As part of my trip, I'm going to be staying in Florence with a friend for a couple of weeks. My family is originally from Reggio Calabria, and I'd like to go there for a about 4 days from Florence. I'd love to hear anyone's experiences from being there--places to avoid/stay/do.
Posted by
bergamo
401 posts
I've never been to Reggio, but I have been in the province of Catanzaro, which is next to Reggio.
It's a long trip from Florence, like 8 or 9 hours at least and Calabria itself has a lot of natural beauty, beautiful sea and mountains, but it is also a very poor area. The beaches are beautiful, and I don't think anyone would bother you, if that is what you are worried about.
I can't recommend anything in particular that a guide book couldn't tell you, but it would be very interesting to see Calabria, it's very different from Florence and the Calabrians speak a form of dialect that is impossible to understand.
If you do decide to go the beach, they are all open to the public, none of the private beaches that you find in other parts of Italy and, as in all part of Italy, the food is good but can be very spicy.