Calabria has more than 700 kilometres of coast on two seas, with marine protected areas, caves and the Strait of Messina, and inland the most spectacular gorges in the Apennines, for rafting and canyoning. Here you will find the best spots for each activity, with the right wind, the level required and the rules of the marine protected areas.
Each number matches a spot in the list.
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For each spot: level, best time and the winds that make it calm or best avoided.
At Calabria's narrowest point, where less than 40 kilometres separate the Tyrrhenian from the Ionian, the wind funnels through every summer afternoon: Gizzeria is one of the most famous kite and windsurf spots in Europe.
Windyes Afternoon thermal Maestrale · no Windless days, thunderstorms
Full details →Below the Aragonese castle of Le Castella, which stands on an islet, the marine protected area has shallow, clear water full of fish, octopus and starfish.
Windyes Light Maestrale and Tramontana · no Scirocco
Full details →Kayaking around the Isola di Dino, the largest island in Calabria, you enter the Grotta Azzurra and the Grotta del Leone, where the water glows blue.
Windyes Calm sea, light winds · no Strong Maestrale and Libeccio
Full details →The granite headland between Tropea and Nicotera has white-sand coves, rocks and clear water: one of the best places on the Tyrrhenian for snorkelling from the beach.
Windyes Light Scirocco, calm sea · no Maestrale, Libeccio
Full details →Below the rock of Scilla the walls drop sheer, covered in red and yellow gorgonians fed by the currents of the Strait: one of the most spectacular dives in the Mediterranean.
Windyes Calm sea and weak currents · no Scirocco, strong currents
Full details →A deep, narrow canyon in the Pollino Park, where the Raganello stream flows between rock walls hundreds of metres high: you walk and swim along the stream, below Civita's Devil's Bridge.
Windyes Settled weather and a low stream · no Rain or thunderstorms forecast, even far away
Full details →The Lao runs between rock walls in the Valle del Lao reserve, in the Pollino Park: rafting, canoeing and canyoning among rapids and emerald-green pools.
Windyes Intermediate · no Flood after heavy rain
Full details →Before choosing a spot, check where the wind is coming from: the same cove can be a swimming pool or a place to avoid.
Rules vary from one area to another and from year to year: here is the general picture, but the managing body's regulations always take precedence.
One of the largest marine areas in Italy, on the Ionian coast around Le Castella and Capo Rizzuto. In the A zones no boating or swimming is allowed; in the B and C zones swimming and snorkelling are free, and diving is done with authorised dive centres.
It protects the seabed between the Isola di Dino and Scalea, with rules on fishing, anchoring and diving in the most fragile areas.
Rafting on the Lao and canyoning in the Raganello gorge are done with qualified guides. Access to the gorges is regulated: do not go in when rain is forecast, because the water level rises within minutes.
Snorkellers and divers must mark their position with a diver-down buoy (or a red flag with a white diagonal stripe) and stay within 50 metres of it: harbour-office ordinances require it, and boats must keep their distance.
During the bathing season, motor boats are banned or restricted within 200 metres of beaches and 100 metres of sheer cliffs: kayaks and SUPs can paddle close to shore, but must stay out of the boat launch lanes.
Wind blowing from land to sea pushes SUPs, kayaks and inflatables out to sea even when the water near the shore looks calm: with an offshore wind, stay close to the coast or don't go out.
Emergency number at sea: 1530 (or 112).
The exact rules (times, lanes, distances) are set by the local harbour office's bathing ordinance and vary from one municipality to the next.
