Wine and food tour among the villages of the Ionian Calabria of Catanzaro

Among the proposal that combine sea, nature and agri-food excellences, the food and wine tour of the Ionian Calabria of Catanzaro is certainly an experience not to be missed.

Myth has it that Ulysses landed on these shores kissed by dawn on his journey to Ithaca, guided into the “Land of Phaeacians” by Princess Nausicaa. A land of centuries-old olive trees and vineyards, scented with citrus flower and jasmine, as the name of the long coast evoke, sheltered by the mountains of the Serre Calabresi and the small strongholds of the internal villages that embellish them.

Stopping to taste the peculiarities of this territory gives genuine emotions, typical of slow tourism to be enjoyed at a slow pace, without hurry.

The culinary excellences not to be missed

The stretch of Ionian Calabria that goes from Botricello to Guardavalle Marina is a strip of fine sand, overlooking a pristine sea.

These areas appreciated since ancient times for olive and wine production, are today the territories of excellent wines, including the PDO Savuto and the precious PGI Calabrian Oil.

That’s why discovering the agri-food industry of the Ionian coast of Catanzaro means taking a tour of wineries and mills, and to stop at farms that offer products at km 0, often cultivated under organic farming regimes.

Citrus fruits, especially oranges and mandarins, find an ideal habitat on this coast; together with vegetables and some wild delicacies used in traditional dishes and preserves: wild fennel, figs and prickly pears, aromatic herbs, and various Mediterranean species.

Around here, it is also easy to taste the delicious PAT Black Pork of Calabria (Traditional Agri-Food Product) and its derivatives, the excellent Slow Food Salumi (cured meat).

Among the unmissable recipes, in addition to seafood dishes that feature some local catch, such as the Mediterranean Red Prawn, those based on meat and a large variety of typical desserts cannot be missing.

The villages of the Ionian coast of Catanzaro

The villages of the Ionian Calabria of Catanzaro alternate the uncontaminated marinas, some of them Blue Flag, to the small castled historic centers.