The second chapter of our family road trip through southern Italy, from Tropea and Diamante to Santa Sofia d’Epiro, Civita and the mountains of Calabria.
Leaving Puglia behind
Apparently, five nights in Puglia weren’t enough to satisfy my appetite for exploring southern Italy.
So we packed our bags, loaded the car and continued our journey towards Calabria.
After discovering the historic towns, cave churches and beautiful countryside around Mottola, I was curious to see what the next region had to offer.
We had booked accommodation in Rende, near Cosenza, where we would spend the remainder of our holiday.
The plan was relatively simple. Explore as much as possible, enjoy the beaches, eat wonderful Italian food and make sure the boys had enough swimming pool time to prevent a family rebellion.
As usual, I had a long list of places I wanted to visit.
As usual, the boys had slightly different priorities.
And as usual, Piotr somehow found himself in the middle.
But that is the beauty of travelling as a family. You compromise.
Occasionally.
Our time in Calabria would take us from the Tyrrhenian coast to little mountain villages, through colourful old towns and along roads that offered some of the most breathtaking views of our entire holiday.
There would also be a few surprises. Some wonderful. Some slightly less wonderful.
And one particularly memorable declaration from the boys that would inspire me to explore even more.
Rende: Our base for exploring Calabria
We chose Rende as our base for the second half of the holiday. Having accommodation with a swimming pool was particularly important during the August heat. And after several days of exploring Puglia, we were all looking forward to having somewhere comfortable to relax between our adventures.
Our days developed a familiar rhythm. Some mornings we would head out to explore a town or visit the beach. Other days we would take things slowly, enjoying the swimming pool and escaping the hottest part of the afternoon. Then, once the temperature became more manageable, we would head out again in search of somewhere interesting to visit or something delicious to eat.
At least, that was the theory.
In reality, there were also days when nobody wanted to move.
And that was perfectly fine.
One thing we noticed during our stay was how quiet some towns became around the middle of August. On Saturday, 15 August, we spent the entire day at the hotel swimming pool. The surrounding town felt almost deserted. Shops were closed, restaurants were shut and there seemed to be hardly anyone on the streets.
It felt rather like the beginning of a zombie apocalypse.
Only with considerably better weather.
We later realised that our visit coincided with Ferragosto, the Italian public holiday celebrated on 15 August. That helped explain why so many places were closed and why the atmosphere felt so different from an ordinary summer day.
For anyone planning a similar trip, I would definitely recommend checking restaurant opening times and shopping arrangements around this date. Otherwise, you might find yourself wandering around a beautiful Italian town wondering where everybody has disappeared.
Paola and Guardia Piemontese: Discovering the Calabrian coast
One of the things I particularly enjoyed about Calabria was the contrast between its coastal towns and mountainous interior.
Paola was among the places we explored during our stay. Its historic centre offered the sort of atmosphere I love discovering in Italian towns: old buildings, narrow streets and little corners that invite you to stop and look around.
We also enjoyed the coastline and a beautiful sunset. There is something about the light in southern Italy that makes even an ordinary evening feel special. As the sun begins to disappear, the colours soften and the landscape changes completely.
For a photographer, it is difficult to resist.
And for someone who has spent the day walking around in intense heat, it is also a very welcome change.
Our coastal adventures also took us to Guardia Piemontese. Here, we enjoyed a pebble beach and the opportunity to cool down in the sea.
Pebble beaches are a rather different experience from the sandy beaches we had enjoyed earlier in the holiday. Walking into the water requires a little more concentration. And possibly a pair of suitable beach shoes.
But the sea was beautiful, and the opportunity to swim was more than enough to make up for the stones beneath our feet.
By this point, our holiday had developed a very clear pattern.
I wanted to explore.
The boys wanted to swim.
And somehow we usually managed to do both.
San Fili: Witches, painted doors and mysterious little streets
Some places impress you with enormous cathedrals, spectacular viewpoints or famous monuments.
San Fili managed to catch my attention with painted doors, mysterious little passages and witches.
Yes, witches. 😂
One day, Piotr and I decided to explore San Fili, a small town not far from where we were staying.
And what a lovely little surprise it turned out to be.
It was quiet, cosy and full of character. Exactly the sort of place where I can spend ages wandering around with my camera while Piotr patiently waits for me to finish photographing yet another wall.
Because apparently, photographing ordinary walls is now one of my favourite holiday activities.
