Holiday apartment in Campora San Giovanni: Coast, culture and Calabrian cuisine

Campora San Giovanni lies on the Tyrrhenian coast. The town developed from the 1950s onwards on a small plateau above a plain bordering the beach. The gently sloping hill leading down to the town is used for growing grapes and olives and offers views of the Gulf of Lamezia. On clear days, Stromboli can be seen on the horizon from the hill above Campora San Giovanni.

From the coast to traces of antiquity

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 also 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 of the first decades of the 6th century BC.

Churches, tower and local history

The Chiesa di San Pietro Apostolo is the parish church of Campora San Giovanni. For the period from 16 August to 23 August, the following Mass times are listed: Sundays at 09:00 and 19:00, and Mondays to Saturdays at 19:00. The Chiesa di Santa Filomena is located in Augurato, while the Chiesa di Sant'Anna in Mirabelli houses missals from the 17th century. The Torre di San Giovanni is locally known as “U Turriune”. It was built in the 16th century as a coastal watchtower to monitor the coast for Turkish corsair ships.

Calabrian cuisine and local traditions

The cuisine of Campora San Giovanni has rural and maritime origins. The local red onion is known as “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 features 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; typical dishes and music associated with Calabrian folk traditions were at the centre. The traditional Corpus Domini flower festival in Campora San Giovanni has been held for 14 years (as of 2025).

A coastal town with a maritime outlook

The tourist harbour of Amantea is located in the hamlet of Campora San Giovanni. From there, the Aeolian Islands can be reached in a short time.

Discover more places in the region

For further travel planning, you can also find Frascineto, Spezzano Della Sila, Terranova Da Sibari, San Marco Argentano, Francavilla Marittima, Firmo, Lattarico and Vaccarizzo.

For the higher-level travel overview: Cosenza.