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Calabria 8-day hiking and agrotourism tour

Calabria 8-day hiking and agrotourism tour
Calabria hiking and agrotourism
Calabria hiking and agrotourism
Calabria hiking and agrotourism
Calabria 8-day hiking and agrotourism tour

Sylvain, an ASAM certified guide, takes you on this great 8-day hiking and agrotourism tour in Calabria, a beautiful and unspoiled region in Southern Italy. From bread and pizza making, farm products processing to cultural activities and hikes, this tour has it all!

8 Days

Oct

Low

Beginner


Description

Calabria is a beautiful region of rustic charm and wild natural scenery in Southern Italy. Away from tourist crowds, it is a great window into the simple and slower pace of life. I  invite you to join me on this 8-day hiking and agrotourism tour, a discovery trip for an unforgettable authentic experience in Italy.

We will stay in Borgo Piazza, an organic farm, with the fantastic sea view of the Gulf of Squillace, a few kilometers away from Catanzaro Lido and Soverato. Every day, you will have the chance to go on hikes, discovering the wild natural landscape of the surroundings and charming villages, or learning about farm products processing. We will also have some cultural activities, like concerts or visit to museums. You can check the day-by-day programme below.

The wide diversity of activities includes nature and educational hikes, with information about plants, ecology and management of natural spaces, and the learning of the process of making bread, pizza or yogurth, and also olive oil filtration process. 

These interesting workshops allow you to learn about the preparation of the raw materials of the farm and to discover the diversity of the Mediterranean diet. I will also give a presentation about the benefits and nutritional interest of this diet. Also, we can give you individual health advice on the basis of a personalized interview.

Borgo Piazza, our base during these days, is a reserve of magnificent Mediterranean products like olive, almond and citrus trees. It has an area of ​​44 hectares of organic farming, operated in strict respect of the environment protection, with a unique natural landscape. It is located 800 meters from the sea and beaches, in the middle of the Gulf of Squillace, standing on the hills.

In Calabria the air is pure, the wind slams and the light is strong. It is a region of character, not a popular tourist destination like Tuscany. Calabria is wild and it offers simplicity at its best. This programme is the perfect opportunity to explore this amazing region.

So what are you waiting for? Send me a request and book your spot! Join me on this unique agrotourism and cultural tour in Calabria and discover thisSend me a request and book your spot! You can also check my Tinos island Mediterranean gastronomy tour in Greece!

Price includes

  • Accommodation included
  • Guiding fee
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch
  • Dinner
  • Transport during the trip

Price details

  • The price includes transfers during the program, guiding fee and accommodation with full board. The price does not include air transport, insurance, drinks and personal expenses. Price per person for a group of 9: 1341 CHF.

Itinerary

Day 1: Borgo Piazza

Arrival at Borgo Piazza. Visit to Elvira’s farmhouse.

20.30: Friendly welcome meal at the farm restaurant.

Day 2: Hiking-Bread and Pizza Making

08:00- Breakfast consisting of local products (eggs, almonds, olive oil, jam, bread, citrus fruits, etc.).

09:00 – Visit to the farm or hiking to Borgo Piazza – Borgia. We will leave the hacienda to go up the Calabrian lands to the plateau of altitude and to the village of Borgia. This walk is defined as an ecological crossing from the dune farmlands to the sandstone plateau. We will pass over the ridges for a great panorama view of the region. We will be in the middle of olive trees, wild pistachio and Filaria. We will enjoy a picnic in the middle of nature. Altitude difference: + 600 m. Distance: 15 km

15:00- Return to the farm.

16:00- Workshop: making of bread and pizza.

19:30- Making of meals with the products of the day. Evening: presentation of Mandala naturali activity

Day 3: Squillace-Caminia hiking-Mandala

08:00- Breakfast with local products.

09:00- Departure by car to the village of Squillace. Visit to traditional ceramic workshop.

10:30- Walk from Squillace to the bay of Caminia. We will descend from the ancient Greek village of Squillace through wadis and olive trees to the beach of Caminia, the real jewel of Calanque. Distance: 10 km. Altitude difference: -300 meters.

