Fly and Drive in Calabria: discovering flavors and fragrances

Welcome to Southern Italy!
Departure is an exciting time for many travellers. It marks the beginning of an adventure. Today you will start to be part of a community, which will give you a rewarding travel experience. You will have the opportunity to turn a simple trip into an opportunity for personal growth, cultural enrichment… Globest welcomes you to NAPLES. After picking up your rental car, you will leave in the direction of Calabria to reach your hotel in the region of Paola or Cosenza for overnight stay.

From the Tyrrhenian shores to the heart of the Coast of the Gods.
After breakfast, you will begin your itinerary with the discovery of Paola, the pearl of Tyrrhenian Calabria, in a journey that touches the soul. You will visit the Sanctuary of San Francesco, immerse yourself in its thousand-year history and be enchanted by the beauty of its seafront. An experience where spirituality, culture and breathtaking views merge, leaving you indelible memories. After the free lunch you can continue to Tropea, the Pearl of the Tyrrhenian. Counted among the most beautiful villages in Italy is a charming seaside resort capable of surprising and enchanting, built on the edge of a promontory that reflects in the crystal clear sea of the Costa degli Dei. Splendid the old town, which still preserves intact the eighteenth-century urban structures, with its picturesque alleys, baroque palaces, large courtyards and majestic portals. You can conclude your visit of the city with an optional tasting of typical products mainly based on red onion, specialties of this region. Accommodation and overnight stay in hotels in the region of Vibo Valentia.

The Straits Wonders and Magna Grecia
After breakfast, you can leave for Scilla, one of the most beautiful and famous villages on the Tyrrhenian coast of Calabria, perched on a suggestive and panoramic rocky promontory overlooking the sea dominated by the imposing castle Ruffo (outside). You can visit the small seaside village of Chianalea, characterized by the houses leaning against each other, close to the sea. Next stop could be Reggio Calabria one of the most beautiful cities in Calabria, lying on the strait of Messina and tip of the boot of Italy. Free lunch. Visit of the seafront Falcomatà, one of the most beautiful walks on the sea in Italy, the Aragonese Castle and the National Archaeological Museum that houses the Bronzes, found in the seabed of Riace (from which the Bronzes of Riace). In the late afternoon you will discover one of the treasures of Calabria: bergamot! This citrus has a spherical shape similar to orange but yellow as lemon and is not eaten (although edible!) but is used to extract from its peel an essential oil very fragrant and appreciated by perfumers around the world. Optional tasting of typical products. Overnight in the region of Reggio Calabria.

The Greek Soul of Calabria
After breakfast, you can continue your journey along the Ionian coast to Bianco. This morning you will discover one of the most famous wines of Calabria, the wine «Greco» White, a wine with a straw yellow color with amber reflections. Optional cellar tour with wine tasting… From there, you will continue to Ciminà, a small medieval village whose name comes from the Greek kyminà, a place where cumin is abundant and since ancient times, the «caciocavallo» cheese is produced. Optional excursion to a dairy and lunch with typical products. After lunch, you will continue to Gerace, one of the most beautiful villages in Italy, perched on a cliff with an incredible view of the Ionian Sea and the territory of Locride, where you can breathe a medieval air. Hotel accommodation in the region of Siderno, overnight stay.

Traditions and ancient villages
After breakfast you can go to Mammola, a small medieval village famous for centuries for the preparation of “stocking”, a kind of dried cod, a dish whose origins are lost in the mists of time; considered a poor dish, it was prepared and consumed by farmers and labourers to face the hard work in the fields. We recommend that you stop at a restaurant for a typical cod lunch. In the afternoon you can continue to Siderno Superiore, a small medieval village where time seems to have stopped, developed on a hill about three kilometers from Siderno Marina, famous seaside resort on the coast of Gelsomini. You will reach Piazza San Nicola, around which there are numerous noble palaces of the XVI and XVII century and you will visit the parish church of San Nicola, with three naves, rich in sculptures and paintings of the XVIII century. Optional tasting of typical products. Return to the hotel and overnight.

From the mountains to the sea

After breakfast you can leave for Serra San Bruno, a small mountain village in the heart of the Parco delle Serre, surrounded by thick beech, fir and oak woods famous for the Certosa, the first monastery of the order of the Carthusians. La Certosa is a place of silence and prayer, where the monks live in seclusion and follow an austere and rigorous rule. It is not possible to visit the interior of the monastery, but you can access the museum of the monastery (entrance not included), which tells the history and life of the monks through photos and objects. Lunch on a farm. In the afternoon you can reach Pizzo Calabro, an ancient seaside village perched on a promontory of tuff along the Costa degli Dei. Walk in the old town…. Optional tasting of the famous homemade ice cream from Pizzo: «il Tartufo», hazelnut ice cream with a heart of bitter melted chocolate, all covered in chocolate powder! Hotel accommodation in the region of Cosenza; overnight stay.

Back to the north: the charm of Paestum
After breakfast, you can leave for Paestum to discover one of the most important archaeological sites of Magna Graecia, known as Poseidonia, in honor of the god Poseidon, among historical places, unspoilt nature and the inevitable buffalo mozzarella. All the best to admire and enjoy. Optional Excursion: Before arriving in Paestum, you can stop at a buffalo farm where you can taste the famous buffalo mozzarella. Free lunch. In the afternoon, you can visit the magnificent archaeological area of Paestum with the temple of Hera, that of Neptune extraordinarily preserved and that of Ceres and its archaeological museum (entrance not included). Continuation to the area of Naples. Accommodation in hotel overnight.

See you in Naples, See you in Calabria
After breakfast, drive to the airport for car delivery and boarding formalities. On this day of return, nostalgia for the places visited and enthusiasm for returning home mix. Today we close a chapter and open a new one, you are part of our Community, you will carry with you the promise of new future adventures even more extraordinary. Have a good trip home.