Reggio Calabria travel guide
Riace Bronzes, a seafront promenade and ferries to Sicily
The largest city in Calabria, rebuilt after 1908, with the Riace Bronzes and a long promenade looking across to Sicily. Come in late spring or early autumn for warm sea without the August heat. One or two days is enough, plus day trips along the coast. Costs are above average, and Schengen rules give many passports 90 days.
Reggio Calabria spreads along the toe of Italy, facing Sicily across the Strait of Messina with the Aspromonte mountains behind it. Most of the city was rebuilt after the 1908 earthquake and tsunami, so expect straight streets rather than old lanes. The draw is the seafront and one outstanding museum.
Go for the Riace Bronzes. These two life-size Greek warriors, cast in the fifth century BC, stand in the Museo Nazionale della Magna Grecia on Piazza De Nava, about 100 m from Lido station. Visitors enter their climate-controlled room in limited numbers after a pause in a filter chamber, so give the whole museum at least two hours.
Evenings belong to the Lungomare Falcomatà, the long promenade above the shore. Walk it at sunset towards the Arena dello Stretto, stop for gelato at Cesare's green kiosk in Piazza Indipendenza, then try crispellini, small fried dough balls with fish, at Cordon Bleu on Corso Garibaldi. On some hot, still days the Fata Morgana mirage seems to pull the Sicilian coast within touching distance.
Explore Reggio Calabria by theme
Find your kind of trip: 24 travel themes, each with the packages in Reggio Calabria.
Reggio Calabria at a glance
The essentials first-time visitors ask about, in one place.
Explore more of Italy
Pick a place by travel style: beaches, nature, cities, heritage, hills, islands.
Nothing in that category yet.
Top things to do in Reggio Calabria
One major museum, a seafront walk and the Strait itself are the reasons to stop.
No things to do in Reggio Calabria are listed yet. Browse all things to do
Best time to visit Reggio Calabria
Month by month, so you can pick the weather and the crowds you want.
Swimming weather, cooler nights on the Lungomare and clear views across to Sicily.
Hot and busy with Italian holidaymakers; the promenade comes alive late at night.
Mild by Italian standards and quiet; a good time for the museum without queues.
On the second Saturday of September the Madonna della Consolazione is carried from the Basilica dell'Eremo down Corso Garibaldi to the cathedral.
Packages in Demand
A Journey to Remember
Tours, activities and day trips in and around this destination, with the details you need before booking.
No packages in Reggio Calabria are listed yet. Browse all packages
Create Your Custom-Made Trip to Reggio Calabria
Traveling to Reggio Calabria? Chat with a Local Travel Specialist in Reggio Calabria Who Can Help Organize Your Trip.
START HEREOur Travel Experts are Recommended by
Plan your trip
Practical answers before you go. Pick a topic.
Getting there
Small airport, coastal trains and Messina ferries
Reggio is the end of the line for mainland Italy, and the ways in reflect that. The small Aeroporto dello Stretto at Ravagnese, about 5 km south, has ITA Airways flights from Rome and Milan and, since Ryanair opened a base there in 2024, routes to other Italian and European cities; coastal trains stop at its station.
- Airport
- At Ravagnese, about 5 km south; regional trains run from the airport station into the city
- Reggio Calabria Centrale
- On Piazza Garibaldi, with the city bus terminal outside
- Ferries from Messina
- Liberty Lines catamarans for foot passengers, about 30 minutes
- Long-distance trains from Milan, Rome and Naples run down the Tyrrhenian coast, pass the ferry port at Villa San Giovanni and terminate at Reggio Calabria Centrale.
- From Sicily, boats cross from Messina in well under an hour.
- Rail tickets from Sicily list the ferry leg, but the crossing is paid separately at the terminal.
- Lido and Santa Caterina stations are closer to the ferry terminal than Centrale.
Where to stay
Corso Garibaldi or the Lido end of the promenade
Reggio stretches for kilometres along the shore but only a few blocks inland, so the address that matters is the strip between Corso Garibaldi and the sea. Anywhere in that band puts the museum, the promenade and the evening crowds within a short walk.
