This is Italy's next big thing - get there before the 'influencers' do

Tourists had historically snubbed this impoverished and long-neglected part of Italy, tucked into the toe of the boot and flanked by coastline on both sides. However, a recent surge in investment and expanded flight routes has seen international visitor numbers surge, almost doubling year on year in the first months of 2025, with people tipping Calabria as Italy's next hot destination - "the new Puglia". For now, though, the region resides in a rare sweet spot - well equipped enough to support travellers' needs, while retaining the unpolished charm of a place still largely undiscovered.

According to legend, Tropea, on Calabria's Costa degli Dei - the Coast of the Gods - was founded by the Greek god Hercules, son of Zeus. Once voted Italy's most beautiful town, it perches high atop a perpendicular limestone escarpment cloaked in prickly pear, wild thyme and hardy pink rock roses growing in its crevices.

The garden terrace of our clifftop B&B overlooks one of Calabria's most recognisable landmarks, the 7th-century Sanctuary of Santa Maria dell' Isola, which sits atop an elevated islet separating the colourful sprawl of the public beach from the regulated rows of Spiaggia a Linguata's sun loungers and umbrellas. In the distance, Stromboli punctures the glassy surface of the Tyrrhenian Sea, the volcanic island's peak garlanded by ever-present wisps of vapour.

It's the same remarkable, Amalfi-ish vista that draws crowds to the Belvedere at Piazza del Cannone for sunset, but we get to marvel at it with one of Roberto's negronis and his Euro-hits-of-summer playlist.

Post aperitivo hour, Tropea's old town takes on a lively, festive atmosphere, with the streets largely closed to traffic. It's been the victim of multiple earthquakes, but there's still plenty of historic architecture to admire - the raffish 17th-century palazzi with their elaborate portals and balconies, piazzas and the evocative 12th-century Church of Santa Maria of Romania. We wander the labyrinth of laneways, browsing shops that sell clothing, crafts and local produce, to dine al fresco each evening in pretty courtyard restaurants or sea-view pizzeria gardens.

Dramatic cliffs, rock stacks pitted with sea caves, islets and secluded coves with coarse sand or small stone beaches make up the Tyrrhenian side of Calabria's coastline. The sea here is crystalline, a spectrum of blues, from turquoise near the shore to deep sapphire where the depths begin.

South of Tropea is the village of Scilla, famed as the home of the mythical six-headed sea monster Scylla, who terrorised Odysseus, the hero of Homer's epic poem. On a promontory cleaving the town in two, Ruffo di Scilla Castle dates from the Etruscan era. Once a fortified castle protecting the townspeople against pirate raids, it later served as a military garrison and, in the 16th century, as the residence of the Ruffo family. It's one of the best-preserved castles in Calabria. From its lofty perch, there are spectacular views of the beach of Scilla and the pretty fishing hamlet of Chianalea, where unique sword-fishing boats called "Passerella", with their distinctive towering masts and lookout posts, are moored. Home to just 300 people, the village's houses (and restaurants) sit directly on the water's edge, with waves gently lapping against their stone walls, earning it the nickname "Venice of the South".

Historical influences from the Greeks, the Byzantines and the Arabs, the coast and mountains, climate and social deprivation have shaped the cuisine of Calabria into one of the most distinctive (and spiciest) in Italy. Peperoncini Calabresi, the spicy local chilis, came from South America with the Spanish explorers in the 15th century and are mixed into 'nduja, the spreadable salami that you'll find served on bread, cheese or in pasta. Sweet red Tropea onions are ubiquitous, with entire roadside stalls dedicated to them. Served with meat, fish, salad and in pasta dishes, they're addictive enough to persuade us to buy jars of sticky-sweet onion jam to bring home. Naturally, seafood is on almost every restaurant menu, including anchovies, sardines, swordfish, red mullet, prawns and mussels, all remarkably fresh. What we don't expect is the excellence of the gelato; unique flavours utilising local produce like liquorice, bergamot and crema reggina; candied cherries, chocolate chips and rum. Tartufo, the chocolate bombe filled with hazelnut ice cream and covered in chocolate and nuts, is Calabrese, too, conceived in the town of Pizzo.

As travellers hungry for the new begin to discover this once-overlooked region, and the trickle of tourism revenue becomes a steady flow, it would be understandable if locals were tempted to engage in the kind of overzealous development seen in other parts of Italy. Fortunately, Calabrians seem to understand the importance of preserving what makes their region special, and while they're always happy to share it, they're smart enough not to sacrifice it.

The writer travelled at their own expense