Is Calabria safe? What all new visitors need to know
Calabria is a southern region of Italy, occupying the toe of the Italian peninsula’s boot and stretching from the mountains to the sea.
It is famous for its 500 miles of coastline, divided between the Tyrrhenian Sea and the Ionian Sea, with some truly spectacular beaches.
But there is another question on the minds of thousands of curious travellers planning a trip to Italy: is Calabria safe to travel to?
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So, is Calabria safe to visit?
With its warm summers, mild winters and beautiful landscapes, Calabria has plenty to offer travellers looking to experience a different side of Italy.
You can snorkel in crystalline waters, visit picturesque fishing villages and connect with nature while hiking through its three national parks.
The quick answer is yes. But I want to go deeper into the question and shed some light on this fascinating region, sometimes referred to as Italy’s “third island”.
How safe is Calabria
For the vast majority of visitors, Calabria is a safe region to visit. Sticking to the hotspots, there’s no reason why you should be concerned about this aspect when it comes to deciding whether you should spend your holiday here or not.
Like anywhere in Italy, you should take the usual precautions when travelling around Calabria, particularly in busy tourist areas and larger cities.
Southern regions like Calabria are known for their long mafia history, but that was a major problem in the past more than it is today.
Additionally, even if the social, economic and political impact of the ‘ndrangheta (Calabrian mafia) persists and affects the region’s commercial activities and businesses, it never affects tourists or their everyday travel experiences.
Places to avoid in Calabria
- Arghillà and Sbarre neighbourhoods in Reggio Calabria
- Corvo, Aranceto and viale Isonzo areas of Catanzaro
- San Francesco, Fondo Gesù and Vescotavello in Crotone
- Feudotto neighbourhood in Vibo Valentia
- Via Popilia, San Vito and Gergeri neighbourhoods in Cosenza
What can represent a danger in Calabria is driving around some cities’ streets; also, do not leave your valuable belongings in the car.
To help you feel more comfortable, feel free to check out my Calabria travel itinerary for inspiration on where to go and how to plan your trip with ease.
Calabria crime rate
According to Numbeo.com, the level of crime in Catanzaro (the capital city of Calabria) is moderate.
Bribery and corruption are frequent crimes in Italy and especially in southern regions of the peninsula, but they never influence tourists.
What tourists should be more aware of is that there’s a general high concern of thieves breaking into houses and stealing personal and valuable belongings, or stealing a car, or having belongings inside the car stolen.
Finally, there’s a big problem of people using or dealing with drugs, concerns about property crimes and vandalism or theft.
These numbers might change and be lower when moving to touristic destinations such as Tropea and Amantea.
Is Calabria safe for tourists?
Calabria is a safe destination for tourists. As previously explained, tourists are not affected by local mafia crimes.
However, Calabria is known as the poorest region in Italy. That is the reason; if you have already had the chance to check hotel rates or prices in the shops, they’re generally lower than in other southern regions and in the rest of the country.
For a tourist, this aspect represents an extra reason to travel to this part of Italy, particularly if looking for cheap hotels to stay at close to the beach.
Staying safe in Calabria is no concern, and travelling as a family is easy.
Calabria is a great region to travel to with kids for the great number of activities you can do with them. You can even find one or two hostels in Calabria if you happen to be backpacking in Italy or travelling here on a tight budget.
Solo travel and female travel are safe options too, as you can easily move around the region by train and walk around both during daytime and nighttime by yourself.
If you will be renting a car, remember to never leave your belongings inside it and try to park in places that feel safe or have CCTV cameras.
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Where to stay in Calabria
Calabria is all about perched villages situated among rugged mountains facing white beaches and turquoise waters.
If you’re wondering where to stay in Calabria, you have several options. The area I recommend visiting is the Coast of the Gods, the 55-kilometre stretch of coastline connecting Pizzo Calabro to Nicotera.
See the map below: to check the best tourist spots of the area! Among the most popular destinations you have Tropea, Pizzo Calabro, Capo Vaticano, Riaci and Vibo Marina. Home to Calabria’s best beaches.
A great spot to spend your holidays in Tropea, this old town boasts a vast selection of accommodation types, and it’s one of the best places in Calabria for its restaurants.
See the Townhouse Tropea for a relaxing stay in the beautiful historical city centre and only a 4-minute walk from the beach! From Tropea you can easily reach other villages on the coast by car or by train.
Calabria travel safety tips
Calabria is a safe region to visit in Italy, but let’s look at some useful Calabrian travel safety tips to put into practice when spending your holidays here.
As I said, safety is not an issue for tourists visiting this region, and I can guarantee you that here you’ll never feel unsafe.
- Don’t wear flashy and expensive items if you want to avoid attracting petty criminals’ attention.
- Always check your personal belongings if going for a swim in the sea, and nobody can check for you.
- Always carry some water-resistant sunscreen like this one along with you to protect yourself while sunbathing in the region.
- Try to limit the amount of expensive items you carry with you, especially if you’ll be leaving your belongings on the beach.
- Walking around (even if just by yourself) is not a problem during the daytime, but be more alert during the nighttime. Most tourist areas are safe at any time of the day.
- Don’t leave valuables in the car to avoid the risk of getting them stolen. Remember that when renting a car in the southern regions in Italy, it is highly recommended to get premium car insurance.
- The most dangerous cities in Calabria for the number of crimes reported are Reggio Calabria, Crotone and Vibo Valentia. Normally, these crimes are strictly connected to the ‘Ndrangheta operations, and they don’t influence the tourist activity in any way.
- Check out this Italian phrasebook to be able to learn some Italian phrases so you can ask for directions or, in case you need help from locals.
- The road SS 106 is considered the most dangerous road in Europe due to the high number of car accidents. This road runs along the Ionian coast from Reggio Calabria to Taranto.
- When walking in crowded streets or visiting busy attractions, be careful and keep your belongings close.
Your main concerns when travelling to Calabria are the same universal safety laws as when you are travelling everywhere else in the world.
I suggest keeping your personal belonging with you at all times and being extra careful when driving around Calabrian streets. Here, sometimes the rules of the road are not respected, and there are many careless drivers to be aware of.
Best time to visit Calabria
Calabria has a Mediterranean and subtropical climate, which means long, warm and dry summers and short and mild winters. The southern region is also known to be one of the sunniest regions in Europe.
The highest temperature over summer is 30°C, and the lowest in winter is 15°C. If you’re travelling to enjoy some sun and beach time, the best time of the year to travel to Calabria is summer. Between June and August, all tourist activities and services are open and running.
It’s good to know, though, that these months are the most popular for both international and Italian tourists. This means that accommodation rates and flight prices are higher than in any other month of the year.
For this reason, I advise visiting Calabria before the end of July or in the shoulder seasons: in this case, May and September are great options. Temperatures are already high (20-25°C), and you can find better hotel deals and cheaper flights.
