About
Crotone is a city on the Ionian coast of Calabria, in southern Italy. It was once an ancient Greek settlement in the region known as Magna Graecia, and it is remembered as the birthplace of Pythagoras, the philosopher and mathematician whose name is still familiar to anyone who has studied geometry.
What a visit offers
For many travellers, Crotone is a base for exploring the history of the Greek world in southern Italy. The city's link to that past runs through its streets and its surrounding coast, and it suits visitors who enjoy reading a place through its layers of history rather than through a single landmark.
- A coastal setting on the Ionian Sea, with the calm and light that come with it.
- A connection to Pythagoras and to the wider culture of Magna Graecia.
- A quieter pace than many of Italy's larger tourist cities.
Getting a sense of the area
Crotone works well as a stop in a longer journey through Calabria, a region of mountains, villages and long stretches of shoreline. Visitors who plan ahead can combine time in the city with day trips to the wider coast and the inland hill towns, depending on how much time they have.
If you are drawn to ancient history, the Greek roots of the place are the main reason to go. If you prefer a slower, less crowded part of southern Italy, Crotone offers that too.
