The Ciclovia dei Saraceni in the Greek Aspromonte
In the far south of Calabria, the Greek-speaking Grecanica area of the Aspromonte is an almost deserted land of ancient Hellenic roots: gravel climbs to abandoned villages and wide dry riverbeds trace out a harsh, silent journey, far from any tourist circuit.
Foto: Benjamin Smith (CC BY-SA 4.0) — Wikimedia Commons
Few corners of Italy are as hidden as the Grecanica area of the Aspromonte. Here, in the far south of Calabria, people still speak Greko, an ancient language that has survived in a handful of villages clinging to the mountainsides. This is a land of depopulation, where entire towns were abandoned after floods and emigration, and where only a very few people live today. It is precisely this solitude that makes it an extraordinary destination for slow, adventurous cycle touring: no crowds, no billboards, just mountains, the distant sea and silence.
The Greek villages
The journey winds between the Ionian coast and the mountainous interior of the Aspromonte. You start from the coastal strip, home to the liveliest towns such as Bova Marina and Melito di Porto Salvo, and then climb up towards the Greek villages clinging to the slopes. The heart of this world is Bova, considered the capital of Greek Calabria, a stone town that dominates the valley and preserves the Greek language and traditions. From there your gaze takes in the other scattered settlements: Roghudi, with its old town dramatically abandoned on a crag above the riverbed, Gallicianò, considered the most Greek village of all, and Pentedattilo, the famous ghost town nestled beneath a hand-shaped cliff. Tying it all together are the fiumare, the wide gravel beds of the Amendolea and the Aspromonte streams, dry in summer and raging in winter, which carve out broad, wild valleys of a kind found in few places in Europe.
The route
This is not an itinerary for those seeking easy roads. The terrain is the rugged terrain of the Aspromonte: the climbs to the villages are long and demanding, on narrow, broken tarmac and unpaved stretches that make this journey a classic gravel or mountain-bike route rather than one for a lightweight road bike. The fiumare offer gravelly valley bottoms to be tackled with care. The effort is considerable, both for the gradients and for the isolation: services are sparse, the stretches between one town and the next can be long and without water points, and the support network is minimal. It is a journey that demands preparation, self-sufficiency and caution, but that rewards you with landscapes and encounters that no longer exist anywhere else.
Getting there
Getting there takes patience: Reggio Calabria is the main hub, connected by train and plane, and from it you can reach the Greek Ionian coast. From there you climb up to the villages. It is best to base yourself on the coast and tackle the interior with well-planned stages, carrying water, supplies and gear for small repairs. For those who are not experienced, relying on guides or local outfits trying to bring these places back to life is the wisest choice, and also a way to support the area.
When to go
The best time runs from late spring to late autumn. May and June offer temperatures that are still bearable and green slopes, while autumn, up to October, brings a milder warmth and magnificent light over the sea and the mountains. High summer is to be avoided because of the intense southern heat, while winter brings rains that swell the riverbeds and make the routes dangerous. In any season the crowds here simply do not exist: you can pedal for hours without meeting anyone, in one of the least visited areas of Italy.
A practical tip: treat this journey with the respect that a fragile, isolated environment deserves. Set out well ahead of the daylight hours, always allow for extra water and food, and do not venture into the fiumare if rain threatens, because flash floods can strike suddenly. Stop at Bova and Gallicianò to listen to those who still speak Greko: these are encounters that make the entire effort of the climb worthwhile and that tell the story of an Italy slowly trying not to disappear.
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Practical info
When is the best time to visit The Ciclovia dei Saraceni in the Greek Aspromonte?
The recommended time is May and October, when it is less crowded.
Where is The Ciclovia dei Saraceni in the Greek Aspromonte?
The Ciclovia dei Saraceni in the Greek Aspromonte is located in Grecanica area, Aspromonte, Calabria.
