Gerace, the spur of stone that towers over the Locride and the Ionian

There is a point, as you climb up from the Ionian coast of the Locride, where the road stops running and begins to climb. At the top you find Gerace, a stone village hoisted onto a rocky spur that dominates valleys and olive groves all the way to the sea. From up here silence is the first thing you notice: no queues, no lines of tour buses, only the wind and the odd voice bouncing between the ancient walls.

The historic centre

The heart of the town is a maze of narrow alleys, arches, stone portals and small churches that appear suddenly around a bend. The cathedral, one of the largest in Calabria, is the monument everyone mentions: a basilica of medieval design, sober and imposing, with salvaged columns that tell of centuries layered upon one another. But the beauty of Gerace lies in walking it with no fixed destination, letting the scenic terraces and the artisans' workshops set the rhythm of the day.

Crafts and flavours

Here undertourism is not a pose: it is the natural condition of a village that the great current of travel has largely ignored. Hand-worked ceramics, bread, cheeses and local wines are still found in the hands of those who make them, and stopping to talk with a craftsman or an innkeeper is part of the experience. It is worth staying at least one night: at sunset, when the day-trippers head back toward the coast, the town empties and becomes almost your own.

When to go

To enjoy it without the heat and the modest summer crowds, choose spring or autumn, when the light is soft and the temperatures invite you to wander up and down the alleys. Gerace is easily reached by car from the Ionian state road, and it can become a base for exploring the interior of the Locride, from the Greek-speaking villages to the trails of the Aspromonte.

Related guides: Where to go to the seaside in September without the crowds: the South once the tourists leave · Where to go in January in Italy: art cities and villages out of season.

Getting there

Gerace towers over the Locride a few kilometres from the Ionian coast: by car it is reached from the Strada Statale 106, exiting at Locri and then climbing toward the village along the former Statale 111. The nearest railway station is Locri, on the Ionian line, from which you continue by bus or taxi for the last uphill kilometres. The reference airports are Reggio Calabria and Lamezia Terme, both about two hours' drive away.

Practical guides for Reggio Calabria

• Where to stay in Reggio Calabria
• What to see in Reggio Calabria
• Where to eat in Reggio Calabria
• How to get to Reggio Calabria