- Corso Garibaldi
- Pedestrian main street with the cathedral, shops and evening crowds
- Lungomare and Lido
- Close to the museum, the promenade and the Messina ferries
- Piazza Garibaldi
- By Centrale and the bus terminal, handy for an early train, plainer surroundings
- Budget rooms gather near the cathedral and around Centrale; rooms with a view of Sicily cost more and face the busy seafront road.
Getting around
ATAM buses and local trains
Squeezed between hills and sea, Reggio runs along two parallel lines, Corso Garibaldi and the seafront promenade, and both are easy on foot. ATAM runs the city buses, and nearly every route passes Piazza Garibaldi in front of Centrale. Buy tickets at newsagents and tabaccherie before boarding, as 75-minute singles or day passes.
- ATAM buses
- Hub at Piazza Garibaldi; buy tickets before you board
- Local rail
- Stops at Santa Caterina, Lido, Centrale and the airport
- Local trains also serve as a city shuttle, calling at Santa Caterina, Lido, Centrale and the airport.
- A day ticket pays off if you ride the bus more than three times.
Know before you go
What makes Reggio Calabria worth the trip, and what catches visitors out.
Why travelers love it
- The Riace Bronzes, two Greek warriors in bronze, seen in a quiet climate-controlled room.
- Sunset on the Lungomare Falcomatà, with the lights of Messina coming on across the water.
- Crossing the Strait to Messina, with the Calabrian and Sicilian shores close on either side.
Good to know
- Check your return ferry port: some boats land at Villa San Giovanni, 14 km north of Reggio.
- The museum is closed on Mondays, and entry to the Bronzes room is controlled, with small groups let through a filter chamber.
Trip fit
BookingMentor editorial ratings out of 5, based on a first-time visitor's experience.
Weather in Reggio Calabria, month by month
Each month below opens Reggio Calabria's long-term averages. Evenings on the Lungomare look across the Strait to Sicily.
Climate figures are approximate long-term averages for Reggio Calabria (Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale, via Wikipedia).
The Riace Bronzes, then a boat across to Messina
Put the Riace Bronzes in the Museo Nazionale della Magna Grecia first. After lunch, walk Corso Garibaldi past the cathedral to the Castello Aragonese, cross to Messina and back on a Liberty Lines boat, and finish with the sunset passeggiata on the Lungomare Falcomatà.
Start early at the Museo Nazionale della Magna Grecia on Piazza De Nava, a short walk from Lido station. Then queue for the Riace Bronzes, where staff let small groups through a filter chamber into the room with the two warriors. Leave time for the rest of the collection, which tells the story of the Greek colonies in southern Italy.
After lunch, walk down Corso Garibaldi past the rebuilt cathedral to the Castello Aragonese, then take a Liberty Lines boat across to Messina and back for the view of both coasts, checking that your return sailing docks at Reggio itself, not Villa San Giovanni.
In the evening, join the passeggiata on the Lungomare Falcomatà, watch the sunset over Sicily and finish with gelato at Cesare in Piazza Indipendenza.
Crispellini, Cesare's gelato and bergamot
Reggio Calabria eats casually and late. Order crispellini, fried dough with fish inside, at Cordon Bleu on Corso Garibaldi, and gelato at Cesare, a kiosk in Piazza Indipendenza open since 1918. Try anything made with bergamot, the citrus grown on this coast, as a liqueur or a cocktail on the Lungomare.
Reggio eats casually and late. Cordon Bleu on Corso Garibaldi looks formal, with waiters in black tie, but it is really a street-side snack bar under a tent; order a bag of crispellini, fried dough balls with fish inside. Gelateria Cesare, a green kiosk in Piazza Indipendenza, has served ice cream since 1918 and stays open from dawn until the small hours.
For pizza and grilled meat near Parco Caserta, La Dolce Vita on Via Cardinale Tripepi is a handy local choice. The drink to try is anything made with bergamot, the citrus grown along this coast: a liqueur or cocktail at Pepy's Beach, a bar halfway along the Lungomare, comes with the sound of waves and a view of Sicily. Limoncello is the other local after-dinner glass.
Travelers are asking
No questions yet about Reggio Calabria. Ask the community or our travel team, and the answer will show here once it is published.
