The rugged shores of Calabria, Italy call out to women with winter wanderlust

As all bloggers know, you meet some of the nicest people in the blogosphere, virtually or in reality.  One such new friend is Sue over at The Pownall Chronicles and more recently, Art of a Nomad.  Sue is a wonderful artist who is lucky enough to call Calabria home for at least part of the year.  With that in mind, when I heard that Sue would be traveling back to the land of my Nonno last month, I asked her to jot down a guest blog for all of the single women who think about heading to the southern part of Italy, even during the winter.

Many parts of Calabria are stunningly beautiful in winter, which you can appreciate without crowds. The threat of rain puts many people off traveling in the off-season, but this is Italy, so what could be better than to spend a rainy spell tasting the Calabrian food and wine? Besides, if you visit in November or December, the rain is usually short-lived.

Spiaggia di Scalea al tramonto

Calabria has miles and miles of beaches. On a winter break, they are the ideal place to walk away the stresses of everyday life as you have them virtually to yourself. In fact, everywhere you go in Calabria in winter is quiet, but the beaches are special. The crash of waves as they break against the Calabrian shore, whilst the wind blows freshly against your face, seems different to anywhere else in the world. I cannot explain it, but try it for yourself and see if I am correct.

Many sites are open for shorter hours during the off-season, so while it may be more difficult to arrange a visit, once there you have them to yourself. In addition, traveling alone  allows you to pop into churches less obtrusively than during the summer and wonder at the hidden Italian art and craftsmanship for as long as you want to without getting in anyone’s way.

In winter, you can come across many different festas. For example, while I was in a village of the Pollino National Park last December, there was a festa, which I still don’t know what it was celebrating. It involved an early-evening communal dinner and drinking in the main square.

Pollino National Park, Calabria, Italy

Following that, groups of men walked through the village, stopping at various points and singing folk-type songs. Or maybe they were carols? Upon arriving back in the main square, a live band accompanied dancing around a bonfire. It was great fun to watch, and if you are brave enough, which I wasn’t, probably to join in with as well.

Finally, as a single traveler, traveling to Calabria in winter brings several benefits: meeting locals who have the time to stop and chat; sitting in a restaurant for as long as you like without the summer guilt of families queued for your table; and lastly there are no half-naked people who really should be covered in more than a thong.  LOL – Sue Pownall

Scalea, Italia - che bell villagio