In-depth guide · CampingSpirit
About 515 km from Cosenza across the Sila plateau, to the Ionian coast with Stilo and Gerace and down over the Aspromonte to Reggio Calabria – Calabria's wild mountains between lakes, Basilian churches and Greek-speaking villages.
The spirit of the route
If you only know Calabria as a coastal region, you have missed half of it. The Sila is a high plateau at more than a thousand metres, with Laricio pines standing like columns in the sky, with reservoirs and meadows where mushroom pickers roam in autumn. Behind the sliding window the forest rustles, and in the morning mist lies over Lago Cecita. Then the land falls away to the Ionian Sea, and in Stilo the small Byzantine Cattolica clings to the mountainside as if it had grown into it. Gerace sits enthroned on a rock above the coast, in the Aspromonte the landscape opens into gorges, boulders and villages where Griko is still spoken. At the end Reggio Calabria lies by the water of the strait, and in the museum stand the Riace Bronzes. A journey for walkers and those who want to slow down, with roads that take time.
Stage-by-stage plan
1Stage 1: Cosenza to Camigliatello Silano (approx. 40 km)
- The drive
- From Cosenza follow the SS107 Silana-Crotonese up into the Sila: first four lanes, then two, with many hairpins, climbs and bends up to about 1,270 m. The road is well built but winding; fog and, in winter, snow are possible. About an hour.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Cosenza: old town with the cathedral and the Museo all’aperto Bilotti, an open-air museum with sculptures on Corso Mazzini.
- Camigliatello Silano: winter sports resort and summer retreat in the Sila National Park, with shops selling mushrooms, salami and Caciocavallo Silano.
- Giganti della Sila: nature reserve with ancient Laricio pines up to 40 m tall, short circular trails.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Near Camigliatello Silano is Camping La Fattoria, a small site in the woods with electricity and sanitary facilities; ask about opening times beforehand, as it is often closed in winter when there is snow. Alternatively, use the motorhome sites on the edge of town and check their status in apps beforehand.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): In the Sila National Park the park authority regulates camping; outside designated sites wild camping is not allowed, and fires are also banned (forest fire risk in summer). Quiet car parks are occasionally tolerated, but only without setting up camp.
- Insider tip for campers
- The Sila is much cooler than the coast: at 1,300 m it can be only 5 to 10 degrees at night even in June. Buy mushrooms and cheese in Camigliatello; only pick mushrooms if you know them or have a checkpoint, and observe the park's rules. In winter, from late autumn, winter equipment is compulsory or advisable.
2Stage 2: Camigliatello Silano to San Giovanni in Fiore (approx. 50 km)
- The drive
- On the SS107 and the Strada della Sila over Lago Cecita and Silvana Mansio, past forests and meadows, to San Giovanni in Fiore. A well-built, partly winding road; keep your speed down because of wildlife crossing and tight bends. About an hour.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Lago Cecita: a large reservoir in the national park with forest, meadows and walking trails along the shore.
- Silvana Mansio: starting point for walks and the national park's visitor centre.
- San Giovanni in Fiore: Abbazia Florense, the abbey of Joachim of Fiore, with its crypt; weaving workshops with traditional carpets.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: On Lago Cecita is Hotel Camping Cecita Sul Lago, a site on the lake with access to the shore; ask about facilities and opening times beforehand. Other small sites lie around the lakes of the Sila; check their status in the apps.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): Around the reservoirs the rules of the national park and the operators apply; overnighting in the lakeside car parks is mostly not permitted. If you travel outside the season, ask the park authority beforehand.
- Insider tip for campers
- San Giovanni in Fiore has narrow lanes and many one-way streets; park on the edge of town. The hand-woven carpets (Tappeti di San Giovanni in Fiore) are available in small workshops. In fog and rain the roads of the Sila are slippery, so reduce your speed.
3Stage 3: San Giovanni in Fiore to Lorica (approx. 35 km)
- The drive
- From San Giovanni in Fiore the SS108bis leads west, then towards Lago Arvo and Lorica: bends through pine forests, little traffic, a few narrow passages. About 45 minutes.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Lago Arvo: a reservoir with quiet shores, boat hire and walking paths.
- Lorica: a small winter sports resort on the lakeshore, with walks in the surrounding pine forests.