But these weren’t ordinary walls.
We discovered painted doors, faces, colourful decorations and little artistic details tucked away in unexpected corners.
There were also witches!
San Fili has a local tradition associated with witches, and during our visit, decorations from a recent event were still visible around the town.
I absolutely loved them.
They gave the streets a slightly mysterious, playful atmosphere, as though the town had decided to celebrate its folklore by leaving little surprises for anyone curious enough to explore.
And naturally, I was curious enough.
Some of the narrow passages looked wonderfully mysterious, while the painted faces and doors made me stop every few minutes.
I kept discovering another little detail worth photographing.
San Fili wasn’t busy or particularly touristy during our walk. In fact, its quietness was part of its charm.
There were no crowds to navigate, no queues and no pressure to rush from one attraction to another.
Just the two of us wandering through the streets, enjoying the atmosphere and discovering little pieces of local character.
And I think that is what I liked most.
San Fili didn’t need to impress us with something enormous.
It was the small details that made it memorable.
A painted doorway.
A mysterious passage.
A witch decoration left behind after a celebration.
And another photograph for my already rather enormous collection.
Would I recommend San Fili?
Absolutely, especially if you enjoy exploring smaller Italian towns, street art, local traditions and places that haven’t been polished into identical tourist attractions.
It was one of those unexpected little discoveries that made our Calabria road trip so enjoyable.
And it proved something I would find myself repeating throughout this holiday.
Sometimes the most interesting places are the ones you almost drive past.
Tropea: One of Calabria’s most beautiful coastal towns
Tropea was another destination on our itinerary. And it is easy to understand why this town attracts so much attention.
Its historic buildings sit dramatically above the coastline, creating beautiful views over the sea. The combination of old architecture, steep cliffs and turquoise water makes it an incredibly photogenic place.
Naturally, I was delighted.
The boys, meanwhile, were probably more interested in the beach.
Tropea offered us another opportunity to experience Calabria’s coastline while exploring a town with a very different character from the inland villages.
I love places where you can move between historic streets and beautiful coastal scenery without having to travel far. You can spend part of the day wandering around with a camera and the rest enjoying the sea. And that balance suited our family holiday perfectly.
Tropea also demonstrated how varied Calabria’s landscape can be. The coastline is beautiful, but the region has much more to offer than beaches alone.
As we would discover later, some of my favourite places were waiting further inland.
Cosenza: A disappointing evening, but a memorable pizza
Not every place we visited in Calabria became an instant favourite. And I think it is important to be honest about that.
One evening, after spending most of the day relaxing at the hotel, we decided to head into Cosenza. We had done a little research and found a pizza restaurant called Donna Brettia. The pizza was good, the service was friendly and we enjoyed our meal.
Unfortunately, the old town itself didn’t make the same positive impression. When we entered the historic area, we noticed an unpleasant smell. Some of the buildings looked tired, and the streets didn’t feel particularly inviting during our visit.
Compared with the other places we had explored during the holiday, Cosenza was the one I enjoyed least.
Of course, that was simply our experience of one particular evening. I wouldn’t claim that the entire city is like that, and I am sure there are other parts of Cosenza worth exploring. But on this occasion, it didn’t inspire me to stay longer.
There was, however, one positive discovery.
Street art.
Naturally.
Even in a place that didn’t particularly impress me, I managed to find a few murals worth photographing. Apparently, I am physically incapable of walking past a painted wall without reaching for my camera.
At least the pizza was good.
Diamante: The town that made me forget about the beach
After spending Saturday beside the swimming pool, we decided that Sunday, 16 August, should include one final beach visit. Our destination was Diamante.
And this time, we had a very sensible arrangement. The boys would head straight to the beach. I would hop out of the car first and explore the old town.
Perfect.
Diamante is known for its street art, and I had been looking forward to seeing it for myself. Even though the temperature was already climbing, I couldn’t resist wandering through the historic streets with my camera.
And what a wonderful decision that turned out to be.
Everywhere I looked, there was something interesting. Paintings covering walls. Colourful murals. Mosaics. Graffiti. Little details that transformed ordinary buildings into something completely different.
I kept turning corners and discovering another piece of artwork.
And another.
And another.
At some point, I probably should have remembered that the boys were already enjoying the sea. But I was far too busy photographing walls.
Diamante was exactly the sort of place that makes me happy. I love street art because it changes the way you experience a town. Instead of simply walking from one famous attraction to another, you begin paying attention to the streets themselves.