14:00- Lunch in the Caminia complex.

15h00- Pickup of stone or nap.

16h00- Visit to coves and rocks in boats  from the bay of Copanello and Caminia with session of ornithology.

19:00- Return to the hotel by car.

19:30- Dinner. Mandala activity.

Day 4: Silk Museum-Forest hike-Baroque Music Concert

08:00- Breakfast

09:00- Departure by car to San Floro Silk Museum.

11:00- Walk from the village of Girifalco to the Monte Covello chestnut groves. Distance: 4 km. Altitude difference: +350 meters.

13:00- Picnic in the forest

15:00- Transformation workshop, “almond” and mandala.

19:00- Dinner

21:00- Traditional baroque music concert.

Day 5: Traditional market-Natural soap workshop- Nutrition and Health Conference

08:00- Breakfast.

09:00- Departure to the Soverato market.

12:30- Traditional lunch in Soverato (fish).

15:00- Cosmetic transformation and natural soap workshop.

19:00- Dinner

21:00- Nutrition and health conference

Day 6: Catanzaro Lido-Contemplative Walk- Yogurth Workshop-Kinesiology

07:00- Breakfast

08:00- Hiking from Torre Cavallera to Catanzaro Lido. We leave the farm towards the sea and we go along the seafront until Catanzaro lido. This is a contemplative morning walk. We will take the time to capture the lights of the shore and appreciate the beauty of this landscape between land and sea.

10.30- Calabrian coffee in a traditional bar in Catanzaro Lido and purchase local products or others in Catanzaro lido.

12.30- Lunch at the farm.

14:00- Yoghurt processing workshop and preparation of a delicious aubergine or zucchini parmigiana

16:00- Picking seasonal products at the farm.

19:00- Dinner

21:00- Introduction to kinesiology: session on postures.

Day 7: Badaloto village-Picnic-Making of marmalade-Concert

08:00-Breakfast.

09:00- Departure to the traditional medieval Calabrian village of Badolato. We will wander in the alleys of the village and descend to the monastery. We will then go for a walk in the limestone valley, surrounded by a drier and stony landscape close to the languedociennes garrigue.

12:30- Picnic in nature.

14:00- Return to the farm.

15:00- Workshop: processing of marmalade.

18:00- Inauguration of the mandala.

19:00- Dinner and aperitif

21:00- Calabrian music concert.

Day 8: Olive Oil Workshop-Departure

08:00- Breakfast.

09:00- Walking in the farm and reviewing the plants observed.

10:00- Olive oil filtration workshop.

12:00- Departure

 

Details

More info

-The price per person for a group of 9 people is 1494 CHF.

-Breakfasts are served at the restaurant. They are traditional and composed of fresh, local and mainly organic products. Lunch is either a picnic or we can have it at the restaurant of the farm. In the evening we eat at the restaurant. The food is Mediterranean with vegetables, fresh fish, olive oil and the various preparations made collectively during the stay. Special diets will be taken into account as far as possible, provided we warn them before the stay.

Meeting point

Lamezia Airport

About the guide

Guide profile image

Sylvain

Mountain Guide

Passionate about botany and ornithology, trained in ecology, I have long worked in environmental protection, rural development and adaptation to climate change in the Sahel.

Coming from a family of (small) farmers in the West of France, my initial training focused on the management and protection of nature. My associative activities have also allowed me to develop a solid naturalistic culture.

My professional career began with a regional development project in the Alpes de Haute-Provence. Afterwards, I was an ornithological animator in the Eastern Pyrenees. At 25, I went to Niger and worked there for 7 years, first as an international volunteer (France volunteers) then as a technical advisor for the German cooperation services (DED/GIZ). After a brief return to France and a visit to Canada to perfect my English, I went back to West Africa - this time to Senegal where I coordinated a climate change adaptation project for a French NGO.

Tired of the contradictions of the associative and institutional milieu, I finally chose to fly on my own while keeping a privileged link with nature. While my stays in so-called "developing" countries have led me to grasp the fragility of life, it is quite naturally that I wanted to take a closer interest in health.

