The Le Playe residence village is located in Calabria along the Coast of the Gods, between Tropea and Capo Vaticano, in a position that allows you to easily reach the main food and wine points of interest (Tropea red onion, Spilinga Nduja, Monte Poro Pecorino cheese, Extra virgin olive oil) located in the nearby municipalities of the tourist destination of the Province of Vibo Valentia in Calabria.
Discover the food and wine itinerary
By visiting these municipalities adjacent to that of Ricadi you can savour the scents and recipes of Calabrian food and wine from the Coast of the Gods and Monte Poro, such as red onion from Tropea, ‘Nduja from Spilinga, extra virgin olive oil from Limbadi, wine from Nicotera and Brattirò di Drapia and recipes such as Fileja (typical pasta) with nduja or onion, and also typical Calabrian sweets.
This food and wine journey leads you through the villages of the Vibonese that represent centuries of history and gastronomic tradition of our region.
It is an itinerary that combines relaxation, nature and food and wine delicacies.
1. Visit to the widespread museums of Ricadi
The route that we suggest begins with the town of Ricadi, where you can delight your palate by tasting typical products such as the Tropea red onion grown in the nearby fields and by visiting the widespread museums focussing on oil and red onion.
In fact, the route includes a visit to the widespread museums of the Municipality of Ricadi and more precisely the Red Onion Museum in Capo Vaticano, located inside the railway station, and the Folk Art Museum (ancient oil mill) located in the centre of Ricadi.
The first stage concerns the red onion museum, which is located in the Ricadi Railway Station where it is possible to reconstruct the onion production cycle through educational panels, and to observe the ancient tools used for the cultivation, harvesting and processing of the Tropea red onion.
The second stage concerns the Folk Art Museum located in the centre of Ricadi in an ancient oil mill from the early 1900s, complete with hydraulic presses and stone mills for processing olives, as well as agricultural tools, jars and iron and glass containers for the conservation of olive oil.
2. Discovering the flavours of Monte Poro
Carrying on towards Spilinga – Monte Poro, the landscape continues to amaze, with fields and pastures on which you can see the ancient “Masserie“, stone and bresta buildings, some of which are still used today by farmers as a shelter for hay and tools.
Having reached Spilinga, which is 9 km from Capo Vaticano, you can visit an artisanal cured meat factory that produces the famous ‘Nduja di Spilinga, where it is possible to observe the various processing and ageing stages.
Continue towards the Poro plateau, along the road that crosses pastures, cereal fields and ancient farms, to visit a dairy that processes milk from the plateau pastures to produce cheese: Pecorino del Poro DOP.
3. EVO oil and oil mills
From the Monte Poro plateau, head towards Limbadi – Nicotera. The route offers evocative panoramas that range from verdant, centuries-old olive groves to the blue of the sea, with the Aspromonte and Strait of Messina on the horizon.
After you pass Nicotera (the homeland of the Mediterranean Diet), in 2 km you will reach the village of Caroni di Limbadi where you can visit an olive farm with an adjoining oil mill (where organic extra virgin olive oil has been produced for four generations). During the visit it is possible to learn about the stages of milling the olives to produce oil and to taste the Calabrian organic EVO oil.
The visit continues in the nearby medieval village of Motta Filocastro (district of the Municipality of Limbadi), with its charming old town where you can admire breathtaking views and visit an ancient (private) oil mill dating back to 1800, with wooden presses and stone mills.
4. Wine and spirits
The itinerary ends in the Nicotera and Limbadiareas, those historically most suited to viticulture in the whole Vibonese region, where the historic Caffo distillery, a leading spirit company linked to the territory, is founded.
After Nicotera (the homeland of the Mediterranean Diet), the olive groves give way to the vineyards around the nearby hamlet of Badia, where you can pay a visit to a winery with a view of the vineyards and the village of Nicotera.
Continue to nearby Limbadi to visit an internationally renowned historic distillery: the Caffo distillery, which still produces world-famous Calabrian herb bitters. It is possible to visit the historic distillery and see the old spirit production process.
The way back includes a stop in Nicotera (the quintessential city of the Mediterranean Diet) for a short visit to the famous panoramic view behind the Castle and to taste local wines and artisanal ice cream.
5. Nicotera, the homeland of the Mediterranean Diet
The way back includes a stop in Nicotera (the city of reference for the Mediterranean Diet) for a short visit to the famous panoramic view behind the Castle and to taste artisanal ice cream.
The Mediterranean diet has a curious and somewhat paradoxical history. It all started in the 1950s when Ancel Keys, an American scientist from the Public School of Food at the University of Minnesota, came to Italy on holiday and noticed a disconcerting fact: the “poor people” of the remote villages of Southern Italy, who still ate bread, Tropea red onion and tomato, were much healthier not only than the citizens of New York, but also than their own relatives who had emigrated to the United States.
The nutritional value of the Mediterranean diet is scientifically proven by the famous ‘seven countries study‘. Researchers compared the diets adopted by the populations of seven different countries to ascertain their benefits and drawbacks; the result declared that the best diet was that of the inhabitants of Nicotera, in Calabria, faithful followers of the Mediterranean diet.
Itinerary through villages, caves and museums
Are you looking for an alternative to the sea?
In addition to the magnificent beaches on the coast and Tropea with its small shops, piazzas and bars where you can relax, it is also possible to visit the wide range of museums and numerous villages in the immediate hinterland of the Costa degli Dei.
