Cottages in Aspromonte National Park

Southern Italy is often visited by tourists due to its wonderful beaches and picturesque little Italian towns. However, what most people traveling to Calabria are missing out on is the Aspromonte National Park. This wonderful protected area occupies the southern parts of the Apennines along the coast with the Mediterranean Sea.

Don’t miss out on the amazing opportunity to enjoy the beautiful Italian countryside while being able to explore one of its great national parks. Calabria will enchant you with its traditional character, while Aspromonte will amaze you with its wilderness and serenity. The cottages are located in areas, where you will be able to take the most out of your nature holiday! Don’t miss the chance to get to know your hosts and ask them about the hidden gems of the region!

The nature of Calabria

Aspromonte National Park has a unique biodiversity which often charms nature enthusiasts on their visit. The unspoiled nature and numerous routes which show you not only the scenery of the park but its historical and cultural aspects as well, will surely make up for not a day but a week of adventures. The park takes its name from one of three massifs in the area. The significance behind the name has a historical background, too. When Greek populations used to live in the area they admired the bright white color of the massif and called it Aspromonte – the pure white mountain.

The nature of the park is truly remarkable. Oleanders and tamarisks, willows and black alders are among the most widely distributed plant species. However, the crown is the population of larch pine trees, which are unique for just a few places around the world. Another unique plant growing in Calabria is the famous bergamot citrus, which grows only in certain areas of the Italian province.

There are numerous caves along the coast, as well as many waterfalls in narrow valleys, amazing viewpoints and so on. Our favorite waterfall is located on a short trip to the center of the park; Aspromonte – Maesano is a small but very beautiful waterfall cutting through enormous granite rocks. You will definitely enjoy the trail to it, as it opens up to a scenic view most of the time.

Explore the outdoors on your doorstep

Nature and sports enthusiasts are bound to fall in love with the park. Dozens of kilometers of long trails suitable for a relaxing day in the woods are available. Furthermore, mountain biking is also a nice way to spend the day in Aspromonte and is a quicker way to get to the beautiful panoramic viewpoints up the massif.

You can also explore the water basins across the national park. The torrents in the area are famous for carrying a lot of debris along the rivers. Although most of the river beds are dry throughout the year, they can be dangerous sometimes as they flood very quickly. However, if you decide to follow the Bonamico Torrent you will eventually reach Lake Constantino, which has a unique history. It is one of the small number of lakes worldwide, which was formed when a landslide blocked the waterway and formed the basin.