by Cherrye from My Bella Vita

A couple of summers ago, Calabria recorded record highs-temps that hung  around 111°F for more than a week. It was hot. It was sweaty.It was brutal.

Since that summer,temps have been somewhat cooler and luckily for us here in Calabria’s capitalcity-Catanzaro, the “City of Three V’s”-that infamous Ionian wind keeps it breezy. Still, southern Italy’s mezzogiorno sun does not overlook this part of bellaCalabria so as we find ourselves deep in the midst of summer there are a few things we have to do to keep our cool.

Catanzaresi, like Calabrians in other seaside towns across the region, take hour-long “baths” in the refreshing Mediterranean waters off the coast of Catanzaro. One of my favorite beaches-Giovino-is just past the lively Catanzaro Lido port and features wide stretches of both private and public sand beaches.

Giovino Beach Photo credit

A little farther down the coast, you’ll find a few of the Ionian’s most popular beaches-Pietragrande,Caminia and Soverato-places that are packed in the dead heat of summer and on busy weekends, but are tiny nests of privacy on the outskirt months of May and October.

If beach-goin’ gets you down-then you know you aren’t Calabrian, because they never seem to tire offrothy waves and blue-green seas-you could head into La Sila National Park.

The air in La Sila is fresh and cool and since almost everyone else is at the beach, you can enjoy a long lunch without the crowds. (Just don’t go on Sundays-generations of families like to head up there to eat in traditional Calabrese trattorie or picnic!) After lunch you can choose to either go to the lake in La Sila or take a leisurely stroll along the nature paths.

Camina Beach Photo credit 

Whether you prefer thesand and surf or the fresh mountain air and natural breeze, there is always away to cool off in Catanzaro. So don’t let the high temps scare you-come ondown and enjoy the best of Calabria … the summer sun and fun.

Cherrye Moore is a Calabria tour planner and freelance writer living insouthern Italy. She writes about travel for MNUITravel Insurance and about life and travelin Calabria on hersite, My Bella Vita. You can also visit her at her bedand breakfast in Catanzaro, Il Cedro.