Armo – Reggio Calabria

Leaving Armo behind (the village chosen by the Basilian monk Sant’Arsenio for prayer and contemplation), this last stage of the Cammino Basiliano leads hikers to Reggio Calabria, the city of the Bronzi di Riace, where it is possible to walk along the “Most beautiful kilometre of Italy”.

The cities of the Strait

Area

Stretto di Messina

Difficulty

T – Accessible by MTB

Distance

11,5 km

Travel time

3 – 4 hrs

Start

Armo

Finish

Duomo di Reggio Calabria

Difference in altitude

↑ 100m ↓450m

Accessible

All year round

Springs and fountainheads with waypoint

Yes

River/fiumare crossing (waypoint)

No

Route

The last stage starts from the village of Armo and offers breathtaking views of the Strait and sweeping views of Reggio Calabria. After visiting the village, you follow the road that in just under a km narrows inexorably to become a strip of asphalt in the middle of wheat fields and expanses of olive trees. When the descent begins, the spectacle of the Strait of Messina shows all the towns of the Sicilian east coast up to Syracuse, including Etna. Proceed towards the residential area of Sant’Elia and then reach Reggio Calabria. Do not miss a walk along the city’s waterfront, defined as the most beautiful kilometer in Italy.

Brief historical overview

Armo (from the local dialect of “cliff”, “spur”), is a small hamlet with a population of 200 inhabitants just before Monte San Demetrio. It was the site chosen by Sant’Arsenio (Basilian monk that lived around the IX century) for prayer and contemplation with his disciple Sant’Elia lo Speleota. In Armo it is possible to find a kind of endemic sage called Salvia Incisa (Salvia Ceratophylloides) that only grows in these territories.

Etna and Punta Pellaro

Reggio Calabria is a city of very old origins on the Southern tip of Calabria. Once a Greek “Reghion” (VIII century BC) and the Roman “Reghium Julii”, it was repeatedly destroyed by earthquakes. In particular, the 1908 earthquake laid waste to both Reggio Calabria and the nearby city of Messina. It is highly recommended to pay a visit to: the seafront of Reggio, once defined by Gabriele D’Annunzio as the “most beautiful kilometre of Italy”; the National Archeology Museum, featuring important Magna Graecia finds such as the Bronzi di Riace; the Castle, already existing in 1027 but restored by the Aragonese in the 15th century (only two of the towers and a brief stretch of the walls are still visible); the Chiesa degli Ottimati and the Cathedral.

View onto the Etna volcano from the Ionian side

Map and elevation profile

Further information

Guide of reference for the stage: Demetrio D’Arrigo +39 347 6476347

[Reggio Calabria]

Comune Reggio di Calabria – tel. +39 0965 362111 – web: www.comune.reggio-calabria.it/ – mail: staffrete@comune.reggio-calabria.it
Pro Loco Reggio di Calabria –  web: www.prolocoreggiocalabria.it – mail: info@prolocoreggiocalabria.it

Where to sleep

[Reggio Calabria]

B&B – Degli Ottimati – tel. +39 329 612 9067 – mail: info@bbottimati.it
B&B – Guest House – tel. +39 329 6129067 – mail: info@guesthouseviamarinareggiocalabria.it
B&B – Reggio Calabria – tel. +39 329 6129067 – mail: info@bbreggiocalabria.it

Extra: not verified

[Reggio Calabria]

B&B – Duomo – tel. +39 340 0881710
B&B – Re Ruggero Rooms – tel. +39 371 3076128 – mail: info@reruggerorooms.com
B&B – Domus Nova – tel. + 39 0965 617455 – mail: info@domusnovarc.it

Last update: 2021-12-31