Ciclovia Parchi Calabria

This amazing route starts in Laino Borgo (280 m), which houses the stunning remains of a Lombard fortress, crosses the village of Laino Castello and, after 14.5 km, arrives at Mormanno (830 m). This town is known for its delicious filled biscuits, known in Italian as “bocconotti”, and its lentils, which bear the Slow Food label. Once you have passed the Parco della Lavanda (Lavander Farm), the route rises up the Serra mountain heading to the Fortino, at 1050 m above sea level. Then it goes downhill on the opposite slope, towards Morano Calabro (680 m), a charming medieval village shaped in semicircles, known as the “Nativity Scene of the Pollino Park” and listed among Italy’s most beautiful villages. Download GPX

The route starts in Castrovillari (360 m), which hosts the Pollino Service Centre, where the wonderful landscape of the Park is shown to visitors using immersive technologies. This area, known as the Orsomarso, has been inhabited by Arbëreshe communities since the 15th century. Continuing along the SP263 road, the route takes you to San Basile (540 m), a village of Byzantine origin, and then Saracena (606 m), the town where the famous Moscato di Saracena, a sweet Italian wine, is produced. The cycle route rapidly descends through beautiful countryside and across fields, up to the village of Firmo (344 m). Then it climbs again towards Lungro (590 m), a town that still preserves some ancient Byzantine rites and traditions. From here, the trail goes up again, heading into village of Acquaformosa (785 m), which houses the wonderful Church of San Giovanni Battista (16th century). Download GPX

  This route starts in San Sosti (360 m), which hosts the splendid Sanctuary of Pettoruto and extensive chestnut woods. Then it goes down the SP123 road, along the Rosa and Ésaro rivers, passes the village of Mottafollone, and heads to Pianette (357 m), a hamlet of Roggiano Gravina. Here, the route starts descending on the SP270 provincial road reaching 60 meters above sea level and then heads to Ferramonti, home to the largest Italian fascist internment camp and the Museum of Holocaust Memorial. Follow the route for about 7 km of mostly flat route, and you’ll reach the nature reserve of Tarsia Lake, which is an important wetland along the course of the Crati river. Download GPX

Route Bisignano - Cupone (Cecita Lake)

The route starts in Bisignano (350 m), an ancient town and bishop's see, home to the important Sanctuary of Sant’Umile, funded by Blessed Pietro Cathin, an envoy of Saint Francis of Assisi. The route rises the Timpone della Morte mount (762 m) for about 10 km, along the SS660 road. Then it gently descends towards Acri (688 m), a small town known for hosting the Basilica of Saint Angelo d’Acri. From here the route winds into Conca delle Noci and climbs up to 1262 m, near Cava di Melis, where some of the highest vineyards in Europe are grown. Then it reaches Cecita Lake, located at 1143 m above sea level. Here you’ll find the Cupone visitor and environmental education center Download GPX

Route Cecita Lake - Silvana Mansio

Starting at Cecita Lake, across landscapes of rare beauty, the route quickly climbs up the mountain. After about 12 Km, once you have passed the Serra della Castagna mountain, take the SP 208 heading to the Pettinascura peaks, at about 1560 m. After a long downhill glide and a slightly uphill stretch, the route leads to Germano (1263), a hamlet near San Giovanni in Fiore. Then the route goes around Ariamàcina Lake (1316 m) and takes you close to Croce di Magara and the nature reserve of “Giganti di Fallistro”: 5 hectares of old-growth pine forest. Once you have passed the village of Sculca (1360 m), take the SP 211 road heading Silvana Mansio, a charming town perched at 1470 m of height and made of wooden lodges.   Download GPX

Route Rovale - Mancuso Village

The route starts in Rovale (1350 m), a charming holiday destination nestled at the north-western end of Arvo Lake, not far from the tourist village of Lorica (San Giovanni in Fiore), on the Sila Grande peak. After some ups and downs, you’ll reach Ampollino Lake (1282 m), near Trepidò, home to the visitor center of the Museum of Water and Energy. Ride along the lake for about 13 km and then follow the route southwards to the hamlet of Manco Spineto Migliari. The route rises up to 1435 m and then rapidly descends towards the villages of Racise and Mancuso, renowned holiday destinations enhanced by charming wooden lodges that were built at the beginning of the 20th century (1290 m) Download GPX

Route Taverna - Tiriolo

The route starts in Taverna (521 m), a village steeped in history and the hometown of Mattia Preti, one of the greatest painters of the 17th century. You can see some of the painter’s precious artworks at the civic museum. Once you have crossed the village of Sorbo S. Basile (620 m), the cycling route climbs the SS109 up to the borders of Fossato Serralta (720 m) and then reaches Donnalenardo, perched at 800 m of height. From here, the route goes downhill along a road that crosses Melito and Corace rivers, past Gimilgliano (525 m). Follow the SP40 provincial road for about 8 Km, until you reach the viewpoint on Mount Tiriolo (818 m), which offers breathtaking panoramic views over two seas. On sunny days, you will be even able to see the Aeolian Islands! Cradled at the foot of Mount Tiriolo lies a village of the same name, which was founded by the Greeks. Download GPX

