Calabria ski guide

Calabria is where the improbable becomes real and a paradox becomes a landscape. Here, at the toe of the Italian boot, a few kilometres from the Strait of Messina and within sight of Sicily, there are ski areas that open every winter.

Skiing with a view of the Mediterranean, runs through forests of centuries-old laricio pines and silver firs, and the real chance to go from snow to sea within an hour: it is hard to describe to anyone who has not tried it without sounding like an exaggeration.

The Sila plateau

The heart of skiing in Calabria is the Sila, a vast mountain plateau covering almost 150,000 hectares across the provinces of Cosenza, Catanzaro and Crotone. Its wildest core is protected by the Sila National Park.

At 1,400-1,800 metres, the Sila is covered by one of the oldest and most pristine forests in Italy. The laricio pine (Pinus laricio), the ‘Sila pine’, a native species, grows tall and dense here, some trunks measuring more than five metres round after centuries of undisturbed growth.

In this setting of remarkable trees lie Camigliatello Silano, the main ski resort in the region, and Lorica, framed by Lake Arvo, which partly freezes in winter and reflects the snow on its shores.

Camigliatello Silano

Camigliatello Silano’s skiing history goes back to the 1930s, when the building of the Strada delle Vette road through the park brought the first visitors to these snow-covered uplands.

Today it has good runs, modern lifts and a network of mountain huts and restaurants where Calabrian food warms up groups of skiers after the morning runs: fiery ‘nduja spread on durum wheat bread, cured capocollo, pasta with pork sauce.

The season usually runs from December to March, with the most snow in January and February, when Atlantic weather fronts bring heavy snowfall to the plateau.

Gambarie d’Aspromonte

Gambarie d’Aspromonte, on the Aspromonte massif at the southern tip of Calabria, is completely different in landscape and character.

At 1,300 metres, Gambarie looks out over the Strait of Messina. On clear winter days you can see the houses of Messina with the naked eye from the top of the slopes, and when the sky is especially clear you can even make out the silhouette of Mount Etna smoking on the horizon.

It is probably the most unusual view an Italian skier can enjoy: snow under your skis, palm trees less than forty minutes’ drive below, and Sicily rising like a dream across the blue water.

Great value and quiet slopes

Skiing in Calabria costs far less than in the big northern ski areas, and the difference is significant. Ski passes, accommodation, meals and equipment hire cost a fraction of what you pay in Trentino or the Aosta Valley, putting a ski holiday within reach of families who otherwise could not afford one.

The slopes are less crowded, lift queues are almost non-existent on weekdays, and the atmosphere has a friendly warmth that the big northern resorts lost decades ago under the weight of the tourist industry.

Spring skiing

Calabria also has a unique seasonal advantage. When the alpine ski areas close in March with the arrival of spring, the high Sila still has plenty of snow and excellent skiing, often until well into April.

Local skiers, or visitors from elsewhere on a late holiday, can enjoy the slopes in spring sunshine, with mild temperatures and outstanding visibility that reveals the sea views often hidden by mist in midwinter. It is a different kind of skiing: slow, savoured, almost meditative, something the crowded Alps in December no longer offer.