Day 1 Reggio, Bagnara ( 5 nights )
Arrive at Reggio Di Calabria airport and transfer to hotel 'Grand Hotel Victoria' in Bagnara on the "Violet Coast" of Calabria, a 35minute bus trip from Reggio. Enjoy the rest of the day settling in and discovering this quaint fishing village at your leisure. ( D )

Day 2 Pentedattilo, Locri, Gerace
A scenic tour around the big toe of Italy from the Tyrrhenian to the Ionian Sea taking in the towns of Pentedattilo, an ancient town built into a rocky mountainside that appears like five outstretched fingers. Then on to Locri and the ancient Greek city Locri Epizephyrii where we visit the archaeological excavations and the Museum. Our last stop for the day is Gerace, the medieval town once called the "Florence of the South". ( B D )

Day 3 Reggio, Scilla
Today we visit Reggio to view the city’s historical and cultural sights including a visit to the world renowned National Museum where the famous Bronzes of Riace are kept along with the finest collection of artefacts of the Magna Graecia period. We will visit the Duomo, a Romanesque style building with interesting works of art; the church of the Ottimati; the Madonna dell’Eremo Sanctuary; the Lungomare Matteotti (the promenade) the “most beautiful kilometre in Italy” with its Greek and Roman remains; and the Corso Garibaldi with its numerous shops.
Then on to the mythical Scilla, perhaps Italy’s most picturesque fishing village. If you have read The Odyssey, you will remember what a terrible time Ulysses had getting past Scylla and Charybdis, which flank what is now known as the straits of Messina. Walk through the delightful neighbourhood of Chianalea with its pastel hued houses squeezed in between the highway and the sea. ( B D )

Day 4 Messina, Taormina
A bus trip to Villa St. Giovanni then ferry across to Sicily and stop in Messina where we visit the Duomo with its clock tower and then on to fabulous Taormina, possibly the best-known holiday destination in Sicily. Taormina has been a tourist resort since ancient times when it was visited by Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Saracens, Arabs, Normans and Spaniards. It is favoured for its position, mild climate and magic atmosphere. In recent times the likes of D.H. Lawrence, Truman Capote, John Steinbeck, Oscar Wilde, Marlene Dietrich, Cary Grant, Tyrone Power, Gregory Peck, and Elizabeth Taylor have enjoyed memorable holidays in this Mediterranean pearl. With its mixture of archaeological sights such as the Greek-Roman Theatre and the Odeon, its many palaces built in varying styles from Arabic to Norman to Gothic and its churches, through to fine elegant shopping along the famous Corso Umberto, Taormina has something to offer every visitor. Not forgetting the fabulous panoramic views across 100 miles of the Mediterranean and to the still active volcano Mt. Etna. ( B D )

Day 5 Aspromonte, Gambarie
A trip to the Aspromonte National Park and the town of Gambarie, where you can take a ride on the chair lift to the top of Montalto with its breathtaking views of the mountain ranges clear across to the Tyrrhenian sea and Sicily on one side and the Ionian sea on the other. Lunch at a local restaurant where we can indulge in the local cuisine and locally made wines. Then we will spend the rest of the afternoon discovering the local area with its many historical points of interest and natural fauna and flora.
After dinner a visit to Reggio and do what the Italians do, stroll along the promenade, eat the best gelato in Italy and gaze across to the lights of Sicily. ( B L D )

Day 6 St Elia, Palmi, Vibo Valentia
(4 nights)
A scenic tour along the Violet Coast to Mount S. Elia with its spectacular panoramic views over the Mediterranean. Then on to Palmi a scenic city once the seat of power during the French rule. We then move on to our hotel at Vibo Valentia, the ancient Greek city of Hippomian. In the afternoon we’ll tour the city where we will visit the Norman Castle and the historical centre. ( B D )

Day 7 Isole Eolie
A full day excursion to the Aeolian Islands, a group of islands just north of the Sicilian coast in the Tyrrhenian Sea. We will visit islands such as Vulcano where we can walk through the city centre to the thermal baths or take an optional boat trip around the island to see the Pool of Venus, the Horses Grotto and the Valley of Monsters. Another island is Lipari, the largest in the group with free time to discover the island on your own, do some shopping, visit the Aeolian Archaeological Museum, or take an optional tour around the island, even go swimming in the crystalline water of the Mediterranean. Then there is the island of Stromboli, a still active volcano.
( B D )

Day 8 Pizzo, Tropea, Capo Vaticano
We continue our tour with a visit to one of the loveliest seaside resorts on the “Calabrian Riviera” Tropea. This is a lovely little town that cascades down the hillside, a mass of red-tiled roofs culminating in a broad terrace that overlooks the water 200 feet below. On the horizon is St. Maria dell’Isola, a lovely 12th century church set on an island like promontory. Along the coast facing the spectacular Gulf of Sant’Eufemia we arrive at Pizzo, a historical little town built over a picturesque cliff, it is famous for its 15th Century Castle and Piedigrotta, a church carved into the tufo rock. And of course the Tartufo ice-cream made to an original recipe for over 100 years. ( B D )

Day 9 Roccella Ionica, Stilo, Serra San Bruno
We visit Roccella Ionica where we visit a Bergamot plantation, a citrus fruit that grows only in Calabria. Stilo, the Byzantine town and a visit to the famous La Cattolica, a Byzantine church. Continue to Bivongi, a picturesque village with a maze of alleyways and staircases leading to the houses all perched one above the other. We then visit Serra S.Bruno and the Carthusian Monastery built in 1097, S.Bruno lake and the church of S. Maria del Bosco. ( B D )

Day 10 Departure
Transfer to Lamezia Terme Airport for departure and on to your next destination.
( B )

( B ) breakfast
( L ) lunch
( D ) dinner


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Reggio Di Calabria


Bagnara


Gerace


Reggio, National Museum Bronzes of Riace


Scilla


Salina, Isole Eolie


Taormina


Tropea