Calabria Art and Craft Tour 2026

17th October – 26th October

Calabria is one of Italy’s last truly undiscovered regions, and this is its most intimate creative journey. Hosted from the beautiful coastal town of Tropea, this small group art and craft tour takes you deep into the heart of a culture that has been shaping clay, weaving baskets, laying mosaic and painting landscapes for centuries.

Over ten days you will work alongside local artisans in their workshops, paint in extraordinary locations, visit ancient ceramic towns recognised across Italy for their centuries old traditions, and share meals with local families in private settings that most travellers never see.

This is not a sightseeing tour. It is a hands on immersion into the creative soul of Calabria, carefully curated over many years of living here, building relationships and discovering the remarkable people who keep these traditions alive today.

Tour Highlights

• Watercolour painting at an ancient working flour mill with Italian artist Francesco Caracciolo
• Acrylic painting beneath historic stone arches in Tropea with artist Caitlin Werrell
• Hands on mosaic workshop in Cinquefrondi
• Ceramic workshop in Gerocarne with a remarkable young self taught artist
• Painting workshop in Squillace, one of Italy’s most celebrated ceramic towns
• Guided visit to the Ceramics Museum of Calabria in Seminara
• Basket making at a private villa with local artisan Carlo
• A walk through the living folklore of Papaglionti and its Giganti

Who This Tour Is For

This tour is designed for anyone with an appreciation for art, creativity, culture and authentic local experiences. Guests are not expected to be experienced artists, and all painting sessions and workshops are intended to be enjoyable, relaxed and inspiring regardless of skill level.

Whether you already paint regularly or simply wish to experience Calabria through its artistic traditions, this tour is about enjoying the creative process, discovering beautiful places and sharing meaningful experiences in a welcoming and culturally rich environment.

ITINERARY

DAY 1

Arrival in Tropea

Private transfer from Lamezia Terme Airport or train station to your accommodation in the beautiful coastal town of Tropea. Settle into your new surroundings and enjoy time to relax before meeting your hosts, Tania and renowned Italian watercolour artist Francesco Caracciolo, for an aperitivo later in the day. This informal gathering offers the opportunity to discuss the journey ahead and become acquainted with the artistic workshops, cultural experiences and beautiful locations awaiting throughout the tour.

DAY 2

CERAMIC WORKSHOP IN GEROCARNE

Today we journey into the hills of Calabria to the village of Gerocarne for a unique ceramic experience hosted by a local family in a beautiful rural setting approximately 700 metres above sea level, surrounded by sweeping countryside views.

Guests will participate in a hands on ceramic workshop led by a talented young self taught ceramic artist who began working with clay at just five years old and has become known for his remarkable skill and creativity. During the workshop, guests will learn both wheel throwing and traditional coiling techniques while gaining insight into the artistic process in an intimate and inspiring environment.

Following the workshop, we will enjoy a traditional homemade lunch prepared by the family on the premises before returning to Tropea.

DAY 3

BASKET MAKING AT A PRIVATE VILLA

Today we travel a short distance from Tropea to enjoy one of the most relaxed and personal experiences of the tour. At a beautiful private villa nestled in the Calabrian countryside, we are welcomed by local artisan Carlo for a hands on basket making workshop using traditional weaving techniques and natural materials.

Guests will learn the foundations of this ancient craft in an intimate and unhurried setting. A generous and convivial lunch follows in the villa’s beautiful surroundings before we return to Tropea.

DAY 4

REGGIO CALABRIA, PREHISTORIC CALABRIA AND THE BRONZI DI RIACE, AND SCILLA

Today we travel south to Reggio Calabria for a private guided visit through the National Archaeological Museum of Reggio Calabria with certified art historian Francesca. Rather than heading straight to the museum’s most famous exhibit, Francesca leads us through the layers of prehistoric and ancient Calabria, the early settlements, the Magna Graecia artefacts, and the everyday objects, pottery and sculpture that reveal how life was lived in this region long before recorded history. It is a journey through time that builds a true sense of Calabria’s deep past. The visit concludes with the museum’s most celebrated treasure, the Bronzi di Riace, two extraordinary ancient Greek bronze statues discovered off the Calabrian coast, seen with fresh context after everything that has come before.

Following lunch in Reggio Calabria, we continue to the beautiful fishing village of Scilla, one of Calabria’s most picturesque coastal towns. Here we will explore the historic Chianalea district, famous for its narrow laneways, fishermen’s houses built directly above the water and breathtaking sea views that have inspired artists, writers and travellers for generations.

DAY 5

MOSAIC ARTISTRY AND THE CERAMIC TRADITIONS OF SEMINARA

This morning we travel to Cinquefrondi, a small Calabrian town set among olive groves and the rolling landscapes of southern Calabria, where we are personally welcomed for a hands on mosaic workshop. Working with traditional techniques and materials, guests will create their own small mosaic work in an intimate and creative setting guided throughout by our local host.

Following lunch, we continue to Seminara, known throughout Italy and beyond as the City of Artistic Ceramics. With a pottery tradition rooted in ancient Greek and Byzantine craftsmanship, Seminara’s ceramic heritage is among the most significant in southern Italy. The town’s distinctive ceramic masks, known as apotropaic figures, have adorned doorways and balconies for centuries as symbols of protection, and the work of Seminara’s master potters, known locally as pignatari, so impressed Pablo Picasso that he declared them conceived by hands of gold. We visit the Ceramics Museum of Calabria, inaugurated in 2019, where the full story of this extraordinary tradition is brought to life across three rooms of ancient and contemporary works before returning to Tropea.

