“STUPENDOUS,” I SAY about 20 times en route from Reggio Calabria Airport up to the coastal town of Tropea. But my husband, Ed, only glances at the views as he maneuvers the rented Fiat 500X along squirrelly roads pocked with holes. Un altro mondo, a Tuscan friend told us. Calabria, another world.

So far, what’s otherworldly is the beauty. Long, flour-white beaches bordering a sea shifting across the blue spectrum. The roadsides dizzy with wildflowers. Purple asters, face-size Queen Anne’s lace, pink morning glories, blurs of yellow, bursts of blooming cacti, and tumbles of vulgar magenta bougainvillea. Finally, we can pull over. Below lies the Tyrrhenian Sea.