Calabria borders Basilicata to the north, the Tyrrhenian Sea to the west and the Ionian Sea to the south and east. The coast stretches over a length of 780 km. The Strait of Messina separates Calabria from the island of Sicily.

Calabria is almost completely covered by mountain ranges. In the south lies the Aspromonte with the Montalto (1955 m). These are followed by the Sila and Serre mountains and, to the north, the Pollino massif with the highest mountain in the region, Serra Dolcedorme (2267 m).