Ciclovia Parchi Calabria
The Ciclovia dei Parchi is a project run by the Calabria Region involving the Pollino, Sila and Aspromonte National Parks, and the Serre Regional Park. It is an Apennine route that crosses the entire inland area of Calabria, a route that will form part of EuroVelo 7 from 2024. The cycle route has a total length of 545 km, starting in Laino Borgo and finishing in Reggio Calabria. The journey is divided into 12 stages and the entire route is signposted with identification signs, including those specific to Eurovelo 7.
From Laino Borgo, in the heart of the Pollino National Park, to Gambarie in the Aspromonte, passing through the Sila and Serre Calabresi National Parks, the cycle route runs along the Apennine ridges, from which, looking east and west, one can often see the sea – a unique experience that only Calabria can offer, culminating in the final stretch: a sweeping descent ending on the splendid seafront of Reggio Calabria, “the most beautiful kilometre in Italy”, as Gabriele D’Annunzio once described it.
Stretching 545 km, the Ciclovia dei Parchi runs the length of the most ‘intimate’ and authentic part of Calabria, passing through four extraordinary protected areas covering over 300,000 hectares. Perched villages, dense woods and forests, high-altitude lakes, sun-drenched hills, ancient beech woods, UNESCO World Heritage sites and geosites, scattered museums, local cultures and dialects, and food and wine traditions found nowhere else, are just some of the attractions the Cycle Route offers to cycling enthusiasts who love to connect with their surroundings and fully immerse themselves in the journey.
A route with approximately 10,000 metres of elevation gain, running mostly along tarmac roads with very little traffic, but featuring around 20% of dedicated cycle paths, created along the route of the former Calabro-Lucana railway line to the north, in the Pollino National Park, and along the lakes of the Sila; these paths are constantly expanding thanks to the ongoing efforts of the Calabria Region. Whether on a road bike or a touring bike, alone, in a group or with the family, the Ciclovia dei Parchi is ready to offer a fantastic active holiday experience to everyone, including lovers of good food, who can enjoy a truly satisfying culinary journey here, whatever the season.
In 2021, the Ciclovia dei Parchi was awarded the ‘Italian Green Road Award’, the Oscar of cycle tourism.
Website: https://www.cicloviaparchicalabria.it/en/E-mail: [email protected]Booth: 47
