ITINERARY

Day 1: Benvenuti in Calabria Arrival at Lamezia Terme airport. Transfer to a Hotel a Capo Vaticano. Dinner and overnight stay. Day 2: Monte Fistocchio - Scouting Expedition Breakfast in the Hotel. Pick- up at 10:00 am, transfer with the other participants to the lodge ''Biancospino''. There we will have an info cocktail to know the tour guides. In the afternoon we will start with our first walk to the Monte Fistocchio (1568m). From here you have a beautiful view over both sea's and over the Monte Alto. You can see the past post operative care units, who where controlling the connection between the ionic and the thyrrenic sea. Duration of the tour ca. 3 hours. Dinner and overnight stay in the lodge ''Biancospino''.

Day 3: The Montalto

After the breakfast we are driving to the ''plain of Carmelia'' (mt. 1267) and from there to the mountain '' Montalto'' (mt. 1956). Beautiful forest of beeches and silver firs. Interesting to see is the change of vegatation climbing up the mountain. Arriving at the top you will have a beautiful view over the Straits of Messina, the Mount Etna, the sea and the Lipari islands. Dinner and overnight stay in the Agriturismo. Duration of the tour ca. 6 1/2 hours.

Day 4: Romantic views and the coastal city of Palmi

Breakfast in the lodge. In the morning hiking tour from Sant'Elia di Palmi (mt. 575) along the mountain edge of the Mount S. Elia with a breathtaking view of the Coast of Viola (= Southern west coast of Calabria) and the Lipari Islands (duration of hiking: about 3 hours). In the afternoon we will visit the coastal city of Palmi and we will go to the ''Tonnara-museum'' which exhibits the history of the tuna catch and the archaeological zone of ''Pietre Nere'' with relicts of the ancient Greek and roman time as well as the prehistoric time.

Day 5: Between the two seas

Breakfast in the Agriturismo. The luggage will be sent to the next accomodation. We will hike towards the Ionian sea and the to the Mount Misafumera (mt.1390) through a beautiful beechsilver fir forest, you can also find maple trees and holly trees. We will climb the Mount Scorda (mt. 1572) with a last view of the west coast and the onward downhill towards the east coast  to the Pietra Cappa (mt. 737) - a huge rock that is uniquely in its kind. On the way one can see rare rock formations and also caves that were used by hermits hundreds of years ago. Therefore the name ''Rocche di San Pietro'' (rock of the holy Petrus. Dinner and overnight stay in the Agriturismo in Ciminà. Duration of the tour ca. 7 hours.

Day 6: Mighty rocks - I Tre Pizzi

Breakfast in the Agriturismo. Hiking tour to the Mount Tre Pizzi (mt. 710) that thrones with its three mighty rock overhangs over the valley of Locri. On the way we will pass the village Ciminà (mt. 232) where still today ancient customs of the agriculture of the Aspromonte are cultivated and we will hike through dense Mediterranean vegetation with a lot of strawberry trees (fruits from February till March). Dinner and overnight stay in the agriturismo in Ciminà. Duration of the tour ca. 4 hours.

Day 7: Gerace & Return to the tyrrenic sea

Breakfast in the Agriturismo. Today we will go back in the time, we will visit the medieval town Gerace, here it seems that the time stood still. The ruins of the castle will welcome us. We will walk through the old small streets and pass by still intact medievally inhabited houses. Gerace has 42 churches, we will visit the biggest cathedral from Calabria. Around 13pm we will drive to the tyrrenic coast, to Capo Vaticano. There  will be the last overnight stay from this week. In the afternoon you have the opportunity to visti the touristy town Tropea, ideal for shopping and side seeing. Or you can just relax on the beautiful beaches or the swimming pool from the hotel.

Day 8: Departure

Breakfast in the hotel and transfer to the airport or a connection program respectively.