Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
With around 15 campsites near Isola di Capo Rizzuto to the north, this is the Ionian
coast's prime camping area. Try La Fattoria (
0962 79 11 65; Via del Faro; camping 2 people, car & tent
Jun-Sep) , 1.5km from the sea. Otherwise, Da Annibale (
€23, bungalows €60;
0962 79 50 04; Via
) is a pleasant hotel in town with a splendid fish restaurant
Duomo 35; s/d €50/70;
(meals €30; lunch & dinner) .
For expansive sea views dine at bright and airy Ristorante Micomare (
0962 79 50 82; Via Vit-
lunch & dinner) .
toria 7; meals €20-25;
Gerace
POP 2830
A spectacular medieval hill town, Gerace is worth a detour for the views alone - on one
side the Ionian Sea, on the other dark, interior mountains. About 10km inland from Locri
on the SS111, it has Calabria's largest Romanesque cathedral . Dating from 1045, later alter-
ations have not robbed it of its majesty.
For a taste of traditional Calabrian cooking, the modest and welcoming Ristorante a Squella
( 0964 35 60 86; Viale della Resistenza 8; meals €20) makes for a great lunchtime stop that serves
reliably good dishes, specialising in seafood and pizzas. Afterwards you can wander down
the road and admire the views.
Further inland is Canolo , a small village seemingly untouched by the 20th century. Buses
connect Gerace with Locri and also Canolo with Siderno, both of which link to the main
coastal railway line.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Parco Nazionale dell'Aspromonte
Most Italians think of the Parco Nazionale dell'Aspromonte ( www.parcoaspromonte.gov.it ) as a hiding
place used by Calabrian kidnappers in the 1970s and '80s. It's still rumoured to contain
'ndrangheta strongholds, but as a tourist you're unlikely to encounter any murky business.
The national park, Calabria's second largest, is startlingly dramatic, rising sharply inland
from Reggio. Its highest peak, Montalto (1955m), is dominated by a huge bronze statue of
Christ and offers sweeping views across to Sicily.
Subject to frequent mudslides and carved up by torrential rivers, the mountains are non-
etheless awesomely beautiful. Underwater rivers keep the peaks covered in coniferous
 
 
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