Calabria

Position
Geographically, Calabria is distinct, due to its peripheral and almost isolated location whencompared with the rest of Italy and Europe. Its central location in the Mediterranean Sea enables guests to reach Calabria by airplane in a few hours from virtually any location within and outside the European Union (EU). Calabria is also well served by a network of highways and trains.

Territory
The complex landscape of the territory provides an outstanding variety of environments such as the Mediterranean Sea and the mountains which cross the region. More specifically, plains constitute 9% of the territory, hills 49.2% and mountains 41.8%. Calabria is one of the most heavily wooded areas in Italy (28.2% of its surface). A wealth of splendid scenery lies along the littoral which, includes the Tyrrhenian and Ionian coasts.This stretches for nearly 800 km and is characterized by a tremendous panorama that rages from delightful rocky coves (especially on the Tyrrhenian) to vast beaches on a clear sparkling sea. The magnificent inland area is dotted with tiny picturesque villages hugging the hills that slope down to the water, with colorful and typically Mediterranean citrus plantations and olive groves. As for the coasts, Calabria presents some of the most renowned diving sites in Italy; one of these sites is located in the sea facing Santa Caterina Ionio.

Climate
The climate is one of the major strengths of the region with a yearly average temperature of 22.34 C. In the coastal zones, the climate is Mediterranean, with mild rainy winters and hot dry summers; towards the interior, it becomes progressively continental, particularly on the high mountains. Precipitation is plentiful, especially at an altitude, on the Tyrrhenian flanks, but is scantier on low-lying ground and on coastal summits.