Holiday apartment in Falerna – between coast, churches and Monte Mancuso

Falerna offers an unusually diverse setting for a holiday in Calabria: the area descends from Monte Mancuso, at an altitude of 1,360 metres, down to the sea. At the same time, the coast shapes the municipality with an extent of more than four kilometres. Those looking for a holiday apartment in Falerna can therefore tailor their stay to different interests – with coastal landscapes, mountain nature, history, churches and the region’s olive-growing culture as clear themes.

Coast and mountain landscape around Falerna

The municipal coastline stretches from the Torrente Marevitano, also known as Malevitano, to the Torrente Grima. For your travel planning, this creates a spatial contrast between the sea and the higher areas around Monte Mancuso. In 2026, Falerna was one of four new places in Calabria to receive the Blue Flag award. This distinction is therefore one of the specific features that shape the town’s coastal character.

Falerna’s history also reveals a connection between its various districts. The remains of Castello di Castiglione are located on the hill where the village of Castiglione Marittimo stands; Castiglione Marittimo is a district of Falerna. Castello di Castiglione was owned by the d’Aquino family from 1306 to 1799. For those interested in culture, a single historic site thus becomes a starting point for taking a closer look at the settlement’s development and its location within the municipality.

Churches, festivals and visible history

Falerna has several religious buildings with different architectural details. The Chiesa della Madonna del Rosario has an exposed-masonry façade crowned by a gable. In the Chiesa Parrocchiale di San Tommaso D’Aquino, you will find a single-nave layout and two chapels on the sides of the transept. Its ceiling bears medallions depicting episodes from the life of Saint Thomas and the Mysteries of the Rosary.

The apse of the Chiesa Parrocchiale di San Tommaso D’Aquino is particularly striking: a round dome vaults the space and rests on four Baroque columns. The symbols of the four Evangelists are painted on these columns. Falerna also has a church dedicated to Madonna del Cammino, which was formerly the seat of a confraternity that no longer exists today. The festival in honour of Madonna del SS Rosario takes place in Falerna every year on the first Sunday in October.

Olive groves, routes and regional tradition

The local landscape can also be explored through its agriculture. La via dell’olio runs through olive groves and includes a visit to the “Le Macine” olive mill. The Roman villa of Pian delle Vigne offers a historic connection to the processing of olive oil and wine: it included torcularia for processing wine and olive oil. In Falerna, present-day landscapes and archaeologically documented forms of regional production thus come together.

A forestry road offers an active way to experience the mountain landscape. It leads from a turnoff on the SS 18 through landscapes with olive trees, holm oaks, oaks, chestnuts and beeches up to Monte Mancuso. A road built around 1925 connects Falerna Marina with Castiglione Marittimo and the main town of Falerna. These local references help you distinguish between Falerna Marina, Castiglione Marittimo and the main town of Falerna when choosing a holiday apartment in Falerna, without reducing the destination to just one type of travel experience.

Further places for your travel planning: Lamezia Terme, Pianopoli, Roccelletta, Badolato Marina, Gimigliano, Soverato Marina, Badolato, Taverna

For the overarching travel overview: Catanzaro.