At about 1,000 metres on the eastern edge of the Sila, San Giovanni in Fiore is the largest town of the plateau and the first mountain stop on the road from Crotone. It owes its existence to Joachim of Fiore (Gioacchino da Fiore), the Calabrian abbot and visionary whose prophecies about the ages of history fascinated medieval Europe — Dante placed him in Paradise.
Joachim founded his monastery here at the end of the 12th century, and the town grew around the Florense Abbey in the centuries that followed. It remains a self-contained mountain community with strong traditions of weaving and goldsmithing.
Top things to do at San Giovanni in Fiore
Visit the Florense Abbey
A severe, beautiful building of bare stone, begun in the early 13th century. The plain facade with its pointed doorway, the tall empty nave and the crypt, where Joachim’s remains are venerated, have a rare sense of stillness.
See the local museum
Rooms beside the abbey house a museum of the life and work of the Sila — tools, costumes and photographs of a mountain world that lasted well into the 20th century.
Look for the crafts
Workshops in town still weave rugs and bedcovers with geometric patterns on hand looms, and goldsmiths make traditional jewellery.
Continue to the lakes
From here it is a short drive to Lorica on Lake Arvo or south to Lake Ampollino.
How to get to San Giovanni in Fiore
- By car: about an hour from Crotone on the SS107, which continues to Cosenza.
- By bus: regional buses on the Crotone–Cosenza route stop here; check current timetables.
Insider tips
- The abbey closes for lunch; arrive mid-morning.
- It can be cold and foggy here when Crotone is in sunshine — bring a layer in every season.
- Good place to buy mountain cheeses, cured meats and, in autumn, mushrooms and chestnuts.
Best tours & tickets for San Giovanni in Fiore
These experiences pair well with a visit to San Giovanni in Fiore:
Quad tour from €86 per group Sila National Park: Guided Quad Excursion Through Nature
A guided quad ride through the forests and lake country of the Sila plateau, with the option of a Calabrian aperitif afterwards. The price is per quad for up to two people. Meet the guide in the park — you will need a car to get up from the coast.
- Forest tracks, lakes and off-road trails
- Choose a one- or two-hour ride
- Optional Calabrian aperitif
Cooking class from €60 Sila National Park: Cooking Class with Lunch
A hands-on class in the Sila in which you prepare traditional recipes with seasonal ingredients and then sit down to eat them with local wine. It is on the Cosenza side of the park, so it fits best into a day or a night in the mountains.
- Cook traditional Calabrian recipes
- Seasonal local ingredients
- Lunch with local wine
