Holidays in Soverato: sea, beach and fun

What is special about Soverato beach and its sea? In addition to being a guarantee of excellent services, perfect for families booking their holidays in Soverato, they are also an unspoilt place, awarded every year with the prestigious Blue Flag and Green Flag (beaches suitable for children). Do you want to spend your holiday in Soverato with your four-legged friend? You can do so with complete peace of mind, as Soverato Beach is one of Calabria's pet-friendly beaches and has a very special lifeguard service: on the free sections of beach, rescues are carried out by the excellent Labrador dogs of the local SICS (Italian School of Water Rescue Dogs).

Those seeking services and comfort for a carefree holiday can rely on the professionalism and longstanding experience of Soverato's beach establishments, always attentive to bathers' needs – from beach facilities to sporting, leisure and recreational activities. By day, relaxation, sunbathing and wellness practices (such as an authentic sunrise "salute to the sun" from the bay); by night, sea-view aperitifs that stretch into the early hours, transforming into memorable disco evenings.

Nature and diving enthusiasts will appreciate this extraordinary stretch of sea, in the centre of the Gulf of Squillace, whose seabed reveals the abundant presence of the seahorse (Hippocampus), a protected species that gives its name to the entire bay and makes the waters off Soverato one of the Regional Marine Parks.

A true "pearl" of the Calabrian Ionian Riviera, the coast of Soverato is dominated by the monumental Tower of Charles V, one of the many watchtowers built in the Middle Ages to protect the towns from attacks by Saracen pirates. The tower is set in one of the town's must-see locations: the "Santicelli" Botanical Garden, from which you can enjoy a breathtaking view of the entire gulf, surrounded by well-kept Mediterranean scrub. The Soverato seafront is the meeting point for the community and tourists in all seasons. Surrounded by all kinds of venues (lidos/beach clubs, kiosks, gourmet restaurants, discos and ice-cream parlours), palm gardens, oleanders, exotic trees and well-equipped parks (for both sports and children's play), the promenade is a must-do walk that runs along Soverato beach for 3 km.

Far from being a purely seaside destination, the town of Soverato offers several attractions all year round. Spending your holiday in Soverato means discovering a place with very ancient, even prehistoric origins, as evidenced by the small funerary cavities carved into the rock known as the "Grotticelle", presumably identified as a Sicel-type necropolis. In the immediate vicinity, during winter storms, the submerged remains of a vast Roman quarry emerge, the preservation of which is truly unusual to see.

The other interesting archaeological site, this time medieval, is the one that stands on the hill of the Soverato Vecchia (also known as the Soverato Antica). This is the original 16th-century village, which was destroyed and abandoned in the 1783 earthquake. Among the ruins, the remains of the houses (tower-houses, some with chimneys and adjoining services), the Palazzo Baronale and the old parish church are still visible. An alternative trek with breathtaking views is the one that runs along the entire Via Panoramica, passing through the aforementioned Botanical Garden and the nearby Adventure Park.

If you love art, especially that of the "southern school", don't miss the famous Pietà by the sculptor Antonello Gagini, in Carrara marble, kept in the Chiesa Matrice dell'Addolorata church, in the town of Soverato Superiore (located just above the marina). Finally, you can't end your holiday in Soverato without tasting the typical seafood dishes, particularly those featuring the king of Soverato cuisine: the Mediterranean pink shrimp, which abounds in the Gulf of Squillace.