DAY 6

PAINTING WORKSHOP IN SQUILLACE

Perched on a dramatic hilltop above the Ionian coast, Squillace is one of Italy’s most celebrated historic ceramic towns and the only locality in Calabria to hold the national DOC designation for its artistic and traditional ceramics. With a pottery tradition stretching back to ancient Greek settlement, the town’s artisans developed the distinctive sgraffito technique during the Byzantine period, a method of incising intricate designs into white clay to reveal the warm terracotta beneath, producing the characteristic orange and white finish that has made Squillace ceramics instantly recognisable for centuries.

We travel to Squillace this morning and are welcomed into a local workshop for an intimate painting experience rooted in the artistic traditions of this remarkable hilltop town. Guests will work with techniques particular to this place before enjoying a relaxed lunch in Squillace and returning to Tropea in the afternoon.

DAY 7

PAINTING BENEATH THE ARCHES WITH CAITLIN WERRELL

Today we spend the morning in Tropea with celebrated local artist Caitlin Werrell, who has made Tropea her home for over six years and whose work has been exhibited in the town and internationally. Caitlin welcomes us to one of Tropea’s most atmospheric and little known historic spaces, where ancient stone arches open onto sweeping views across the coastline and the sea below.

Working in acrylics, Caitlin’s chosen medium, guests will paint in this extraordinary setting with guidance tailored to all levels of experience. Midway through the morning, we pause for a Calabrian wine tasting paired with local bruschetta, salami, cheeses and other regional delicacies, enjoyed right there among the arches as the painting continues. Lunch in Tropea’s historic centre is to follow.

The afternoon is free for guests to relax, before an early evening guided walk through Tropea with Francesco, exploring the town’s noble palazzi, cobblestone streets and layered history shaped by centuries of Greek, Roman and Norman influence. Dinner is at your leisure to unwind and enjoy the town at your own pace.

DAY 8

WATERCOLOUR PAINTING AND BREAD MAKING AT THE ANCIENT MULINO

Today Francesco Caracciolo leads a watercolour painting session set within the breathtaking natural surroundings of an ancient flour mill, hidden in a wooded valley where a stream winds through lush greenery. The mill opens exclusively for our group, and together with Francesco we explore the forest along the water to find our own quiet spot among the trees, settling in to paint the landscape that unfolds around us.

While we paint, the mill’s owners are at work milling grain and baking bread from scratch in the wood fired brick oven, filling the air with the smell of fresh bread.

We enjoy a rustic lunch at the mill following the class before returning to Tropea.

DAY 9

THE GIGANTI OF PAPAGLIONTI AND A CALABRIAN FESTA

Our final full day brings one of the most memorable experiences of the tour. In Calabria, the tradition of the Giganti, life size figures crafted from papier mache, is a living piece of regional folklore carried through generations of local communities. Today we meet one of the creators of the Giganti of Papaglionti, gaining a rare and personal insight into the craft and the cultural meaning behind these extraordinary figures, before taking part in a hands on workshop.

The afternoon gives way to a traditional Calabrian festa, where we gather in the outdoor garden of a local family for a generous spread of home cooked Calabrian food prepared with ingredients from the surrounding land. A beautiful and celebratory way to bring the tour to a close.

Day 10

Departure

Private transfer to Lamezia Terme Airport or train station for your onward journey.

What’s Included

• 9 nights accommodation in a luxury bed and breakfast in the heart of Tropea, breakfast included daily
• Private return transfers from Lamezia Terme Airport or train station
• Guided cultural experiences throughout Calabria hosted by Tania Pascuzzi and Francesco Caracciolo
• Watercolour painting workshop at the ancient mulino with Francesco Caracciolo
• Acrylic painting workshop with Caitlin Werrell beneath the historic arches of Tropea
• Hands on mosaic workshop with a local artisan in Cinquefrondi
• Ceramic workshop in Gerocarne
• Painting workshop in Squillace
• Basket making workshop with local artisan Carlo at a private villa
• Guided visit to the Ceramics Museum of Calabria in Seminara
• Guided visit to the National Archaeological Museum of Reggio Calabria
• Visit to the Bronzi di Riace
• Guided walk through the historic Chianalea district of Scilla
• Papier mache giants workshop with a creator of the Giganti of Papaglionti
• Traditional Calabrian festa with home cooked food at a local family property
• Traditional homemade lunches and regional food experiences as specified throughout the itinerary
• Wine tasting with Calabrian delicacies in Tropea
• Historic guided walk through Tropea with Francesco Caracciolo
• All private transportation throughout excursions
• Workshop supplies throughout the tour including portable painting stands, watercolours, brushes, pencils and painting pads
• Where possible, guests will have the opportunity to take home selected handmade creations produced during workshops throughout the tour

October in Calabria

October is one of the most beautiful times to experience Calabria, with softer light ideal for painting, warm comfortable temperatures and a slower atmosphere after the busy summer season. It is a wonderful time to explore villages, countryside landscapes and coastal towns in a more relaxed and authentic setting.

Contact us for pricing and availability.