Vibo ValentiaCalabria · Italy

All About Vibo Valentia

The town of Vibo Valentia has a population of around 30,000. Over the centuries, the people here have had to endure at least three different name changes. The first came when it was founded as a Greek colony called Hipponion in the seventh century BC. It later became known as Monteleone (or Lion Mountain), which was a name Vibo Valentia held right up until the 1920s.

Located on the toe of mainland Italy, Vibo Valentia lies approximately 50 kilometers north of Reggio Calabria and Messina in Sicily. However, despite its proximity to the Mediterranean’s largest island, the town is primarily known as one of the best gateways to the Isole Eolie if coming from the north of Italy. This group of islands is better known in the English-speaking world as the Aeolian Islands.

Needless to say, journeys by sea continue to play a significant role in the life of Vibo Valentia residents. They are able to take advantage of a full range of ferry tickets to Vibo Valentia and vice versa. You can too, using Ferryscanner. The Ferryscanner website provides all the relevant information on local ferry routes, and it also offers you details on individual ferry departures as well, allowing you to purchase your ferry tickets to Vibo Valentia with ease.
 

Routes and Ferries to Vibo Valentia

Liberty Lines is the single ferry company currently responsible for operating the public ferries that run to and from Vibo Valentia. Since its formation in 1993 in Naples, the company has gone on to have one of the region’s largest fleets, with around 30 vessels. Its ships are both modern and comfortable and offer the chance to take family cars and other motor vehicles on board, in addition to welcoming foot passengers.

Not only is there just one ferry company handling departures and arrivals in Vibo Valentia, but there is also a single ferry service connecting the town with the Aeolian Islands. However, before you begin searching for alternative ferry routes, it’s important to realize that this single ferry makes a multi-destination passage to five of the main Aeolian Islands. These are Lipari, Salina, Stromboli, Panarea and Vulcano.

The ferry taking passengers to each of these destinations in turn usually departs in the late afternoon, although you should always double-check your departure time when purchasing your ferry tickets to Vibo Valentia. Generally speaking, this route is completed once per week in either direction.

The first port of call is Stromboli, with a journey time of approximately 1 hour 25 minutes. Panarea is reached in just 30 minutes more, while the scheduled travel time to Salina is 2 hours 40 minutes. Lipari and Vulcano can be reached in 3 hours 15 minutes and 3.5 hours respectively. An adult foot passenger is able to purchase a one-way ticket to Lipari for around €30. Finally, the ferry completes its journey by arriving in Milazzo in Sicily in just over 4.5 hours.

Vibo Valentia has a good number of road links for anyone choosing to reach the town by road. These routes include the E45 European highway, which passes close to the town on its way south across the Strait of Messina to Sicily. There are no mainline rail services to Vibo Valentia, although the port area is served by regional and high-speed intercity services running between Sicily, Reggio Calabria, and Naples. The nearest airport is Lamezia Terme Airport, which has the three-letter international code SUF. Roughly 30 kilometers away, it receives seasonal (summer) flights from an impressive number of European airlines, including Austrian Airlines, Eurowings, and Ryanair. Flights even arrive here from Toronto in Canada.
 

Ports of Vibo Valentia

Vibo Valentia is unusual for a town with such good ferry connections because it is situated on hilly terrain that typifies southern Italy’s inland regions. Those with ferry tickets to Vibo Valentia will instead find themselves arriving into or departing from the ‘frazione’, or district, of Vibo Marina. This is immediately north, on the coast. Its port continues to be called the port of Vibo Valentia, however. The small harbor is enclosed by the Via Emilia to the east and Via delle Industrie to the west. It includes a marina area of private yachts as well as the ferry terminal, which lies on the western side of the port close to various stores and restaurants.
 

Best Beaches

Although it may not get much attention in the tourist brochures, this may simply be because locals want to keep the beauty of Vibo Valentia to themselves. Boasting sparkling waters and a coastline that runs from rugged cliffs to soft sand beaches, there’s really no reason you can’t enjoy a day at the beach while visiting Vibo Valentia, as we’ll see below.

Lido Proserpina

Walk to the other side of the port from the ferry terminal and you’ll reach Lido Proserpina in just a few minutes. It has a good-sized sand beach, with the possibility of renting parasols and sun loungers. Its proximity to the town and its level sands make it popular with families.

Spiaggia della Marina

Despite its name, Spiaggia della Marina is a short distance northeast of the port and marina, close to the regional train station of Pizzo. A large breakwater provides a pool-like area of shallows that’s great for children, although it can spoil the view of the surrounding landscapes from the sun loungers.

Lido La Playa

Consisting of rounded grey pebbles rather than sand, Lido La Playa is another favorite, which means it’s rarely that quiet. It also has the benefit of being located close to a number of highly-regarded restaurants.

Spiaggia di Bivona

Just a short distance southwest of the port, Spiaggia di Bivona is a wide natural beach with off-white sand that’s backed by dune grasses. One of the largest beaches in and around Vibo Valentia, it remains relatively tranquil because it has fewer facilities than the others on our list.
 

Places to Visit

If you have time before the departure of your ferry, be sure to check out these attractions with Vibo Valentia too.

Vibo Valentia Castle

Still looking as if its thick walls would be able to fend off an attack, Vibo Valentia Castle is believed to have been constructed around 1000 AD by the region’s Norman French occupiers. Today it’s the location for the treasures of the state museum.

Church of Santa Maria Maggiore

Often better known as the cathedral, this church is even older than the town’s castle. Adapted over the following centuries, it has a rich butter-colored exterior, a sixteenth-century sculpture of the Virgin Mary, and an eighteenth-century high altar carved from marble.

Valentianum

Starting out life as a sixteenth-century monastery, the Valentianum now houses an important collection of modern and contemporary artworks, which make for an interesting contrast to the historic structure surrounding them.
 

Transportation Around Vibo Valentia

The public bus network connects the port with Vibo Valentia proper among other destinations nearby. Given the potential language barrier, it can be difficult to know exactly where buses are heading, and vehicles don’t necessarily stick to the schedules printed at bus stops. For shorter stays in Vibo Valentia, we’d therefore recommend doing away with the hassle of the buses by opting instead for one of the town’s taxis. They can be hailed from the side of the street or by calling and arranging pickup.