Calabria: National Park, Canyon and Waterfalls

“Drive all the way down from Rome to Reggio Calabria?” I questioned by husband when he proposed the idea for our trip to Calabria late June. I’m not sure if you are aware of the infamous Salerno-Reggio Calabria highway known for its never-ending road works and as a result, frequent traffic jams.

However, since we were planning to spend over a week in the region, staying in various towns, getting around without a car was impracticable. We could have taken the train and rented a car but after some consideration, it made sense for us to just drive.

When we made our way from Rome to Sersale (7-hour drive), in the province of Catanzaro, we came across a good number of road works on the highway but at the end, we lost count of the number of times we were confined to one lane. Eventually, we got off the highway and chose the longer, but more scenic route through Sila National Park.

Covering an area of over 70,000 hectares, the diverse landscape from lakes to dense forests in Sila National Park, made for a breathtaking drive. While the region was experiencing a heatwave, it was about 10 degrees cooler here and hardly anyone around. Unfortunately, we had an appointment in Sersale, we didn’t have time to truly explore the area which has plenty of activities and itineraries for visitors.

Driving through winding and narrow forest roads, we finally got to the town of Sersale. We would spend the night here as the next morning, we would head out on a hike with a guide to Valli Cupe, a nature reserve that is little known even in Italy. We had heard about Valli Cupe thanks to a friend of my sister-in-law’s who is from Calabria and recommended a walk through this magnificent canyon.

While planning our trip, we saw there was a package offered through the Valli Cupe website with the Segreti Mediterranei Cooperative that included one night accommodation, meals, entrance tickets to the sites and a guided visit. We opted for this and had arranged to meet with one of the staff who accompanied to our Bed and Breakfast Colle Angaro situated on a steep hill. A challenge to reach but its isolated setting was ideal for us.

That evening, before dinner, we took a quick walk around the town of Sersale, home to over 4,000 residents. Dinner was at Ristorante Baroncino and reservation had been taken care of as it was part of the package. This charming restaurant only has a handful of tables, all filled by locals, with excellent dishes and impeccable service.

The next morning, we met our guide, a student who mentioned that he took on this summer job as he is passionate about showing visitors around the area. It was wonderful to hear that there were many students who are involved in this initiative and we met a few of them as they were in charge of the ticket booths at the different sites and also responsible for cleaning the area.

Let’s take one step back. I forgot to mention that while we had brought our tennis shoes and clothes for the hike, we were only advised, when we met the staff in Sersale, to wear long pants for the hike.

It was our fault for not checking ahead of time what gear we needed and fortunately, we had packed some. We were also warned there were many stairs to contend with. We asked what kind of stairs there were as, in general, we have been trained, thanks to the stairs in Positano, where we have our summer house.

The staff was a bit unclear but mentioned that it took a group the day before 1.5 hours to get to the canyon and another 2 hours to get back up. That kind of got us worried as we knew that it was going to be sizzling hot.

Discovering Valli Cupe and Waterfalls in Calabria

Starting in the morning was the right call as it was still cool and when we got to the entrance of our hike, a short drive from the town of Sersale, we saw it was well-paved and the stairs were in decent condition.

In about half an hour, we were down at the canyon where we spent about an hour in this spectacular landscape before making our way up, which took us 30 minutes. So I wouldn’t say it’s a hike but more like a walk.

Our guide said we got up and down in record time and honestly, we weren’t super fit but as mentioned earlier, we know how to deal with stairs. Since we were way ahead of schedule, we decided to, before lunch, visit two of the many waterfalls in the area, Cascata Campanaro and Cascatelle del Crocchio, originally scheduled for the afternoon.

Before heading to the waterfalls, we had informed the staff at L’Aurora Ristorante and Pizzeria that we would be a having a late lunch (included in the package) and they had kindly accommodated our request.

We needed the car to get to both the waterfalls as there were situated in different locations. Once we parked, the path to both the waterfalls took you into a magical atmosphere that felt like you were in a different realm. Again, we only met a handful of people on these trail and only at the Cascatelle del Crocchio did we find local boys cooling off and having fun in the waterfalls.

After that workout, we sure deserved lunch.

L’Aurora Ristorante and Pizzeria was generous with their servings and we were eager to dig into the plate of appetizers with local cold cuts and cheese. A different setting from Ristorante Baroncino, it’s a spacious place situated in Piazza Carmela Borelli that is perfect for events and functions. Service was again impeccable and dishes were hearty and delicious.

Calabria is off-the-beaten path and while most go for its stunning beaches, it was a unique experience to discover the National Park, Canyon and the waterfalls, all well-kept secrets in the region, even for most Italians. If you love being outdoors and visiting places where few roam, this area is perfect for you.

The package option provided by Segreti Mediterranei Cooperative took care of all arrangements from the accommodation, meals, and guide, making it effortless to plan a visit to Valli Cupe. So ready to head to Calabria?

Stay tuned for Part 2 where we take you to the beaches and coastal towns in Calabria.