A doorway becomes interesting.
A wall becomes a canvas.
An ordinary building suddenly has a story to tell.
And sometimes the most memorable photograph isn’t of a famous landmark at all. It is of something unexpected that you discover while wandering around.
During my exploration, I also visited the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception. The interior felt almost theatrical, with its decorative details creating a very different atmosphere from the ancient cave churches we had visited in Puglia.
I enjoyed the contrast.
Eventually, however, even my enthusiasm for street art had to surrender to the heat. After spending so much time walking around Diamante, I desperately needed a swim. So I finally joined the boys at the beach.
The shoreline was covered in pebbles, but the water was wonderfully refreshing. And after my long exploration of the old town, getting into the sea felt absolutely fantastic.
Diamante became one of my favourite discoveries of our time in Calabria. Not simply because of the beach, but because it offered something for all of us.
The boys had their swimming.
I had my street art.
Everybody was happy.
Adesso Pasta: A dinner worth remembering
One of our most enjoyable meals in Calabria was at Adesso Pasta. The restaurant was only about seven minutes’ walk from our hotel, which was already a very promising start.
No long drive.
No complicated parking arrangements.
Just a short walk and the prospect of a good Italian dinner.
And what a dinner it was.
The dishes have wonderfully quirky names. Tymon ordered Now Carbonara!, Piotr chose the dish of the day, and Szymon and I both went for At the Assize Court. Szymon added bacon to his.
The portions were generous, the food was excellent and the service was wonderful. I couldn’t even finish my pasta. Which, considering how much I enjoy Italian food, should tell you something about the portion size.
The boys, however, still had room for dessert. Tymon chose tiramisu, while Piotr and Szymon ordered Our Millefoglie.
I decided to skip dessert. Not because I didn’t want one. But because there was absolutely no space left.
Our total bill came to €92 for the four of us. And considering the quality of the food, the generous portions and the service, we felt it was money very well spent.
It was one of those meals that you remember long after the holiday has finished.
Santa Sofia d’Epiro: The morning we left the boys behind
Towards the end of our holiday, the boys made a rather bold announcement.
“If you’ve seen one town here, you’ve seen them all.”
Right.
So when Piotr and I woke up at 7am on Monday, I didn’t even bother waking them. We took our showers, grabbed the camera and headed out.
Our first destination was Santa Sofia d’Epiro. And within minutes of arriving, I was rather pleased we had decided to explore without the boys.
What a beautiful little town.
The murals immediately caught my attention. By this point in the holiday, I had already spent a considerable amount of time chasing street art around Calabria. But Santa Sofia d’Epiro had even more to offer.
The church was absolutely beautiful. It was very well maintained, with paintings and decorative details that made me stop and look around for much longer than I had expected.
I could have stayed there for ages.
There is something special about discovering a beautiful church in a small town that you might otherwise have driven straight past. No enormous crowds. No complicated itinerary. Just the opportunity to step inside and appreciate the artwork and atmosphere.
After exploring, we stopped for our usual Italian breakfast.
Cappuccino and cornetto with cream.
Again.
At this point, I think we had established a very reliable holiday routine.
Explore a town.
Find a café.
Order cappuccino and cornetto.
Repeat.
And I had absolutely no intention of changing it.
The road to Civita: Mountains, breathtaking views and slightly nervous passengers
After leaving Santa Sofia d’Epiro, we continued our journey through San Demetrio Corone. We didn’t stop there, as the town didn’t particularly tempt me during our drive through. Instead, we carried on.
And then the landscape began to change. In front of us appeared what looked like an enormous wall of mountains.
Absolutely breathtaking.
Naturally, we decided to drive towards them.
And then we started climbing.
Higher.
And higher.
The road twisted through the landscape, with enormous rock faces rising above us and dramatic views opening up below.
It was incredible.
And occasionally rather terrifying.
I don’t particularly enjoy heights. So while I was admiring the scenery, I was also trying very hard not to look down too often. Every now and then, I would glance towards the valley and immediately decide that looking straight ahead was a much better idea.
But the views were worth it. The mountains were enormous, the landscape was spectacular and the road itself became one of the most memorable parts of our entire holiday.
Eventually, we arrived in Civita. And once again, Calabria proved that the boys’ theory about every town looking the same was completely wrong.
