The Riviera dei gelsomini, named after the perfumed jasmine flowers that are to be found in abundance, covers the stretch of the coast on the Ionian Sea from Brancaleone to Monasterace, in the province of Reggio Calabria. Although the area is unspoiled by mass tourism, it is a veritable treasure trove in terms of history, art and natural beauty. Visitors can choose to explore Greek, Roman, Byzantine and Norman historical sites, to find out about the history of the people who have inhabited this part of Italy. More than a thousand or two thousand years later their heritage is still in evidence among the local people whose speech sounds more like Greek and Latin, and for whom hospitality, alongside food and the family, is sacred.

Agriclub Le Giare is situated in an ideal position to get the most out of a holiday in this part of Italy: 4 km from Gioiosa Jonica (with a marina) and Roccella Jonica (an eighteenth-century fortified town); 10 km from Locri Epizefiri (archaeological excavations), 20 km from Gerace (a mediaeval town and a fine heritage site), 30 km from Stilo (where the wonderful Byzantine church, La Cattolica, is to be found). A little further afield are such places as: Bivongi (the Marmarico waterfall and the Byzantine monastery of San Giovanni Theresti, 40 km away); Samo (source of the Verde River, 40 km); Serra San Bruno (a Benedictine chartreuse, 80 km); Palmi (Ethnographic Museum, 45 km); Scilla (fishing village and Ulysses’ rock, 70 km); and the regional capital Reggio Calabria (Strait of Messina, the Riace Bronzes and archaeological museum, 100 km).