Our travel desk answers questions about Reggio Calabria
How we research our Reggio Calabria travel guide
Airline routes into Reggio Calabria and the boat crossings to Messina change by season, and the page follows them, along with ATAM bus tickets. References are the city's official website and Italia.it.
Last updated . Spotted something out of date? Tell us.
Checked against trusted sources:
Official website of Reggio CalabriaItalia.itUNESCO World Heritage Centre
Before You Go...
Discover Trips & Info
A Travel Network Connection Travelers and locals
Incredible Event & Festival, Don't Miss!
Most Popular Event & Festival of Reggio Calabria
Festivals and events in this destination, with dates, venues and ticket details where available.
No upcoming festivals or events in Reggio Calabria are listed right now. Browse all events
Memorable Experiences
Where to Go (& NOT Go) In Reggio Calabria!
Roaming the World one Adventure at a Time: Travel Tales, Tips, and Inspiration for wanderlusters.
Subscriber
Popular car hire destinations
Explore more options to hire a car for cheap
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Quick answers to the questions travelers ask most before visiting Reggio Calabria.
Getting there
Yes. Regional trains call at the airport station, about 5 km south of the centre, and continue to Centrale and Lido in a few minutes. Taxis wait outside arrivals for the same short hop.
Liberty Lines catamarans for foot passengers leave from Reggio's port and take about 30 minutes. Car ferries mostly sail from Villa San Giovanni, 14 km north.
Scilla is the quick hop, a short regional train ride north with a castle above a fishing quarter. Tropea is farther up the Tyrrhenian line and needs most of a day.
General
They are in the Museo Nazionale della Magna Grecia on Piazza De Nava, open Tuesday to Sunday from 09:00 to 20:00. Entry to their room is controlled, with small groups passing through a filter chamber first.
Late May, June, September and early October. The sea is already warm, evenings on the promenade are pleasant, and you avoid the hottest, most crowded weeks of midsummer.
Give the city one full day for the museum, Corso Garibaldi and an evening on the seafront. A second day lets you ride the coastal train to Scilla or cross to Messina.
Small balls of fried dough with fish inside, sold by the bag at Cordon Bleu on Corso Garibaldi. Locals eat them standing up, often followed by a gelato at Cesare.
Easily. The pedestrian Corso runs parallel to the promenade, so the museum, the cathedral and the main squares are all linked by short, flat walks.
A rare mirage over the Strait of Messina that makes the Sicilian coast look only a few metres away, with houses and cars clearly visible.
Yes. Ryanair opened a base at Reggio in 2024, with routes to cities such as Turin, Venice, Bologna and Barcelona, alongside ITA Airways' flights to Rome and Milan.
Squeezed between hills and sea, Reggio runs along two parallel lines, Corso Garibaldi and the seafront promenade, and both are easy on foot. ATAM runs the city buses, and nearly every route passes Piazza Garibaldi in front of Centrale. Buy tickets at newsagents and tabaccherie before boarding, as 75-minute singles or day passes.
Timing & weather
The best time to visit Reggio Calabria is May to Jun, Sep to Oct. Warm sea and long evenings on the promenade, without the midsummer heat.
- Best overall: May - June, September - October (Swimming weather, cooler nights on the Lungomare and clear views across to Sicily)
- Summer: July - August (Hot and busy with Italian holidaymakers; the promenade comes alive late at night)
- Winter: November - March (Mild by Italian standards and quiet; a good time for the museum without queues)
July is the warmest month in Reggio Calabria, with average highs of 31°C, and February the coolest, with lows of 8°C. November is the wettest month, at about 82 mm of rain; July is the driest. Each month below opens Reggio Calabria's long-term averages.
Visa & documents
Schengen rules apply in Italy. Citizens of the EU and of many other countries, including the US, UK, Canada and Australia, can visit visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180-day period; other nationalities need a Schengen visa. The EU's Entry/Exit System (EES) records non-EU travelers' fingerprints and a photo at the border.
Health & safety
Violent crime against visitors to Italy is rare. Pickpocketing is the main problem, especially on buses and metros in Rome (bus 64 is notorious), at Roman and Florentine sights, and at Termini and Naples Centrale stations. Wear your bag across your body and zip it, and use only licensed white taxis or official ride apps.
