7 days gives you both coasts and the mountain. Tyrrhenian side (Tropea, Pizzo, Capo Vaticano), Ionian side (Le Castella, Gerace, Stilo), Sila National Park, Scilla (Scylla and Charybdis), Cosenza, and enough nduja and peperoncino to last a lifetime.
Each day is a logical geographic loop. Mornings for sights, afternoons for food, evenings for aperitivo. Car essential in Calabria.
Scilla — the fishing quarter of Chianalea (houses built INTO the rock above the water). The rock of Scylla vs Charybdis (Strait of Messina). Gerace — the largest Romanesque cathedral in Calabria (antique columns from Locri). Stilo — the Cattolica (tiny 9th-century Byzantine church, 5 domes). Le Castella — Aragonese castle standing in the sea. Aspromonte — wild mountain, Bergamot groves on the coast below.
Best time: April-June, September-October. Agriturismi 60-100/night with breakfast. Book 2-4 weeks ahead in summer.