Sant'Andrea Apostolo dello Jonio
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Sant'Andrea Apostolo dello Jonio

Sant'Andrea Apostolo dello Jonio

Hillside Calabrian town above the Ionian Sea, with mountain views and a quiet old centre.

Sant'Andrea Apostolo dello Jonio is a small town in Catanzaro province perched on a hillside above the Ionian Sea coast. Like many towns on the eastern side of Calabria, it is quiet and largely untouched by international tourism, which is precisely what makes it appealing. The views from the upper town stretch across the blue Ionian to one side and up toward the Sila mountains on the other.

Below the town, a long stretch of sandy beach runs along the coast, uncrowded even in the height of summer. The water is clean and warm, and a few seasonal lido bars set up umbrellas and serve cold drinks. The old centre of town has narrow lanes, a couple of churches — including the parish church of Sant'Andrea Apostolo that gives the town its name — and a handful of family-run trattorias serving simple Calabrian cooking -- grilled fish, pasta with 'nduja, and local wines from the surrounding hills.

Getting here requires a car or patience with infrequent regional buses. The nearest train station is at Soverato, about 15 kilometres south. The reward for the effort is a genuine slice of everyday southern Italian life, far from the crowds of the Amalfi Coast or the Sicilian resorts.

Guide

Eating Out

Eating in Sant'Andrea Apostolo dello Jonio means eating Calabrian, and in this part of Calabria that means eating well and without fuss. This is strictly a family trattoria town — there are no tourist restaurants, no menus translated into English, no photographs of pasta on laminated boards. The places here cook for the people who live here, and that is the best possible recommendation.

The fish comes from the Ionian directly below town, and if the boats were out the previous night you will find it grilled simply and served with local olive oil and a wedge of lemon. Pasta dishes lean heavily on the regional pantry: 'nduja — the famously fiery, spreadable pork sausage that is one of Calabria's great contributions to Italian food — turns up in a sauce for pasta, spread on bread, or stirred into eggs. If you see pitta 'mpigliata on offer, order it: a tightly wound pastry stuffed with figs, honey, nuts, and spices, it is a Calabrian speciality that predates most of what we now think of as Italian cooking, and it is rarely made as well as it is in the homes and small bakeries of these hill towns.

The local cheeses deserve attention too. Caciocavallo Silano — the teardrop-shaped aged cow's milk cheese made on the Sila plateau nearby — is the one to look for, eaten with a little honey or alongside cured meats. Wash it all down with the Cirò wines produced just up the coast, one of Calabria's oldest DOC zones and still undervalued outside the region.

Portions are large, prices are low by any standard, and the hours follow the local rhythms rather than the tourist trade. Lunch is serious and unhurried, beginning around 1pm and rarely over before 3pm. In summer some places open in the evening; outside peak season dinner may not be available at all unless you ask in advance. The phrase "si mangia quello che c'è" — you eat what there is — applies, and what there is will be good.

Guide

Getting There

By train

The nearest train station is Soverato, about 15 kilometres south of Sant'Andrea, on the coastal line that runs between Reggio Calabria and Taranto. This line connects the toe and the heel of Italy along the Ionian shore and is served by Trenitalia regional trains; it is scenic but not fast. From Soverato, the occasional local bus or a taxi will get you up to Sant'Andrea. Buses are infrequent and the schedule changes seasonally — check in advance rather than assume one will be waiting. A taxi from Soverato to the town is the more reliable option and not expensive by northern European standards.

By car

A car is the practical choice for this part of Calabria, and Sant'Andrea is easy to reach once you are on the right road. From Catanzaro the drive takes around 45 minutes, heading south and east toward the coast on the SP179. From further north, the A3/E45 motorway runs through the Calabrian interior — exit at Catanzaro Lido and follow signs toward Soverato and the coast. Alternatively, the SS106 state road runs directly along the Ionian shore; it is slower than the motorway through the interior, but the coastal scenery makes it worth considering if you are not in a hurry. From Reggio Calabria the SS106 is the most direct route.

By air

The nearest airports are Lamezia Terme (SUF), about 80 kilometres away, which handles most flights to Calabria including connections to Rome, Milan, and some international routes. Reggio Calabria (REG) is further south but also an option. From either airport a rental car is the most sensible onward option for reaching Sant'Andrea directly.

Guide

Things to Do

Sant'Andrea Apostolo dello Jonio is small enough that you can see everything on foot in a day — but that is not the point. The pleasure here is in slowing down: a morning swim at the beach below town, a wander through the old stone lanes of the upper borgo, and a long lunch at one of the family trattorias. Use the filters below to browse by type.