About Badolato

Along the whole length of Calabria there is a mountain ridge with a whole network of adjacent mountain towns, hundreds of years old. Similar towns were established by the coast much later. Each mountain town and its neighboring coastal town have the same name, with the addition of “Marina” or “di Mare” for the coastal town and “superior” or “di montagne” for the mountain town.

There are also two Badolatos. Our house is a few minutes from Badolato Marina. Badolato Marina is by the Ionian Sea. There is a wide sandy beach the whole length of the town. The beach is very spacious, so you can find a place to sit and bathe, wherever you like. There are also good diving possibilities, as there are many shipwrecks in the area. There is a nature reserve north of the harbor, where sea turtles come to lay their eggs in august and September. There are plenty of shopping possibilities in the town – butcher, baker, cake shop, bars, chemist, hardware store, hairdresser etc. – and a large supermarket with butcher, charcuterie and cheese departments.

The picturesque mountain town Badolato Superiore was established in 1081. It was a popular stopover for the first crusaders, and the temple lords should, according to legend, have hidden the holy grail somewhere in the town.

The town has 12 churches, and rumor has it that the town’s clean spa water comes from a holy spring under it. Many local people take the road up to the mountain ridge to fill their water bottles with holy water.

The trip from Badolato Marina to Badolato Superior takes 10 minutes by car and 35 minutes by bike. It is worth the effort to bike, as when you arrive sweaty and thirsty, you can enjoy the fantastic view over the Ionian Sea and afterwards enjoy a refreshment in the local bar. There are a number of roads leading to the adjacent mountain towns.

The closest larger city in the area is Soverato. It is by the sea, and has about 20,000 inhabitants. There are plenty of shops, cafes and restaurants – and market day every Friday is a great attraction for the whole area.

Badolato and the vicinity are not places for a hefty evening night out. You choose Badolato if you want to relax and enjoy the warm weather and water, and if you like to exercise, enjoy nature and culture, and experience Italy as it once was.