Camping Villaggio La Quiete

You may well look at a site with a name like Campeggio Villaggio La Quiete and imagine that it’d be a pretty peaceful place, no? And you’d be quite right too... for this is a most spacious and serene slice of the Calabria coast, roughly halfway between Palmi and Gioia Tauro, and around a 10-minute drive from both.

Peaceful it may be, but it’s far from silent, thanks to the happy buzz that inevitably comes from being right by the seaside. There's direct access to several kilometres of sandy Costa Viola beach from here, and plenty of sea views from the site to keep reminding you of your setting even when you’ve retreated for a bit of shade (and perhaps a beer from the bar).

Evenings are a particularly fine time to be settled on one of the beach loungers, with Stromboli and the other Aeolian islands forming the backdrop for what’s often a spectacular sunset. If you’d like to see the islands from closer range by day, the folk on site can arrange excursions for you. Meanwhile, those confident in their navigation skills can rent motorboats 10 minutes’ drive away in Tonnara for a day of pootling along the coastline, taking in sea caves, hidden coves and little beaches.

If you’re quite happy hanging out on site, grazie, there’s a swimming pool and playground to keep you and the bambini busy, plus a restaurant just outside the gates to keep you fed. Several more restaurants are within a 15-minute seaside stroll and supermarket supplies can be picked up in Palmi.