Population: 5,808 (2003)
Official site: Tortora
Wikipedia: n/a
Map: MapQuest

Tortora is the first town on Italy's Tyrrhenian coast one encounters upon entering Calabria from the north.  But, we warn you: first appearances are deceiving and may cause you to wonder why you journeyed this far South. Why?

Well, at the Marina of Tortora a strange conglomeration of modern buildings stand next to run-down apartment buildings. For visitors seeing it for the first time, the Marina  appears as nothing more than a failing industrial park. 

However, this part of Tortora is not the real Tortora - or at least not the one you want to see.  The real Tortora, like many villages along the coast in Calabria, is located a short 15 kilometer drive into the mountains.

Arriving in this Tortora you will be rewarded with superb mountain views, fascinating architecture, houses that seem to spill down the mountainsides, busy, colorful shops, and one of the region's most interesting museums.  So, without question, a drive to this ancient village is well worth it.

The antiquities in the museum go back to the time of the ancient Greeks, when Tortora was part of Greater Greece, or "Magna Graecia". 

As you will see from many of the prospects in and around the town, the countryside is covered in vineyards and olive or fig orchards.  Some sheep and cattle graze on a few mountain pastures.

In the valley below streams and waterfalls fall off mountain crags.  In the distance, from the highest point of the town, who's highlight is a 14th century Duomo, the view to the Tyrrehnian sea is breathtaking.

Hungry?  VisitsItaly.com recommends "La Loggia", which overlooks the town and is a great place to have lunch or dinner, especially in the summer months when the outdoor terrace comes alive with music and festivity.

Don't forget your camera - there are a number of "shots" you'll want to take in Tortora.