Campora San Giovanni: Coast, History and Calabrian Cuisine
Accommodation in Campora San Giovanni
Campora San Giovanni is located on the Tyrrhenian coast. Since the 1950s, the town has developed on a small plateau above a plain bordering the beach. Here, the coast meets the hills, while the local cuisine combines rural and maritime origins.
File:Panorama notturno Campora San Giovanni drone 2020.jpg
Photo: Luigi Salvatore Vadacchino via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Coastal landscape overlooking the Gulf of Lamezia
The hill around Campora San Giovanni is used for growing grapes and olives. Sloping gently down towards the town, it offers views of the Gulf of Lamezia. On clear days, Stromboli can be seen on the horizon from the hill above Campora San Giovanni. This combination of a coastal location, agriculture and expansive sea views appeals to travellers who want to experience Calabria’s regional character as well as being close to the beach.
Archaeology and historical landmarks
The archaeological area of Temesa lies between Campora San Giovanni-Amantea and Serra d’Aiello and is associated with classical antiquity. Near Campora San Giovanni there is an archaic cult building with remarkably well-preserved dry-stone walls; it measures 29.20 × 9.75 metres. The temple is attributed to Greek architecture from the first decades of the 6th century BC.
The Torre di San Giovanni, locally known as “U Turriune”, was built in the 16th century as a coastal watchtower to monitor the coast for Turkish corsair ships. Sacred sites are also part of the townscape: the Chiesa di Santa Filomena is located in Augurato, while the Chiesa di Sant'Anna in Mirabelli houses missals from the 17th century. The Chiesa di San Pietro Apostolo is the parish church of Campora San Giovanni. For the Chiesa di San Pietro Apostolo in Campora San Giovanni, the following Mass times are listed from 16 August to 23 August: Sundays at 09:00 and 19:00, and Mondays to Saturdays at 19:00.
Festivals and cuisine from Campora
The traditional Corpus Domini flower festival in Campora San Giovanni has been documented for 14 years (as of 2025). The town’s culinary character is reflected in several specific traditions. The local red onion is called “grossa a collo di cigno”. On Shrove Tuesday, families in Campora traditionally prepare Frittata i Carunevale, a spaghetti frittata with fresh ricotta and sausage.
The Festival della Cipolla Rossa di Calabria offers typical onion dishes as well as music and dancing. Various local businesses that produce and market the Rossa di Calabria take part. The event “Cucina Contadina – Ricette Dimenticate” focused on the traditional cuisine of Campora and Calabria in general, with typical dishes and music connected with Calabrian folk traditions.
Maritime connections and travel planning
The maritime travel connection includes the tourist port of Amantea, which is located in the district of Campora San Giovanni. From there, the Aeolian Islands can be reached in a short time. When planning your stay, you can give different weight to the coastal landscape, historical topics, local cuisine or the maritime connection to the Aeolian Islands, depending on your interests. When choosing a hotel or other accommodation, this thematic weighting helps define the desired character of your trip without presupposing the features of any individual accommodation.
More destinations
For further travel planning, you can also visit Zumpano, Cetraro, Torricella, Rocca Imperiale, Acquappesa Cs, Marina Di Amendolara, Lago and Parenti.
To the higher-level travel overview: Cosenza.