- Forests of the Sila Grande: mushrooms, berries and rare birds, woodpeckers and birds of prey.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: On Lago Arvo are Camping Lorica and Camping Arvo, with electricity and sanitary facilities; the sites are mostly open from spring to autumn, so ask about opening times beforehand. In summer it gets busy at weekends.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): On Lago Arvo wild camping is not allowed; in the national park, parking and fire bans apply. Small car parks on the shore are occasionally tolerated as a rest stop, but the campsite is better.
- Insider tip for campers
- In late autumn and winter many businesses in the Sila close, so buy supplies beforehand. In the evening the lakes are a good place to watch wildlife; take binoculars. Carry snow chains in winter.
4Stage 4: Lorica to Stilo (approx. 155 km)
- The drive
- From the Sila down to Catanzaro, then on the SS106 Jonica along the sea to Monasterace and up to Stilo. A long stage with bends on the descent, then the four-lane, in places very busy SS106. About three hours, more in summer; plan it with breaks, as the SS106 is considered accident-prone.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Cattolica di Stilo: a 10th-century Byzantine church with five domes, on the slope of Monte Consolino.
- Stilo: old town with the cathedral and a view as far as the Ionian Sea.
- Monasterace: Kaulon archaeological area with remains of the Greek city, and a beach.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: On the coast near Monasterace and Riace are Area Sosta Camper I Bronzi and Faro Punta Stilo, simple sites by the sea; near Caulonia Marina are Camping Afrodite and Villaggio Camping Calypso with electricity and sanitary facilities. Ask about opening times and facilities beforehand; many sites close in winter.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): On the beaches of the Ionian coast overnighting in car parks is banned in season and is checked; the authorities issue fines. On the way to Stilo there are no legal wild-camping spots.
- Insider tip for campers
- The road up to Stilo is narrow; park down at the entrance to the town and walk. The Cattolica is small and open only at certain times, so check beforehand. Fill up in Catanzaro or on the SS106; inland, filling stations are rare.
5Stage 5: Stilo to Gerace (approx. 60 km)
- The drive
- On the SS106 Jonica south to Locri, then on a provincial road about 10 km up to Gerace at around 480 m. The access is winding and narrow, and in the old town there is little room for large vehicles. About an hour.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Gerace: Norman-era cathedral, one of the largest church buildings in Calabria, with a crypt and a view of the sea.
- Old town on its tuff base: narrow lanes, palazzi and small workshops making ceramics.
- Locri Epizefiri: ancient excavations and the Museo Nazionale in Locri, down on the coast.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: In Gerace there is Area Camper Gerace, a simple motorhome site below the old town; check facilities and fees beforehand. On the coast near Locri and Siderno there are several campsites, which are mostly open only in summer.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): In and around Gerace overnighting outside the designated areas is not permitted; in the historic centre access is restricted (note the ZTL). Quiet spots further down the provincial road are sometimes tolerated.
- Insider tip for campers
- Gerace is high enough to be cool in high summer; in the evening the lanes are empty. Park in the car park at the entrance to the town and walk. In Locri the museum is worth a visit for the finds from ancient Epizephyrian Locri.
6Stage 6: Gerace to Bova (approx. 90 km)
- The drive
- Back to the coast and on the SS106 Jonica south around Capo Spartivento and past Brancaleone and Palizzi, then on a winding, narrow provincial road up to Bova at around 800 m. The climb has tight hairpins and hardly any passing places. About two hours.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Bova: the main town of Calabria's Greek-speaking community (Grecanici), with a ruined castle and a panorama.
- Capo Spartivento: a headland with a lighthouse in the far south of Calabria.
- Brancaleone and Palizzi: small towns with remains of the old town and a view of the sea.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: On the coast near Bianco and Brancaleone are Villaggio Jonio Blu and the Campingplatz Doccica near Palizzi; both with electricity and sanitary facilities, so ask about opening times beforehand. In Bova itself there are hardly any sites for motorhomes.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): In the beach and viewpoint car parks overnighting is banned in season; the coast is sparsely populated, so checks are less frequent but possible. Bova lies in the Aspromonte National Park, where the park's rules also apply.
- Insider tip for campers
- The road to Bova is difficult for large motorhomes; panel-van conversions get through well, longer vehicles park down below and take a taxi. The Greek names of the places can be seen on signs. Shop and refuel on the coast before the climb.
