itineraries Calabria - excursions Parco del Pollino - mountain bike itineraries Parco della Sila - excursions mountain biking in Calabria -hotels

The stretch of shoreline along Praia a Mare is magnificent, the town is renowned for the picturesque Santuario della Madonna della Grotta, reachable from a very long stairway, sealed off by the Island of Dino (10 km from the Hotel Talao), a fabulous one kilometer long reef where the luxuriant vegetation is home to rare plants and animals in the wild. The steep coastline opens up in rich grottoes with stalagtites and the shoals offer colored scenery of submarine flora and fauna for snorkeling and diving enthusiasts.

The littoral of San Nicola Arcella (just 5 km from the hotel) is a succession of recesses and small beaches of uncommon beauty: The Grotta del Saraceno, with a natural pool facing it, the "Scorzone" reef and marvelous Grotta dell’Arcomagno, leading to a stretch of coastline that is truly riveting, accessed by passing underneath an arch dug out from the salt water. High up is the incredible and picturesque village, clinging to the edge of a precipice.

Heading south, don't miss Santa Maria del Cedro, at the close of a green fragrant valley with its typical citron trees, the world capital for the production of citron, and the tiny Isola di Cirella: here too, crystalline waters, grottoes, sinuous recesses, small beaches and the Mediterranean undergrowth, the beaches at Diamante, a city that is famous for its murales, which adorn the town's center, as well as for the National Academy of small peppers. Continuing along the Riviera dei Cedri are the beautiful beaches of Belvedere Marittimo, Sangineto, etc.

Villages

Among the hotels in Scalea, the Hotel Talao is also in an excellent position for visiting the villages and towns rich in history situated between Maratea, the Golfo di Policastro and Cosenza, on the Riviera dei Cedri and in the territory of the Parco Nazionale del Pollino.

On the slopes of the Massiccio del Pollino, small villages of ancient origin dot the uncontaminated nature of the park. Among these is Aieta, a Byzantine center dating back to the 10th century; Tortora, whose ancient origins are attested by the remains of its Lucanian walls and Roman forum; Santa Domenica Talao, since the 1600s the summer residence of the Princes of Scalea, grown around the lovely baroque church of San Giuseppe; Orsomarso, the ancient Roman fortress with characteristic Medieval alleyways, and the pretty road leading there, immersed in the greenery of the Parco del Pollino; Papasidero, where the Grotta del Romito is home to interesting prehistoric graffiti; Morano, located in the heart of the Pollino, with the incredible ruins of its castle and the splendid polyptych in the Duomo; the delightful Medieval town of Altomonte; and Verbicaro, the center for the production of Verbicaro DOC wine, one of Calabria's best.

At Paola, 60 km from Scalea, don't miss the Santuario di San Francesco da Paola and be sure to stop at the Terme Luigiane with the Parco Termale Acquaviva in proximity to Guardia Piemontese, an ancient village founded in the 13th century by the Valdesi, a people who still speak their dialect from the region of Piedmont; and Cosenza, with its monumental Teatro Rendano and splendid Romanesque Duomo.

Nature

A vacation at the Hotel Talao must include an excursion to the Parco Nazionale del Pollino, luxuriantly green with its unequalled beautiful scenery. The mountains rise up not to distant from the coast in majestic heights that are home to the magnificent Pinus Leucodermis (the Bosnian pine that is the park's symbol), the golden eagle, the deer native to Orsmoarso, and the Appennine wolf.

In addition to safeguarding nature, the park also preserves typical cultivations and handicrafts, the folklore of the towns such as the arbëreshe traditions of the ancient Italo-Albanian communities. Numerous trekking and mountain biking itineraries are available for exploring the marvels of the Parco del Pollino, which the reception at the Hotel Talao recommends with tourism information and organizes through the support of specialized guides and operators. The Parco Nazionale della Sila, just a few kilometers from Cosenza, also offers incomparable beauty and splendid, uncontaminated natural surroundings.