This raw city is one of Italy's busiest ports, where you can find not only container ships and cranes but also a wonderful lungomare (promenade) made for lazy passeggiatas. Hydrofoils for Sicily depart from here; vehicle-carrying ferries depart from Villa San Giovanni, 13 km (8 miles) north.
Reggio Calabria is also a great base for visiting borghi (historic villages) like the beautiful town of Stilo, which is known for being the birthplace and home of the philosopher Tommaso Campanella (1568–1639), whose magnum opus was the socialistic La Città del Sole (The City of the Sun, 1602). Stilo is 138 km (86 miles) northeast of Reggio Calabria, along the Ionian coastal road, SS106. Regular trains run from Lamezia Terme.
