5 Days Along The Tyrrhenian Coast, Calabria
I immigrated to Calabria with my wife 3 years ago from Canada. We live in a small village in the foothills of the Appenines, about 18 min to the sea by bike (with a 350 m climb on return).
My wife was in Norway for work this week, so despite the heat I took the opportunity to set out on my first solo traverse of the Tyrrhenian Coast to explore.
By The Numbers
- 176 km Distance
- 1,658 m Elev Gain
- 9 h 37 min Ride Time
Gear & Pack
- GRVL AF, Shimano GRX 2x12v
- Thule 13 L panniers for dry clothes & gear
- 10 L dry bay for beach gear (rack mounted)
- Rock Bros top bar bags for tools & electronics
- Garmin Edge Explorer 2
- Garmin Varia
Route
My route was anchored around key destinations in 2 major coastal areas: the Costa Degli Dei in Vibo Valentia province, and the Costa Viola in Reggio Di Calabria. I would aim to hit different destinations both on the trip down and trip back.
Travelling by bike I traveled a mix of the 2 major coastal road routes (the SS18 and SS22), with casual detours to explore the villages that pepper the Calabrian coast line.
I also made use of the regional train bike accommodations to clear the more industrial segments of the region, where the riding is just not pleasant.
Day 1: Tropea
- 16 km ride from my village to Amantea Station
- Train Amantea to Vibo-Pizzo Station
- 28 km ride from Vibo-Pizzo Station to Tropea
While the route from Vibo-Pizzo is a still a bit rural-industrial
I wanted a decent duration ride before my approach into Tropea.
From the SS22, I exited towards the Tropea marina for an epic skyline view of the old cities cliff edge architecture looking up from the sea.
On arrival I spent the peak sun period at a lido, enjoying swimming the pristine turquoise water to cool off, and a grilled swordfish lunch. The view of the ancient skyline from out in the water is breathtaking.
My B&B was in the nearby town of Santa Domenica (3.25 km from Tropea), where I would be based for 2 nights.
In the evening I road unloaded into Tropea, for an urban jam around the bike friendly pedestrian center of the city before heading back to my B&B to rest up for another destination.
Day 2: Capo Vaticano
9 km, Santa Domenica to Grotticelle (plus return)
Next up, a day trip to Grotticelle, the lido beach area at Capo Vaticano. This segment had some steep grades (especially notable on the climb back) but offered in return incredible 360 landscape views.
Getting in early with a space at a lido, I had an awesome active day exploring the natural cave formations, both swimming and paddle boarding along the cliff side.
Day 3: Scilla, Reggio Calabria
- Train Tropea to Scilla
- 20 km ride Scilla to Reggio Calabria
Back on the train early after check out my next destination was Scilla — another locally famous cliff side village and the first destination for my exploration of the Costa Viola.
I had opted to book my next accommodation in Reggio Calabria (the south most city on the Tyrrhenian coast), so, it was a day stop to enjoy the shade of the lido and a swim to keep cool through the peak sun.
My final ride came late in the day, and a poor route choice put me in the middle of rush hour traffic into Reggio.
Occasionally gridlock aside, I managed to have an ok time jamming a route through the chaotic urban sprawl leading into Reggio and made check in for a little rest and reset.
Day 4: Reggio Calabria
24 km ride of Reggio Calabria Waterfront & Pedestrian Area
Reggio basically has two good urban cycling features (and is otherwise somewhat hostile to cycling) — the urban waterfront with it views of the straight of Messina, and the pedestrian plaza area that also spans from one side of the city centre to the other.
You can get away with riding these in a loop for quite some time, enjoying people watching, the cool breeze of the straight, and the shade of the piazza.
I stopped in for a coffee and pastry, and some general supplies — but for the most part I just need to rest up for my return...
Day 5: Bagnara, Pizzo, Return
- 33 km ride Reggio to Bagnara
- 12.78 km ride around Vibo-Marina + Pizzo
- Train Pizzo to Amantea
- 16 km commuter home
Day 5, I met my first major weather — a storm was set to hit the whole region moving north along the coast. Motivation.
I managed to get ahead of it leaving well ahead of checkout, hoping I could see a good segment of coast before I had to bail out and hop a train back closer to home.
I had learned my lesson with the urban approach on my way down into Reggio, and opted instead to detour along sea side villages and take the most coast centric route.
I wasn't disappointed as a mix of the dark skies and the near violet sea along this coast made for some of the most dramatic scenery on the trip.
20 km into the ride, I busted a tire with the storm just overhead — but luckily, with a quick change out, I managed to just make Bagnara minutes before it poured.
Watching the storm pass over head while I waited for my train (delayed by flooding in Reggio) was epic, as the Bagnara lungomare managed to avoid the worst of the storm... A mix of sun at the beach and lightning in the mountains was dramatic and amazing.
After a bag lunch on the waterfront I eventually caught my train towards Pizzo, with the storm now well ahead, along me to enjoy a famous gelato in Pizzo center and a swim to cool off before my last leg back home…
Key Takeaways
A few lesson for next time (I'll definitely dial in this route for future trips):
First, I would avoid Reggio Calabria and stay a night or two in Scilla. It's a city with decent urban features, but a couple of bike and pedestrian friendly areas don't make up for it's general car centricity. Any inner city bike infrastructure suffered from significant urban decay — dead ends, misplaced bollards, and cars parked everywhere. Too hostile to visit by bike, when there are other bike friendly locales.
Secondly, select a route for ride quality (not continuity). There's enough pristine coastal road that if I leveraged the train better to skip the bad parts, I'd have a better time while still achieving satisfying distances. There are segments and destinations I missed because I optimized around ride time, when avoiding poor ride quality is really what matters in the region.
Third, more regional exploration, especially inland. I could have spent more time at each stay fanning out into the inner regions. Calabria is a mix of mountain and sea, and while I had intended originally to check out inland villages like Spilinga or historical sites like Zungri my coastal bias dominated a bit. Next time I'll mix it up.