What is Soverato known for?

Bandiera Blu beach of white sand and shallow water on the Gulf of Squillace, drawing a long bathing season. Sixteenth-century watchtower from the Spanish anti-Saracen coastal system, the symbol of the town. Surveys list Soverato as the highest per-capita income commune in Calabria, anchored on health, schools and tourism.

Soverato is a comune in the province of Catanzaro, Calabria region of Italy, about 142 kilometers from Reggio Calabria.

Calabria · Catanzaro

Soverato

On the Gulf of Squillace with the white-sand stretch called the Pearl of the Ionian, the wealthiest town per capita in Calabria.

142 km / 88 mi

Nearest hub (Reggio Calabria)

8,618

Population

May–Sep

Best time to visit

Recognised as

Bandiera Blu

Why come

Soverato sits on the Ionian shore of the Gulf of Squillace, in the province of Catanzaro, on the narrow waist where Calabria almost touches itself. It's a beach town first: white sand, shallow water, the long stretch known as the Pearl of the Ionian, awarded Bandiera Blu and Bandiera Verde for paediatric-friendly coast. The watchtower built under Charles V still anchors the seafront, one of the chain of sixteenth-century towers thrown up against the Saracen raids. The Giardino Botanico Santicelli, built in 1980 on a former waste site, was an early example of urban land reclamation in southern Italy. Statistical surveys describe Soverato as the highest per-capita income commune in Calabria, and the town has been picking up tourists since the mid-2010s, when its mix of medical services, schools and a long bathing season made it the regional anchor for the coast between Catanzaro and Locri.

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Gallery

4 photos · scroll →

Known for

Spiaggia di Soverato
Long white-sand Ionian beach in the Gulf of Squillace, called the Pearl of the Ionian, with Bandiera Blu and shallow water.
Torre di Carlo V
Sixteenth-century Spanish watchtower on the seafront, part of the anti-Saracen system, now the most visible historic landmark.
Giardino Botanico Santicelli
Botanical garden built in 1980 on a reclaimed waste site, with Mediterranean and tropical plant collections.
Soverato Superiore
Older hillside village inland from the modern coastal town, with the ruins of the pre-1783 earthquake settlement and the church of Madonna Addolorata.
Lungomare di Soverato
Seafront promenade lined with palms and bars, the social centre of the town in summer evenings.

When to visit

Best months · May–Sep

Best
Hot or crowded
Quiet
Mostly closed

May through September is the long Ionian season. Water warms early, the beach establishments are open from late spring, and by July and August the lungomare runs at full social tilt, with a nightlife reputation that pulls people from Catanzaro and Crotone. June and September are the calmer bathing months, with the same warm water and fewer crowds. October and April are quiet but pleasant, with mild temperatures and the schools and clinics running normally. November through March is the off-season; the beach clubs close, many seasonal hotels shutter, and the town reverts to its 8,600 residents.