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00 Soverato
Stemma di Soverato

Calabria · Catanzaro

Soverato

The wealthiest town per capita in Calabria, built around a white-sand stretch on the Ionian shore.

Best time
May–Sep
By car
4 h 16 min from Salerno
By train
Station in the comune
Population
8,618

Known for

  • PEARL OF THE IONIAN

    Bandiera Blu beach of white sand and shallow water on the Gulf of Squillace, drawing a long bathing season.

  • TORRE DI CARLO V

    Sixteenth-century watchtower from the Spanish anti-Saracen coastal system, the symbol of the town.

  • RICHEST PER CAPITA

    Surveys list Soverato as the highest per-capita income commune in Calabria, anchored on health, schools and tourism.

When to visit

Best · May–Sep

  • J15°
  • F15°
  • M16°
  • A19°
  • M23°
  • J29°
  • J33°
  • A32°
  • S28°
  • O24°
  • N20°
  • D16°
  • Best
  • Hot or crowded
  • Quiet
  • Mostly closed

Daytime averages, 2020–2024. The sea is warmest in August at 28° and coldest in February at 15°. Weather data by Open-Meteo.com.

The festa: Maria Addolorata, third Sunday of September

Why come

Soverato sits in the province of Catanzaro, on the narrow waist where Calabria almost touches itself, its coast facing the Ionian. The modern town runs along the shore, while inland and uphill lies the older settlement, built before an earthquake in 1783 leveled what came before it; the church of Madonna Addolorata still marks that older core, separate from the seafront strip that draws the summer crowds. Statistical surveys describe Soverato as the highest per-capita income commune in Calabria, and the town has drawn tourists since the mid-2010s, its medical services, schools and long bathing season making it the regional anchor for the coast between Catanzaro and Locri. The wealth and the tourism trace back to the same geography: a beach town that grew rich enough to become the service center for the stretch of coast around it, while its older self stayed on the hill above.

The Sunday letter

Soverato is on our list. Its letter is still to come.

We are writing about all 1,000 of these towns, one at a time, in a free letter every Sunday: the photo, the food, the festa. That is our mission. Sign up and you will be there when Soverato comes up. By Peter & Sophia, from Pietrasanta.

Read on

Soverato in our articles

How to get there

From Lamezia / Reggio (SUF), about 58 minutes by car.

Naples / Salerno (NAP) is about 5 hours away.

By car from the centre of Salerno 4h 16m, Bari 5 hours or Naples 5 hours.

There is a railway station in the comune, so you can arrive without a car.

Every town within reach of Lamezia / Reggio airport.

Soverato, photo 1
Soverato, photo 2

What to see

  • Spiaggia di Soverato

    The beach carries both Bandiera Blu and Bandiera Verde status, the latter marking it as paediatric-friendly. The Gulf of Squillace here stays shallow well out from shore.

  • Torre di Carlo V

    The tower stands on the seafront as one link in a chain of coastal towers raised against Saracen raids, and remains the most visible historic structure in town.

  • Giardino Botanico Santicelli

    The garden was laid out in 1980 on ground once used for waste, an early instance of urban land reclamation in the south, now holding Mediterranean and tropical plant collections.

  • Soverato Superiore

    The hillside settlement above the modern coastal town holds the ruins of what stood before the 1783 earthquake, along with the church of Madonna Addolorata.

  • Lungomare di Soverato

    The promenade is lined with palms and bars, functioning as the social centre of the town on summer evenings.

The slow-trip planner

Building a trip? Find where Soverato fits in a slow Italy circuit.

Answer five questions. We will shape a geographically coherent slow trip from the 1,000 Italian towns most travelers skip. Yours to save and share.

Plan your trip

We recommend

Where to eat

Not our picks, but places the guides put their name to: a Michelin star, a Gambero Rosso fork, a Slow Food snail, a Michelin Key for the hotels. Worth a table, a counter, or a night when you pass through.

  • Brezza fish and chillBistrot

    Brezza fish and chill holds a Gambero Rosso listing and a spot in the Michelin Guide.

Through the year

What happens here

Feasts and festivals that come back year after year. We give the month rather than the date, because the date moves and the month rarely does. Check with the source before you plan a journey around one.

Living here

  • Population 8,618
  • In-betweeni
  • Pharmacy in town
  • High school within a 30-minute drive
  • Train station in the comune
  • Nearest airport Lamezia / Reggio, 58 min drive
  • Regional capital Catanzaro, 36 min drive

Common questions

What is Soverato known for?
Soverato is the wealthiest town per capita in Calabria, built around a white-sand stretch on the Ionian shore.
Where is Soverato?
Soverato is a comune in the province of Catanzaro, in Calabria, at 10 meters above sea level.
What is the nearest airport to Soverato?
Lamezia / Reggio (SUF), about 58 minutes by car.
Can you get to Soverato without a car?
Yes. There is a railway station in the comune, so you can arrive by train.
How long is the drive from Salerno to Soverato?
About 4h 16m by car.
When is the best time to visit Soverato?
Best in May–Sep. July is the warmest month, averaging 33 degrees, and November the wettest, with about 13 rain days.
Is there a sagra or a festival in Soverato?
Yes. Mercato Settimanale Di Soverato. May is when the first of them falls.
Which other towns are like Soverato?
Trebisacce, Cariati and Villapiana.
How many people live in Soverato?
8,618 at the 2023 count.
Tags & datadesignations · numbers · sources

Recognised as

The numbers

  • Elevation: 10 m
  • Population: 8,618
  • Surface area: 7.79 km²

These figures were compiled from public directories: ISTAT, OpenStreetMap and Wikidata, and from the official listings of the guides named on this page. Town details change; verify with official sources before you travel.

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