I Thought I Knew Italy. Then I Found Calabria #travel
How Calabria Food Fest Changed the Way I Think About Travel, Food and La Dolce Vita.
By Daniel Leira
I thought I knew Italy. Like millions of people, I'd done the classics: Rome, Florence, Milan, the Amalfi Coast. I thought I had experienced the country.
Then I landed in Calabria.
Castela Calabria
Somewhere between tasting freshly pressed olive oil with local producers, making pasta with nothing more than flour and water, getting lost while running through a forest full of wild plum trees, and watching the sunset from a medieval castle, I realized something.
I hadn't really experienced Italy. I had only visited it.
People often ask me what Calabria Food Fest is.
Calling it a food festival doesn't quite do it justice.
Now in its second edition, Calabria Food Fes was created by Sognare Insieme Viaggi as part of "Le Montagne del Sole project" which a clear vision: to introduce international visitors to an authentic Calabria thought its gastronomy, history, artisans, wineries, villages, landscapes and above all, its people.
With the support of Calabria Straordinaria, Calabria Film Commission, Italea, GAL Serre Calabresi, local municipalities and regional partners, the festival is helping redefine how the world sees Calabria, not simply as a experience, but as an undiscovered destination.And after attending both editions, I believe it's becoming something much bigger than a festival.
Tropea Calabria
On my first day, someone told me:
"Don't come here as a tourist. Come as our guest."
At first, I thought it was just beautiful marketing.
Ten days later, I realized it was a philosophy.
Tourists consume destinations.
Guests become part of them.
That single sentence changed the way I experienced Calabria.
Nobody rushed lunch.
Nobody watched the clock.
Conversations mattered more than schedules.
Time seemed to expand instead of disappear.
Soverato Calabria
One afternoon completely changed the way I'll shop for olive oil forever.
I learned how to taste extra virgin olive oil with local producers—not just use it.
Its aroma. Its peppery finish. Its freshness.
Now, every time I walk into Trader Joe's, I can't look at the olive oil shelf the same way again.
The same thing happened with my pasta.
Watching local nonnas create extraordinary pasta with just flour and water reminded me that the best things in life aren't always more complicated.
Sometimes they're simply more honest.
Castela Calabria
One morning I went for a run and accidentally got lost in a forest filled with ripe plum trees.
Another afternoon I wandered into a tiny boutique selling vintage Yves Saint Laurent pieces as casually as if they had always been there.
No crowds.
No hype.
No signs telling me where to take the perfect photo.
Calabria doesn't advertise its treasures. It lets you discover them.
Calabria
A few weeks earlier, I had waited almost four hours for lunch in Rome overlooking one of the city's most famous landmarks with my family. Tragic.
In Calabria, I spent four peaceful four hours sitting by the sea, watching castles overlook impossibly blue water, sharing wine with beautiful people, and enjoying the simple pleasure of nowhere else to be.
No selfie sticks. No rush. Just life.
Throughout the week, Calabria Food Fest took us from the vineyards of Librandi in Cirò to the crystal-clear waters of Le Castella, the medieval streets of Montauro, the olive groves of Parco Scolacium, the historic Castello di Squillace, and the breathtaking coastline of Tropea.
But what stayed with me wasn't the scenery. It was the people. The winemakers. The fishermen. The artisans. The grandmothers. The conversations. And the magic of celebrating the Summer Solstice as a welcomed guest, not a passing visitor.
Calabria
People often ask me what luxury means today.
After Calabria, my answer changed.
Luxury isn't the most expensive hotel.
Luxury is access.
Access to stories.
Access to traditions.
Access to places that still feel authentic.
That's something money alone can't create.
Tropea Calabria
What impressed me most is that Calabria isn't trying to become another Amalfi Coast or another Tuscany.
It doesn't need to.
Its greatest strength is that it still feels real.
And that's why I believe Calabria's future extends far beyond tourism.
Its castles and coastline are extraordinary venues for luxury brand activations.
Its villages are ideal for immersive experiences.
Its authenticity is its greatest competitive advantage.
Calabria isn't simply a beautiful place to visit.
It's a remarkable place to create, celebrate, produce and invest.
When I boarded my flight home, I brought back a different way of looking at life (And of coruse a lot of Olive Oil and herbs).
Because Calabria taught me something I wasn't expecting.
La dolce vita it's about living without constantly racing against time.
Calabria quietly invites you to rediscover the version of yourself that existed before life became a competition.
I thought I knew Italy.
Turns out...
I had simply never met Calabria before.