Route Caraffa - Torre di Ruggiero

This route starts in Caraffa di Catanzaro (358 m), an Arbëreshe village founded in the mid-15th century, and continues towards Girifalco (456 m). You will reach this hilltop medieval village 12 km away, six of them mostly uphill. The rise continues for another 8,5 km until the Bivio Ponticelle (873 m) where you turn left and start descending for about 10 km on the SP 145 to reach the town of San Vito sullo Ionio (404 m), renowned for its cheese and pipe production. From here, the route goes gently uphill along the SP 172 and SP182 and across the town of Chiaravalle Centrale, among hazelnut and beech woods, leading to Torre di Ruggiero. This village, located in an area called “preserre catanzaresi” and founded at the beginning of the 1st millennium by Roger I of Sicily, is home to the Sanctuary of the Madonna delle Grazie, one of the most important worship places in Calabria. From the town center of Torre di Ruggiero, you can access the stretch of the Parks Cycle Network that leads to Serra San Bruno. Download GPX

Route Caraffa - Monterosso

This route starts in Caraffa di Catanzaro (358 m), an Arbëreshe village founded in the mid-15th century, and continues towards Grifalco (456 m). You will reach this hilltop medieval village 12 km away, six of them mostly uphill. Then rise for another 12 km, up to the Passo Fosso del Lupo (949 m), when a long downhill glide begins heading Polia (370 m) starts. The village of Polia was colonized by the Greeks and is nestled in the narrowest point of the Calabrian peninsula, along the SP46 road. Once you have passed the hamlet of Menniti (400 m), the trail ends in Monterosso (310 m), which is home to the Museum of the Serre Calabresi, not far from the nature reserve of Angitola Lake. Download GPX

Route San Nicola da Crissa - Mongiana

The route starts in San Nicola da Crissa (535 m), a town of Greek origin, and continues with gentle gradients towards the villages of Torre di Ruggiero and Cardinale. Follow the route towards Simbario (766 m) and Spadola (754 m), where a gentle climb starts, along stretches of the Ancinale river heading Serra San Bruno. After about 2 km past the village, you’ll find the majestic Charterhouse that was built by Bruno di Colonia at the end of the 11th century. Once you have passed the Sanctuary of Santa Maria del Bosco (824 m), the route takes you into thick woodlands of silver fir, where the Trail of the Brigand runs. Climb up to 1026 m and then gently descend to Mongiana, home to the weapons factory wanted by Ferdinand IV of Naples and the Museum of the Royal Bourbon Ironworks. Download GPX

Route Fabrizia - Canolo

The route starts in Fabrizia (963 m), a village of forest and charcoal traditions rich in orchards, and continues towards the Passo della Croce Ferrata (1128 m). A downhill stretch leads to Valle Gelata (1016 m), where the route starts climbing up to 1137 m on Mount Seduto. From here, a descent of about 12 km starts. After passing the Piano della Limina and the Ionian-Tyrrhenian state road, you’ll rise and then go down to the intersection with SP35 (840 m). Then the route gently climbs for about 5 km towards Canolo (946), a village between two canyons on the Dossoni della Melia located in Locride (from Locris, an ancient Greek region), just 2 km from Passo del Mercante, the pass that connected the two Calabrian coasts in the Magna Graecia region. Download GPX

Route Canolo - Gambarie

The route starts in Canolo (946 m), rises along the Piani dell’Aspromonte, and goes through the site of community importance of Piano Abbruschiato (1027 m). Go past the crossroads that lead to Trepitò, Molochio, and the Mundu and Galasia rainfalls, across some impressive scenery of canyons and water jumps, and you’ll reach the pine woodlands of Piano dello Zillastro (1099 m), nearby the stunning Sanatorium of Zervò (1152 m). A gentle climb towards Piano Pietra Cuccuma (1250 m) starts from here offering, to the east heading San Luca, spectacular views over giant monoliths such as the Pietra Cappa, not far from the Sanctuary of Madonna di Polsi and the old-growth beech forest of Valle Infernale. In a continuous up and down that reaches 1349 m of height on the Guardiola, descend along the SP3 provincial road and, just past the crossroads of Sant’Eufemia, after 1.2 km, you’ll be close to the Mausoleum of Garibaldi. Follow the route for another 3.6 km and you’ll reach Gambarie d’Aspromonte (1324 m), a renowned ski resort. Download GPX

Route Gambarie - Reggio Calabria

The route starts in Gambarie (1324 m), home to the Observatory for Biodiversity, and climbs up to 1366 m of height near Mount Reggio, where a long descent begins, leading to the Passo dei Petrulli (1057 m). Here, during the Italian unification process, the battle of Aspromonte took place and Giuseppe Garibaldi was wounded and taken prisoner by Royal Italian Army. The trail continues up to the helmet of Straorino (580 m). From here, the route rises up to the Charterhouse River (634 m), gently descends along Via Reggio Campi heading Terreti and Nasiti, and arrives nearby the hill where the hermitage of Madonna della Consolazione (160 m) - known as the balcony on Reggio Calabria and the Strait of Messina - is perched. The route then ends in the most ancient city of the ‘Greek Calabria’. You can learn about the story of this land at the national archaeological museum, where the famous Riace bronzes are displayed. Finally, the route continues along the coastal road of Falcomatà beside the Mediterranean Sea, which was defined by the Italian writer Gabriele D’Annunzio as “the most beautiful kilometer of Italy”. Download GPX