Civita: The village with faces on its houses
Civita was another beautiful little town. Surrounded by dramatic mountain scenery, it felt very different from the coastal destinations we had visited earlier in the holiday.
One of its most unusual features is the appearance of some of its houses. Their windows, doors and other architectural details create shapes that resemble human faces. Once you notice them, you begin looking for faces everywhere.
And naturally, I was delighted.
We wandered through the historic streets, enjoying the architecture and the atmosphere. We also visited another beautiful church. By this point, I had seen quite a few churches during our Italian adventure, but I still found myself stopping to admire their interiors. Each one seemed to have something different to offer.
Civita also has a famous bridge, the Ponte del Diavolo, or Devil’s Bridge, which spans the dramatic Raganello gorge. We decided to attempt the walk down towards it.
We started with enthusiasm.
We continued with slightly less enthusiasm.
And eventually, the heat made the decision for us.
It was simply too hot. So we gave up approximately halfway down and returned.
Fortunately, I had managed to photograph the bridge from above. And considering the temperature, that was perfectly good enough for me.
Sometimes knowing when to stop is an important part of travelling. Especially when you still have a swimming pool waiting for you back at the hotel.
Our last afternoon by the swimming pool
After our mountain adventure, we returned to the hotel and headed straight for the swimming pool. And this time, there was a little sadness attached to it.
It was our final full day in Italy. Which meant it was also our last opportunity to enjoy the pool.
We stayed until it closed at 6pm. Every possible minute had to be used.
After two weeks of exploring, swimming, eating and travelling around southern Italy, it was difficult to believe that our holiday was almost over. But 6pm felt far too early to call it a day. So we decided to head out one more time.
Rende: A beautiful old town that apparently forgot we were coming
Our final evening in Calabria deserved something special.
After spending the day exploring Santa Sofia d’Epiro and Civita, followed by a few glorious hours in the hotel swimming pool, Piotr and I decided we weren’t quite finished with Italy.
The boys had other ideas. They went for kebabs.
We, on the other hand, fancied one last proper Italian dinner. Somewhere romantic, perhaps a little restaurant tucked away in an old square, surrounded by beautiful buildings and people enjoying the warm summer evening.
So we headed to Rende Old Town, hoping to find exactly that.
Well, we found the beautiful buildings.
The people and restaurants? Not so much. 😂
Honestly, it was like walking onto a film set after everyone had finished filming and gone home.
Almost everything was closed. The streets were deserted, and finding somewhere to eat was proving about as successful as finding a parking space in central London on a Saturday afternoon.
But what a beautiful place to be hungry!
The historic centre of Rende completely surprised me.
We wandered along narrow cobbled streets lined with elegant old houses, decorative stone doorways, wrought iron balconies and beautiful architectural details. Some buildings were wonderfully restored, others showed their age, but together they created a town full of character.
And the churches!
One after another, we discovered beautifully illuminated church façades, their architectural details standing out against the deep blue evening sky.
One church had a wonderfully simple façade with a colourful religious window above its entrance and a bell tower glowing red in the background.
Another was much more elaborate, with carved stone decorations, columns and a beautifully detailed entrance. Exactly the sort of building that makes me stop, reach for my camera and forget that I’m supposed to be looking for dinner.
Then there was the building with enormous colourful circular windows, glowing like modern stained glass against the old stone walls.
And somewhere along our walk, we discovered a narrow street with a metal sculpture suspended high above it, a human figure balancing above the rooftops with a bird perched on its head.
Completely unexpected. Absolutely brilliant.
I could have spent hours photographing those streets.
The warm streetlights illuminated the cobblestones, little balconies were decorated with plants, and every corner seemed to reveal another interesting building.
We even came across a small square with a stone bust standing beneath the trees, looking rather important and, like everyone else in Rende that evening, completely uninterested in helping us find dinner.
The most surprising thing was how well maintained much of the historic centre appeared.
After our experience in Cosenza, where parts of the old town had left us disappointed, Rende felt different. Cleaner streets, attractive buildings, lovely architectural details and a much more welcoming atmosphere, even without the actual welcome of another human being!
And then there were the views.
From the elevated old town, we could look across the valley towards the surrounding hills, with thousands of little lights beginning to sparkle in the distance.
It was one of those lovely Italian evening scenes that make you forget everything else for a moment.
Including your empty stomach.
Almost.
We kept walking, turning another corner, checking another street, hoping to discover that one little restaurant still serving dinner.
