Pentedattilo

The name comes from Greek for five fingers, describing the sandstone crag above the village, which is cleft into five points and looks like a hand from the valley. Founded in the seventh century BC by Greeks, the village was progressively abandoned after an earthquake in 1783 and further movement of the unstable rock, with the last inhabitants leaving in the 1960s for a new settlement below. From the 1980s volunteers and associations began restoring parts of it, and some buildings now hold workshops, a hostel and a short film festival held each summer, though most of the village remains ruined.

What you actually see

• The five-fingered crag - a cleft sandstone rock above the houses.
• The abandoned streets - ruins left after the earthquake and later movement.
• The partial restoration - workshops and a hostel in rebuilt houses.
• The film festival - a short film event held in the village each summer.

When to go

April to June and September to October; summer on the exposed slope is very hot. The festival falls in summer. Winter access can be affected by weather.

Honest expectations

Most of the village is genuine ruin with restricted access to unstable areas. Facilities are minimal outside events. The access road is narrow.

Nearby

Reggio Calabria lies west; the Aspromonte rises behind.