The history of Locri is closely linked to the history of two other centers in the surrounding area: Locri Epizefiri, polis of Magna Graecia founded in the 7th century BC, and Gerace, a medieval city built in the 9th century.

After the Roman conquest of Locri Epizephiri and following both the Saracen and Turkish raids and the malaria scourge, the site was progressively abandoned and the inhabitants moved towards the safer hills of the hinterland where Gerace rose. In the nineteenth century, with the return of the population to the coastal areas and thanks to the advent of the railway, the village of Gerace Marina, a hamlet belonging to the municipality of Gerace, developed.

Gerace Marina acquired more and more importance with the transfer, from Gerace, of some important administrative and commercial structures, including the Court and the Popular Bank in 1880, until becoming autonomous municipality in 1905. To give further impetus were the birth and development of important commercial and industrial activities: for example, the Officine Meccaniche Calabresi (OMC), in the early thirties, employed about 150 workers. In 1934 the municipality of Gerace Marina assumed the current name of Locri.

Of particular interest is the archaeological area located about 3 km south of the municipality. The distance from the modern town has allowed to almost completely preserve the ancient Greek city, however in past centuries the inhabitants of the area have used the stones of this city to build new houses.

The archaeological excavations were directed by Paolo Orsi (1908-1912), Paolo Enrico Arias (1940-1941) and Giulio Jacopi (1951). Of particular interest is the visit to the archaeological remains of the temples, the theaters and the walls of the ancient Greek period, and especially the visit to the very complete “Antiquarium” Museum which displays thousands of pre-Hellenic, Greek and Roman archaeological finds.