Along the Calabrian coastline are beautiful old towns like San Nicola Arcella and Diamante. These old towns with their ‘ centro storico ‘ are a delight to explore, and have great character. Property here is still relatively inexpensive. However these are places on the turn and beautifully renovated houses now sit side by side with old properties in need of renovation. Once totally dependent on fishing but now becoming holiday retreats, they are reminiscent of Port Isaac in Cornwall twenty years ago.
Maratea, Praia-a-Mare and San Nicola Arcella are located in the beautiful Bay of Policastro. Dino Island sits proudly in front of Praia and the surrounding waters are now a marine park, famous for a particular coral reef. Aquatic sports like scuba diving are very popular here and in winter skiing is available in the mountains only half an hour inland.
Around this coastline are many secluded bays and coves, some only reachable by boat and even in the height of summer, relatively quiet. Properties in the small towns like San Nicola Arcella which sits 110mt above the sea have amazing views of this beautiful bay.
Much of the coastline is now fortunately protected from future development. For the price of a two bedroom flat on the Sussex coast it is possible to purchase a villa with spectacular sea views. Although our opinion is not exactly unbiased! We honestly believe thatunrepeatable value is to be found here.
The Southern Italian food, we believe, is second to none. It varies markedly from from region to region and even village to village giving the traveller a gourmet experience. Many of the dishes are steeped in traditional history and use only the freshest ingredients.
And of course, with such an interesting history, eating is never dull! Mushrooms and truffles are an important ingredient in the dishes of Basilicata and the further south one goes, the hotter the food becomes with chillies and peppers featuring in the seasoning in Calabria. Local produce always features prominently and the seafood is outstanding all along the coast.