Scilla, Reggio Calabria, Pentedattilo

filled by Giulia

Calabria is a region where wild nature rules.
The sea is almost inside the airport of Reggio Calabria, is impressive especially when you look at the window at the gate before departure. You see it there before and it seems strange that the hostesses do not give the deck chairs and an umbrella to catch the last sun before returning home. And the Tyrrhenian continues to follow even on the motorway, which, besides being free, is super panoramic. On one side the blue sea, green hills on the other.
Overlook the fact that the Salerno-Reggio Calabria is a work in progress for years, because Romeo & I more than being pratical, we are artistic and are fascinated by the beauty of colours.
Reggio Calabria is well worth a visit just for a walk on the waterfront,one kilometer of beautiful beach (“the most beautiful of Italy” wrote Danninzio) as a postcard from where you can admire the snow-capped Mount Etna. Seeing is believing. Then in Reggio recommend a walk on Corso Garibaldi, beautiful, ancient and full of shops ... here also overlooks the city theater dedicated to Francesco Cilea, and in a few square meters of the Corso you will be astonished by the beautiful Cathedral. In the afternoon, when hit by the sunlight, is truly a sight.
From the promenade you can reach the characteristic of Villa Zerbi, surrounded by tropical plants, venue of the town hall.

A must should definitely be given to the Riace bronzes, when they are not being restored, as happened to us in August,. Not that there are now, but due to ongoing restoration work they can be found on their stomach! On the waterfront are several beaches where to go for sunbathing and swimming, we were in Cala Junco and Papero Beach. From there, crossing the street, you can taste the most delicious ices of the city (not to be missed almond fig and mulberry), at Sottozero, where you can also taste the hearty homemade aperitifs.
By night, we recommend B & B Possidonea and Casablanca, the same management, the latter near the beautiful Piazzetta del Carmine. Great value for price(cleanliness, friendliness, central).
Coming out from Casablanca, in Via Arcovito, you will find Le Cantine di Marcello, a great restaurant with pasta and meat, the best truffles in we ate in Calabria.
The city is home to numerous suggestions. Giovanni Pascoli heard the song of the Nereids, and the charms of the Sirens Ulysses. From here, on rare weather conditions, you can witness the phenomenon of the Fata Morgana when Messina the neighbor suddenly appears suspended in the sky. In Reggio Calabria, bergamot flowers, and no where else in the world it bears its fruit in the world.
In twenty minutes by car you arrive in Scilla, where you can spend pleasant hours in the quiet of this pretty fishing village overlooking the sea.
The oldest village of Scilla is Chianalea, but it is also called Acquagrande or Canalea, because the houses built directly on the rocks are separated from each other in small alleys, like channels that descend directly into the Tyrrhenian Sea, and seem to be slides for fishing boats.
The waves arrive almost inside the houses, at night the silence amplifies the sound of the wave, the background music of this southern Venice..
High up on a rock, stands the Castle of Ruffo. The ancient fountains, scattered rocks and the sea offer a landscape of great natural beauty.
We advise you to sleep right here, in the oldest part, in one of several B & B, the Sirens and the beach is a ten minute walk across the town or you can reach by car Favazzina Acquagrande the Lido, where you'll be much more comfortable.
You must taste the local cuisine, octopus and swordfish in tomato cooked in 10 different ways (roasted, rolls, olives and capers, boiled, with thin slices in tomato, salmoriglio, steamed in a pan, marinated, smoked ). We suggest to dine at the Scoglio di Ulisse a terrace overlooking the sea, in the old town, the view is gorgeous.
For those who enjoy sporting challenges, we suggest to ask information on the possibility to swim the strait. It seems there is a very experienced fisherman that carries out the mission without too much fatigue. Remember to bring your medical certificate.
Thirty minutes from Reggio Calabria is Pentedattilo a place to visit.
Pentedattilo is a rock of sandstone with 5 fingers that stands between Melito and Montebello Jonico, on which stand the old inhabited houses, as in a landscape of the past.
At sunset it has a reddish colour that recalls the evocative atmosphere of the distant Dolomites.
For some time they rent out rooms to tourists who want to experience the thrill of being in a village of their own ...