Zungri Travel Guide

Tourist Guide

Zungri
Zungri
Zungri
Zungri
Zungri

Explore the roomy cave dwellings of medieval monks in the open-air museum and enjoy the eerie silence in the abandoned village.

Zungri is an otherworldly hilltop village known for its pockmarked sandstone cliffs. The grottoes and crevasses in the rock formations, which were used for hermitages and monasteries, create a varied and intriguing landscape. Learn about the Basilian monks who dwelled in these caves.

The hills of the village are adorned with hundreds of grottoes, varying in size and appearance. Visit the Insediamento Rupestre Degli Sbariati for a museum on the most intricate of these rock cavities. The site stands in the southeastern outskirts of the town.

Clamber into the cave dwellings for a sense of the conditions in which these monks lived between the 12th and 14th centuries. Make your way up and down the carved steps and through the spacious rooms of the caves. Walk along carved paths that link the many caves, which are sheltered by trees and other limestone rocks. Warm, dry summers provide perfect conditions for hiking around these spectacular surroundings. July is the driest month, while winters are mild and a little wetter.

Spend time in the nearby abandoned village of Papaglionti. This centuries-old hamlet formerly prospered as a large producer of wheat and olives, before several large earthquakes led to its desertion. Snap photos of the derelict buildings that are gradually falling apart.

Arrive in Zungri for the festival L’Infiorata on the ninth Sunday after Easter. Inspect the array of colourful carpets, pictures made from flowers and other works that decorate the streets. Appreciate the sights, sounds and scents, as you chat with friendly locals.

The village is located in the heart of the Vibo Valentia province in Calabria of southern Italy. It is near the coastal towns of Tropea and Capo Vaticano. Fly to Lamezia Terme International Airport and drive south for 35 miles (56 kilometres) to get here in about 1 hour. Travel between some of the nearby coastal towns via the railway links.

Zungri is an exceptional gem, with its cratered limestone rocks and fascinating history.

Hotel Tropis

Hotel Tropis

4 out of 5
Contrada Fontana Nuova, Tropea, VV
The price is Rp2.957.500 per night from 10 Sept to 11 Sept
Rp2.957.500
Rp3.404.573 total
10 Sept - 11 Sept
includes taxes & fees
Stay at this 4-star beach hotel in Tropea. Enjoy free breakfast, free Wi-Fi and free parking. Popular attractions Tropea Beach and Grotticelle Beach are located ...
8.4/10 Very Good! (184 reviews)
"Good location, a 3 minute walk to downtown. The included parking is convenient since it is otherwise difficult to park in the area. Watch out for traffic if walking out of the property, specially with children, since it is near a busy intersection with no walkway. Property has a restaurant and a ..."

Reviewed on 19 Aug 2025

Hotel Tropis
Hotel Umberto

Hotel Umberto

3 out of 5
Via Sp 22 Tropea/S. Domenica, S. Domenica, Ricadi, VV
Stay at this 3-star beach hotel in Ricadi. Enjoy free breakfast, free Wi-Fi and free parking. Popular attractions Tropea Beach and Grotticelle Beach are located ...
8/10 Very Good! (141 reviews)
"Great place"

Reviewed on 25 Jul 2025

Hotel Umberto
Colomba D'Oro

Colomba D'Oro

4 out of 5
Via Vittorio Veneto, 50, Tropea, VV
The price is Rp2.437.431 per night from 16 Sept to 17 Sept
Rp2.437.431
Rp2.832.572 total
16 Sept - 17 Sept
includes taxes & fees
Stay at this 4-star hotel in Tropea. Enjoy free breakfast, free Wi-Fi and room service. Our guests praise the helpful staff in their reviews. Popular attractions ...
9/10 Wonderful! (143 reviews)
"Hard to find a place to park"

Reviewed on 8 Aug 2025

Colomba D'Oro
Lowest nightly price found within the past 24 hours based on a 1 night stay for 2 adults. Prices and availability subject to change. Additional terms may apply.
CapoSperone Resort

CapoSperone Resort

4 out of 5
Contrada Malopasso, 106, Palmi, RC
Stay at this 4-star spa residence in Palmi. Enjoy free breakfast, free parking and a full-service spa. Popular attractions Tonnara Beach and Taurean Archeological ...
8.2/10 Very Good! (39 reviews)
Nice grounds but basic room
"Stayed here for one night. Grounds are very pretty and hotel is based on the side of quite a steep hill so quite a lot of stairs and ramps. There are some lifts to parts of property but not all and they are in odd locations, for example one led to a pitch black banquet hall that you needed to pass ..."

Reviewed on 3 Oct 2022

CapoSperone Resort
Pietre Bianche

Pietre Bianche

3 out of 5
Via Provinciale per Vibo Marina, Località Ponte di Ferro, Pizzo, VV
Stay at this 3-star beach residence in Pizzo. Enjoy free parking, an airport shuttle (surcharge) and a cruise terminal shuttle (surcharge). Popular attractions ...
8.6/10 Excellent! (38 reviews)
Pizzo town lovely
"A local resort type hotel with a pool. We were just overnighting so can’t comment on the facilities, but could have been a bit cleaner and found the beds a bit hard. Pizzo town was lovely though!"

Reviewed on 3 Jul 2024

Pietre Bianche
Tropea Mare Pace Club

Tropea Mare Pace Club

Viale Don Mottola IX Traversa, Tropea, VV
Stay at this apartment in Tropea. Enjoy free parking, an outdoor pool and a garden. Popular attractions Tropea Beach and Grotticelle Beach are located ...
"Al momento dell'arrivo, dopo 7 ore di viaggio, la nostra prenotazione non c'era. Premetto che già il giorno prima, ho passato due ore al telefono tra Expedia, un certo Fabrizio della Cristoforo viaggi che rivende i pacchetti da Expedia alla struttura Il borgo della Pace Beach Club. Detto ciò, mi ..."

Reviewed on 11 Aug 2021

Tropea Mare Pace Club
Lowest nightly price found within the past 24 hours based on a 1 night stay for 2 adults. Prices and availability subject to change. Additional terms may apply.

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