EXCURSIONS
Reggio Calabria and Scilla
Departure for Scilla, a small town in the charming setting of the Costa Viola. We will visit the traditional fishing village of Chianalea. The second stop is at Ruffo Castle and the Church of San Rocco. We will then drive to Reggio Calabria, an elegant city in the Liberty style, and typical of the era of Italian Art Nouveau. We will visit the national archaeological museum which houses a fine collection of objects from the Magna Grecia period as well as the famous Riace Bronzes. We will continue with a pleasant walk along the promenade, described by Gabriele D’Annunzio as “the most beautiful kilometre in Italy“, and will then visit the remains of the Roman Baths, the Greek walls and the Cathedral.
Borgo Adventure Park
There’s lots of fun and excitement at Avventure in Borgo: the adventure park at Sellia. This park is next to the town of Sellia, and offers a unique, thrilling experience lasting for about three hours. Participants are ensured complete safety, thanks to a system of harnesses and the active support of professional staff. You begin by working your way between tree tops on a series of Tibetan bridges, with each one harder than the last. After about two hours, you reach the 15-metre-high launch tower, from where you will do the Quick jump. You then continue along the scenic Suspended Tibetan Bridge (about 130 metres long and 20 metres high), from which you have a spectacular view both over the Gulf of Squillace and the Sila plateau.
To finish, you fly on a zip-line over Borgo, a journey of 500 metres that lasts about 45 seconds. This takes you to the historic centre of Sellia, where the adventure park staff will await your arrival.
Le Castella and boat ride in the Marine Park
A guided tour of the Aragonese Fortress of Le Castella, which dates back to the 15th century and is symbolic of this little town.
A walk through the streets of the village, with its shops selling traditional handicrafts and ceramics.
After this, we will spend an hour out at sea in a glass-bottomed boat, admiring all the beauties of the marine park.
Serra San Bruno
We will take you to Serra San Bruno, a charming village in the Calabrian hinterland. We will take a short walk through the historic centre of the village, and then continue to the famous 12th-century Certosa: an imposing monastery surrounded by woods of beech and white fir. We can visit the Certosa Museum, the only wing of the monastery fully open to visitors, as the friars live in a closed community. After visiting the Museum, we drive on a short distance to visit the Hermitage of San Bruno, where you can see the chapel built on the Grotto of San Bruno as well as the Church of Santa Maria del Bosco. The village is also famous as a centre of porcini mushrooms, and all the local restaurants offer traditional dishes made with these. After this visit to the mountains, we continue on towards the seaside town of Soverato. This is something of “theatrical” place, not only for its scenic views and for the many shows it stages, but also for a very special sculpture: a Pietà by the Sicilian artist, Antonello Gagini. Sculpted in white Carrara marble in 1521, the work can be seen in the Church of Our Lady of Sorrows.
A tour of Soverato needs to start outside the town, with a visit to the Siculan Tombs at the archaeological site of Grotticelle near Sant’Antonio.
