Melito di Porto Salvo

Melito di Porto Salvo is a fishing centre and a popular summer tourist destination thanks to the beautiful sandy beaches and the charming hamlet of Pentedattilo, a village perched on Mount Calvario. The town is located on the Ionian side of the province of Reggio Calabria, also known as Costa dei Gelsomini. Rigorous citrus groves surround the municipality: bergamot has been a typical speciality here since the 15th century.

Giuseppe Garibaldi landed twice in Melito. The first after liberating Sicily with the Thousand; the second in August 1862 to head for Rome: but the endeavour failed, being apprehended by the regular army of Aspromonte.

Worth a visit is the sanctuary of Santa Maria di Porto Salvo, dear to the sailors, who built it in the 1500s on a stretch of coastline that offered a safe landing place for boats.