The Ring of the Greeks of Calabria in the Grecanic Area
On the Ionian slopes of the Aspromonte, at the very tip of Calabria, the Grecanic Area still endures: mountain villages where the Greek of Calabria is still spoken. A loop between Bova and Galliciano winds through half-abandoned villages overlooking a remote Ionian Sea, worlds away from the tourist circuits.
Foto: Benjamin Smith (CC BY-SA 4.0) — Wikimedia Commons
At the far tip of Calabria, where the Aspromonte plunges towards the Ionian Sea, one of Italy's oldest and most fragile linguistic minorities holds on: the Greeks of Calabria, heirs to a thousand-year-old Greek heritage that has left behind a language here, the Greek of Calabria or Grecanico, still spoken by a handful of elderly people. This is a scrap of the world where undertourism is not a choice but a condition: the villages have been emptied by landslides and emigration, and those who climb up here find near-deserted hamlets, looking out over a distant sea and over torrent beds that split the mountain apart.
Bova
The hub of the itinerary is Bova, recognised as one of Italy's most beautiful villages and the cultural capital of Calabrian Greek heritage. It clings to a rocky spur crowned by the remains of a Norman castle, with bilingual signs, its cathedral and a museum dedicated to the Greek language and traditions. From the top of the village the gaze descends along the torrent bed all the way to the sea. Bova Marina, down on the coast, preserves instead the remains of a late-antique synagogue, a sign of the layering of peoples that has passed through this land.
From Bova the loop climbs back inland, into the very heart of the Grecanic area. The most evocative destination is Galliciano, considered the most Greek village of them all, tucked away at the bottom of an isolated valley, with its little Orthodox church, its fountains and the suspended atmosphere of a place forgotten by time. To reach it you follow narrow roads that trace the torrent beds, and the final stretch makes it clear why modernity has so rarely passed this way.
The Grecanic villages
The route then touches other villages in this constellation: old Roghudi, abandoned after the floods and perched on a vertiginous ridge above the Amendolea torrent, today a ghost town of rare fascination; Roccaforte del Greco and Condofuri, where the linguistic tradition holds on; and the ruins of old Africo, a symbol of the exodus that emptied the mountain. Below, the Amendolea torrent with the remains of its castle tells of the ancient bond between the high villages and the sea.
This is not a land of grand waymarked trails, but of slow walks from one village to the next. There are hiking routes that link the Grecanic villages along the old mule tracks, and several local associations organise guided treks, the best way to avoid getting lost and to understand what you are seeing. Walking between Bova, Galliciano and the Amendolea means crossing centuries-old olive groves, torrent fords, vineyards clinging to the slopes and absolute silence.
Getting there
To get here, the reference point on the coast is the Ionian state road between Reggio Calabria and Melito di Porto Salvo, from which you climb up towards Bova. The Ionian railway serves the coastal centres such as Bova Marina and Condofuri Marina, but reaching the mountain villages requires a car: the inland roads are winding and public transport is sparse. Reggio Calabria, with its airport and station, is the natural gateway to the whole area. It is best to base yourself on the coast or in one of the inland farm stays and devote each day to one or two villages, without trying to rush through everything.
When to go
The right season is late spring, between May and June, when the torrent beds still hold a thread of water, the scrubland is fragrant and the mountain is green before the summer drought; or October, with mild temperatures and the grape harvest that brings the few remaining villages to life. Summer on the coast is scorching and the high villages stay deserted anyway, but May and October offer the best light and the most breathable air for walking. These are the months when Calabria's beaches begin or stop filling up, while up here solitude is guaranteed in every season.
A piece of advice worth more than any map: try to talk with the local people. An old man reciting a rhyme in Grecanico, a bergamot grower, a local guide are worth the trip more than any panorama. And always check on the state of the roads towards the inland villages, because torrents and landslides can leave them impassable, and up here no sat-nav will warn you.
Practical guides for Bergamo
Practical info
When is the best time to visit The Ring of the Greeks of Calabria in the Grecanic Area?
The recommended time is May, June and October, when it is less crowded.
Where is The Ring of the Greeks of Calabria in the Grecanic Area?
The Ring of the Greeks of Calabria in the Grecanic Area is located in Ionian Aspromonte, Calabria.
