Azienda Agricola Naturale Drusium San Benedetto

You can snorkel along the shoreline to craggy rock arches at Spiaggia Ulivarella (40 minutes’ drive) on the Tyrrhenian coast, or go swimming off the tiny cove at Cala Leone (25 minutes). If you’d prefer a few more comforts during your time at the seaside, head for Tauriana (half an hour), where the shingle Lungomare Tonnara is backed by lidos and beach bars. The rocky coastline around Palmi (25 minutes) is pockmarked with caves to explore, while its historic centre is built on terraces straddling the hillside; it has lots of pretty piazzas to discover and a botanical garden built around the ruins of a 16th-century citadel. Ancient Tropea (about an hour) is built on steep white cliffs overlooking the sea. Open for visits (and sea gorgeous views), the medieval Santuario di Santa Maria dell’Isola di Tropea overlooks the town, and you can also tour the Norman-era cathedral. If you’d prefer to explore Reggio Calabria on foot, Aspromonte National Park (an hour) has numerous walks suitable for families as well as testing routes for experienced hikers. You can also go hardcore with canyoning adventures on the park’s rivers, or have a more sedate day’s fishing on Lago Rumia (an hour).