supplement
Comprehensive Small Group-Tour accompanied by Karen Haid, author of Calabria: The Other Italy, together with local guides
Maximum 15 participants
6 nights at select castle properties, 4 nights at 4* beach hotel
All meals, Calabrian wine/water included with lunch and dinner, 3 wine tastings
All excursions and tours, surface transportation and airport transfers as outlined on the itinerary
Enjoying Calabrian wine on the Castles & Wines of Calabria Tour
See many photos and description of a past tour on my post Castles and Wines of Calabria Tour, Inaugural Journey and my short Castles & Wines of Calabria Tour Video. To sign up for the Castles and Wines of Calabria Tour or for more information, please use the Contact Page – looking forward to hearing from you and welcoming you to Calabria!
Check out the detailed itineraries for my other programs on these links:
Calabria Cultural Tour
Traditions and Food of Calabria Tour
And don’t forget Calabria’s northern neighbor with the Basilicata Cultural Tour!