7Stage 7: Bova to Reggio Calabria via Gambarie (approx. 85 km)
- The drive
- From Bova back to the coast, via Melito di Porto Salvo on mountain roads up to Gambarie d’Aspromonte at around 1,300 m, then winding down via Santo Stefano d’Aspromonte to Reggio Calabria. Check road conditions and closures beforehand, as there is storm damage on the mountain roads. About two and a half hours.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Gambarie d’Aspromonte: a winter sports resort in the Aspromonte National Park with views as far as the strait and Etna.
- Pentedattilo: a ghost village beneath a five-fingered rock near Melito, with narrow access.
- Reggio Calabria: Museo Nazionale della Magna Grecia with the Riace Bronzes, Lungomare Falcomatà with a view of Sicily.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: In and around Reggio Calabria there are only a few reliable sites; check aree di sosta and campsites on the coast towards Melito in apps beforehand. In Gambarie there are small places to stay, but hardly any motorhome sites.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): In Reggio overnighting within the city is not possible; in the Aspromonte National Park, park and fire bans apply. Near Gambarie car parks may be closed in winter because of snow.
- Insider tip for campers
- The Museo Nazionale in Reggio is the best place to see the Riace Bronzes; check opening times and tickets beforehand. The centre of Reggio is partly ZTL; park at the harbour or on the coastal road. If you want to go on to Sicily, use the ferries from Villa San Giovanni to Messina; vehicles are loaded there.
Camping practice & local rules
Wild camping & overnight parking
- Italian law (Codice della Strada, Art. 185) separates parking from camping: where parking is allowed, a motorhome may stand and also stay overnight, as long as it touches the ground only with its wheels. Chairs, tables, awning, stabilisers, wedges and discharged grey water are prohibited.
- In the Sila and Aspromonte national parks the rules of the park authorities apply: fires are banned, and camping is allowed only in designated areas; ask the park or municipality beforehand. In summer, additional bans apply because of forest fire risk.
- On the Ionian coast many municipalities ban overnighting in beach car parks in summer; fines and towing are possible. Prohibition signs always take precedence.
- Useful apps: park4night, CamperOnline and Campercontact; for remote places it is better to phone ahead.
Waste disposal & supplies
- Water supply and waste disposal is called “camper service” or “carico e scarico”. In Calabria it is available mainly on campsites and at some aree attrezzate; in the mountains stations are rare.
- Empty grey water and the toilet cassette only at the station; dumping in the wild leads to new bans.
- Tap water is mostly drinkable, but look for “acqua potabile”; in small mountain villages there can be water shortages in summer. Fill your tank before the climb.
- Gas: German exchange cylinders are not exchanged in Italy. Refillable cylinders and gas tanks are filled at LPG filling stations with the Italian adapter; such stations are rare inland. In the cool altitudes of the Sila you need more gas for heating.
Vehicle size & traffic rules
- Speed limits: motorhomes up to 3.5 t 90 km/h outside built-up areas, 110 km/h on expressways, 130 km/h on motorways; over 3.5 t 80 km/h outside built-up areas and 100 km/h on motorways. Vehicles towing a caravan: 70 km/h outside built-up areas, 80 km/h on motorways. Outside built-up areas, dipped headlights are required in daytime too.
- ZTL zones with camera monitoring exist in Cosenza, Reggio Calabria, Gerace and other old towns; fines arrive by post, often months later. Observe the signs.
- Tolls: the A2 motorway is toll-free, and the SS106 Jonica and the roads of the Sila are free. On the mountain roads closures due to storms and landslides can occur, so check road conditions before setting off.
- Winter equipment: from 15 November to 15 April, winter equipment or snow chains are compulsory on many mountain roads, including in the Sila and Aspromonte; snow is possible from late autumn. If a load projects beyond the rear, the red-and-white warning plate (50 × 50 cm) is compulsory. Blood alcohol limit 0.5, for novice and professional drivers 0.0; mobile phone at the wheel only with a hands-free system.
CampingSpirit packing & preparation checklist
- Winter tyres or snow chains for the Sila and the Aspromonte: from late autumn and in spring it can snow there.
- Walking boots and a rain jacket for the forests of the Sila and the gorges of the Aspromonte, where the weather changes quickly.
- Torch or head torch: in the mountain villages and remote car parks there is hardly any lighting.
- Offline maps or a navigation app with offline data: in the Sila and the Aspromonte, reception is patchy.
- Warm sleeping bag or extra blankets for the cool nights at altitude.
As of 2026-09. Closures, fees and booking rules change: check official sources before you go.