Nothing.
At some point, we had to accept that our romantic final dinner in Calabria simply wasn’t going to happen.
But here’s the funny thing.
I absolutely loved Rende.
It wasn’t the evening we’d planned, but it turned into a wonderful little photographic adventure. Beautiful churches, fascinating architecture, atmospheric streets and those gorgeous views across the valley.
And because there were so few people around, I could photograph almost everything without waiting for someone to move out of my frame.
Every cloud has a silver lining. Especially when you’re a photographer.
Eventually, we returned to the hotel, where one last Aperol Spritz helped us say goodbye to Calabria properly.
We still had suitcases to pack and a long drive back to Bari the following morning.
Would I recommend visiting Rende Old Town?
Absolutely.
Would I recommend arriving hungry and expecting to find dinner without checking what’s open?
Absolutely not. 😂
Rende, you were beautiful. But next time, please feed me!
The journey home: Shopping, airport lounge and a delayed flight
The following morning, we packed our bags and drove back towards Bari. Our Italian adventure was almost over.
But first, there was time for a little shopping.
Obviously.
I managed to buy myself a Levi’s jacket, a Puma jumper and a hat.
Did I need them?
Probably not.
Did I deserve them after surviving two weeks of Italian heat, mountain roads and travelling with three boys?
Absolutely.
After shopping, we returned the rental car and headed to the airport. And this is where we made one of the best decisions of the entire holiday.
We went to the airport lounge.
Instead of sitting in a crowded departure hall, we settled into comfortable seats, helped ourselves to food and drinks, and let the boys disappear into the wonderful world of the internet.
Then came the announcement. Our flight was delayed by almost two hours.
Normally, that would have meant wandering around the airport, checking the departure board and wondering how much longer we had to wait.
Not this time.
We had food.
We had drinks.
The boys had WiFi.
Everyone was happy.
Eventually, we boarded our flight and said goodbye to Italy. By the time we arrived home, it was already after midnight.
And apparently, while we had been away, our house had turned into a small hotel. My sister had arrived for a visit with her children, and Tymon’s girlfriend Libby was staying too. After two weeks of travelling as a family of four, we returned to a house full of people.
Fortunately, everyone was already asleep. We quietly brought in our bags, left the unpacking for another day and finally headed to bed.
Home sweet home.
Two weeks, two regions and a thousand memories
Looking back, this holiday was never going to be just about lying beside the swimming pool. Although, after experiencing the Italian summer heat, I must admit that the swimming pool became a very important member of our family.
We started in Puglia, where ancient towns, cave churches, beautiful countryside and wonderful food introduced us to a different side of Italy.
Then came Calabria. The dramatic coastline, colourful murals, little mountain villages, narrow streets, beautiful churches and roads that occasionally made me question whether I really needed to see what was waiting around the next corner.
There were places that completely stole my heart, like Santa Sofia d’Epiro, Civita and Diamante. There were places that didn’t quite live up to my expectations. And there were days when we did absolutely nothing, because sometimes doing nothing is exactly what a holiday needs.
We ate far too much pasta and pizza, enjoyed our cappuccinos and cornetti, discovered beautiful beaches and watched the Italian landscape change from coastal towns to mountains that seemed to stretch endlessly into the distance.
We laughed, explored, occasionally disagreed about where to go next and somehow managed to survive two weeks together without anyone being left behind in an Italian village. Although, after the boys announced that seeing one town meant seeing them all, I must admit the thought briefly crossed my mind.
But perhaps my favourite part of this holiday was discovering places I hadn’t expected to love.
A little church hidden in a quiet village.
A mural covering an ordinary building.
A mountain road leading somewhere completely unexpected.
A beautiful view that made us stop the car simply because we couldn’t drive past without taking a photograph.
Those are the moments I will remember. Not just the famous attractions or the places everyone tells you to visit, but the unexpected discoveries along the way.
And that is exactly why I love travelling. Because sometimes the most beautiful memories are made when you take a different road, stop somewhere you hadn’t planned to visit and allow yourself to be surprised.
Italy, you have been wonderful.
Hot. Very, very hot.
But wonderful.
And while I am happy to be home, surrounded by family, with my own bed waiting for me, I already know that sooner or later I’ll start looking at a map again. Because there are still so many roads we haven’t taken, so many little towns we haven’t explored and so many stories waiting to be discovered.
Until the next adventure. ❤️
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