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Mountains & CoastBasilicata – the heart of the south
Nights: 7
Starting point: Hotel Picchio Nero (3*), Terranova di Pollino. Run by the affable Pino Golia, who speaks good English and is a fount of knowledge about his native region, this is a great place at which to start your holiday. Pino’s family prides itself on its regional dishes, and the food here sets the tone for the week. Day 1: for your first day, we include a transfer into the heart of the Pollino National Park. Our suggested walk serves as a splendid introduction to the variety of scenery offered in the mountains. It takes you through forests and past remote farmsteads, as well as across vast open landscapes, huge valleys and beneath rocky peaks, as you walk the circumference of La Falconara, one of the most characteristic of the local mountains with its near vertical cliffs. If you wish to extend the walk, you can detour via Lake Fondo at the start of the day. (17km, 5hrs or 20km, 6hrs) Accommodation: Hotel Picchio Nero, as above. Day 2: today you have a choice of walks. The first requires a transfer at the start and end of the day (pay your host locally). It ascends along panoramic paths to the high plateau of the Grande Porta del Pollino (‘Great Gateway’), where some rare Loricate Pines – some of the oldest trees in the world – can be found. The second is an easier walk along an ancient 'road' and a quiet lane past an excellent viewpoint to San Paolo in Albanese, many of whose inhabitants are of Albanian origin, hence the name. You can return by bus for all of part of the way (pay locally). (18km, 7hrs or 12km, 4hrs) Accommodation: Hotel Picchio Nero, as above. Day 3: after a transfer, you ascend steadily along a panoramic path through open countryside to the mountain refuge of Visitone (1,410 metres). From here, you descend through beech and oak woods to Viggianello. (20km, 5.5hrs) Accommodation: Locanda di San Francesco (3*), Viggianello. Converted from an 18th-century building, the hotel boasts large bedrooms, a rustic restaurant and views over Viggianello’s historic centre. Though the hotel does not have its own recreational facilities, you can use the swimming pool, tennis court and sauna at the Locanda’s sister hotel. Day 4: for your day in Viggianello, we suggest a circular walk through the broom-clad hills behind the town, skirting the edge of a nature reserve that is home to large numbers of roe deer before leading along farm tracks back to the town. Take time on your return to explore Viggianello’s historic centre and its various monuments. (10km, 3.5hrs) Accommodation: Locanda di San Francesco, as above. Day 5: the day starts with a transfer to Trècchina, a beautiful village that is well worth a short visit. From here, you ascend through chestnut woods into the Pontescala Valley. The woodland gives way to open countryside and the challenging descent that follows is made thoroughly worthwhile by the fantastic coastal panoramas. To extend the walk, you can detour past a ruined castle to the panoramic summit of Mount San Biagio (624 metres) which is crowned by a 22-metre marble statue of Christ the Redeemer. (10km, 3.5hrs or 15km, 5hrs) Accommodation: Capo Casale (3*), Maratea. This comfortable hotel was once a wealthy family's villa, and the terracotta floor tiles and dark wood beams and furniture of the simply furnished but attractive bedrooms enhance the sense of tradition. The views from the terrace, where breakfast is served in good weather, are spectacular. We include breakfast only, leaving you free to dine at the hotel, in the old town, or near the sea in the lower part of the town. Day 6: today is left free for you to relax – stroll through Maratea’s atmospheric streets, or take a boat trip, a great way to see the tiny bays and caves that are dotted along the coastline. Snorkelling and mountain biking can also be arranged. (Pay locally for all activities.) Accommodation: Capo Casale, as above. Option to walk on and relax in style: For a little added luxury we offer the option to extend your holiday with an additional walk and stay at the romantic Hotel Villa Cheta (4*), Acquafredda. Day 7: you reach this delightful hotel by following a mountain path across the partially wooded southern slopes of Mount Coccovello which, at its highest point, offers a breathtaking view right along the coast. The descent to the coast is demanding but exhilarating, leading across an area of holm oaks, pines and aromatic shrubs. There are some excellent viewpoints throughout the walk from where you can enjoy breathtaking views of the sweeping Gulf of Policastro and its medieval painted villages. (12km, 4.5hrs) Accommodation: Hotel Villa Cheta (4*), Acquafredda. Lovingly converted from an 18th-century Liberty-style villa by the father of owner Stefania Aquadro, this elegant villa is furnished with antiques and Art Nouveau lamps. The hotel is set above the pebbly coves of the coast amid pleasant terraces and gardens planted with bougainvillea. Day 8: as a reward at the end of your holiday, spend the day relaxing on one of the delightful small beaches and perhaps take a dip in the Tirrenian Sea. Accommodation: Hotel Villa Cheta, as above. Walking chart: the chart gives the distance and an approximation of the ascents and descents involved each day. If comparing holidays, please note the scale of each chart as this can differ.
Recommendations for extra nights: add an extra night at the Hotel Picchio Nero (Terranova) to enjoy all three walks, or choose the Capo Casale (Maratea) for another day of relaxation. Extensions: If you are flying via Naples, why not stay 2 nights on the waterfront at the elegant 4* Miramare to experience this thrilling and sensational city. Other information: if you would like to see the brochure page, you can download this (and the pages for any other holidays you are interested in) by using our brochure creation system. Similar holidays: Madeira's Wild North (grade 2-3), From the Picos to the Sea (grade 2-3), Pyrenees to Atlantic (grade 2-3), Crete's Coast & Mountains (grade 3), Along the Ligurian Coast (grade 2), Mountains of Sicily (grade 2), Pyrenees to the Sea (grade 2) Prices & travel 2008:
Recommended destination airports: arrival Naples or Bari; departure Naples Extra nights prices
Recommended destination airport: Naples > Any queries? Let us call you back |
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East of Campania and south of Puglia, the ancient and undiscovered region of Basilicata is astonishingly varied, with both Ionian and Tirrenian coastlines, and an interior of rugged mountains scattered with joyfully remote Greek ruins, medieval abbeys, Norman castles and isolated hill-top towns. This is Italy’s deep south, yet surprisingly green, with an abundance of wild flowers and rare trees, and birds of prey that observe you from on high. Our walk combines inland and coastal landscapes, beginning in the heart of the Pollino National Park, high enough to be covered in snow every winter and wild enough to be home to small numbers of wolves. You then walk westwards to the coast, where the mountains shelter many tiny coves ideal for swimming as they plunge into the Tirrenian Sea at Maratea. There is a typically southern warmth and hospitality here, and your hosts treat you to traditional dishes and seafood that are full of flavour and are perfectly complemented by the renowned Aglianico del Vulture wines.
Admire the rich flora 