I then trained in naturopathy with the Herbothèque (Quebec) and the Mandorle School (Switzerland), and specialized in scientific aromatherapy with Dominique Baudoux. I also returned to my first loves: botany and the study of plants. Settled in Switzerland since September 2015, I also trained as a mountain leader at the Saint Jean d'Anniviers school in Valais. I opened my naturopathic practice in Neuchâtel in the summer of 2016 and am a member of the Syndicat des professionnels de la naturopathie (SPN) and the central committee of the Association suisse des accompagnateurs en montagne (ASAM).

Two caps - naturopath and herbalist and hiking guide - for the same passion: nature. My vocation today is to share and transmit it in many ways.
I propose "nature and health" or "nature and culture" stays, cooking-nutrition courses, herbal walks, botanical walks. It's about walking, discovering a region, its nature, learning about wild plants, who they are, what they do. A complete naturopathic check-up can be integrated into the program. This allows individuals to have a complete view of their health status and to obtain an individualized health optimization program.

The proposed destinations are regions to which I am strongly attached and/or that I know well for having lived there: the Mediterranean basin, West Africa, South-West and West France, Switzerland :

France: the Languedoc Roussillon Mediterranean and its causses, the eastern Pyrenees, the Grenoble region with the Chartreuse and Vercors, the Charente Maritime, Brittany, the Southern Alps.
Southern Italy, Naples region.
Greece: Cyclades and Parnitha Natural Park
Sahelian Africa: Northern Senegal, Niger, Burkina Faso.
Morocco: from Essaouira to the South of the Atlas Mountains
Switzerland: Vaud, Neuchâtel and Bernese Jura, pre-Alpes, Valais.

The stays take place either from a fixed point in a gîte, or while roaming. In both cases, healthy local cuisine will be at the party.

Any reservation of my stays abroad for my Swiss clientele is made through the travel agency "Le goût du voyage". This partnership is based on mutual trust and a shared travel ethic. The organization of the pre-trip is thus delegated to competent and experienced professionals, which allows me to concentrate on my work as a guide and to secure this activity on the legal level.

Other tailor-made offers can also be proposed. Feel free to contact me.

The past and present programming of my health hiking activity can be found on the "Events" page.

A blog also presents articles on hikes or stays proposed to inspire you (choose the "hiking trips" category).

Languages

French | English

Certificates

ASAM


What people are saying about Explore-Share

Man

Climbing with guide Guillaume was absolutely a highlight of my 2-week Europe vacation. Originally, we were planning on climbing in the Calanques, but the park was closed due to wind and fire danger. Guillaume chose another amazing location (Pic de Bretagne) based on my climbing abilities and preferences and kindly offered train station pick-up and hotel drop off, which I appreciated very much. The multi-pitch route we did was not only fun but also the right amount of challenge, which I thoroughly enjoyed. The communication from the team (Gauthier) was prompt and clear—highly recommend!

Maxine

Luis Silva was a great climbing guide and belayer! He taught me how to do moves that were difficult and encouraged me to try routes that were challenging for me! Because of his encouragement, I managed to complete these routes! I really enjoyed the climbs and completed 8 routes in the Sesimbra/Azoia area. The weather was perfect, no direct sun and cool enough to enjoy the climbs. Explore-Share made booking an outdoor climbing experience in Lisbon extremely easy. Luis, our guide, was fantastic, and the platform’s organization was flawless.

Valeriya

You’re simply the best!!! :))) Explore-Share made everything easy and stress-free. Will definitely use again.

Joshua

We had Léo as a guide for our day climb in Fonty. We were blessed with a knowledgeable, warm, and instructive guide. Communication with Léo and Ivan was smooth and swift. Explore-Share was excellent in arranging everything for our day climb. The communication was quick, and the platform was easy to use, making our adventure stress-free.

Cami

Patrick was a great guide. He took us on an intermediate Via Ferrata at Passo Sella. Renato was quick to respond with any outreach on the Explore-Share platform. The booking process was straightforward, and once Patrick was confirmed, all went well. It was a wonderful experience, and I’d highly recommend the platform.

 

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