La Locanda del Parco

In the heart of the Pollino National Park, in the municipality of Morano Calabro 'One of the Most Beautiful Villages in Italy' as well as a TCI 'Orange Flag', stands 'La Locanda del Parco': a family-run agritourism company that stands as a pearl perfectly set in the surrounding area, enhanced and celebrated daily thanks to careful work and driven by love for its land.

The Locanda del Parco, crossed by the itinerary of the Ciclovia dei Parchi (Parks Cycle Route), is an ideal place for those who wish to restore the spirit and the body, enjoying unspoilt panoramas that embrace sea and mountains and immersing themselves in an intact and authentic nature, rich in history and traditions.

Those who stay here will be sure to discover the soul of Pollini in all its incredible facets: the leisure activities that will make your stay pleasant and unforgettable are, in fact, associated with the typical local cuisine of the ancient peasant tradition, the result of careful research aimed at recovering the flavours of the past, and the surrounding scenery where olive groves, arable land, vegetables and fruit are cultivated alongside sheep, goats, pigs and farmyard animals.

Moreover, thanks to expert guides, it is possible to visit the enchanting surrounding natural scenery, characterised by a varied fauna consisting of wolves, roe deer, otters, wild boar and golden eagles amidst forests of loricate pine, black pine and silver fir, oak, holm oak and beech.

Staying at the Locanda del Parco: Agriturismo, Dependances and B&B
The Locanda del Parco has spacious and comfortable rooms and suites in agritourismall with private bathroom, are tastefully furnished in the old country tradition. The outbuildingsThe farmhouses, on the other hand, have been skilfully renovated and equipped with a kitchenette and are immersed in the green countryside with a beautiful view of the Pollino mountain range. Alternatively, it is possible to opt for a stay in The 'Lady's Vineyard' B&B located in the heart of the historical centre, inside a magnificent and charming period building.

Activities in and around Agritourism

The Locanda del Parco is an inexhaustible mine of activities, naturalistic and scientific observations, arts and popular traditions such as soap making or the working of clay from Sibari and Rossano. Horse-riding enthusiasts can take advantage of the nearby stables, just 5 minutes away, to learn the basics of everything related to managing a horse, learning how to care for it, feed it properly, learn its basic anatomy, and experience moments of sharing surrounded by nature. On weekends, it is possible to retrace the old transhumance route, in places once infested by brigands.

It is also possible to practice in the vicinity of the facility:

Wind surfing - Water skiing - Climbing - Archery - Mountain biking - BTT - Hiking - Trekking - Trail grooming - Rafting - Canyoning - Canoeing - Nordic walking - Health trail.

Traditional cuisine, a great protagonist
Thanks to the high degree of hospitality and familiarity, the La Locanda del Parco farmhouse is the ideal destination to feel the flavours and rediscover the tastes of the ancient rural tradition. Le dishes are prepared only with genuine, organically grown products. The larder is filled with fresh and processed farm produce, packaged in an original way, much of it grown in thesynergistic vegetable garden. Following ancient recipes, some exquisite liqueurs are made from herbs. Guests of the Locanda can also buy these products, so that they can enjoy the delicacies tasted on site at home.

But it doesn't end there, to fully immerse themselves in the local gastronomy all guests can take part in cooking classes to prepare typical dishes, or devote themselves to processing ricotta and cheese, accompanied by wine tastings to the rhythm of popular music.

The Locanda del Parco and respect for the environment

The company, which has always been attentive to environmental policies, has a modern photovoltaic system that saves around 20,000 kg of carbon dioxide per year in the environment.

The Goats

Just as the ancient combers 'le capere' used to take information from house to house, the association tells attentive and curious ears, stories, traditions and culture of Naples and Campania!

The members of 'Le Capere' are qualified professional guides and set themselves the goal of accompanying visitors to discover the most beautiful and evocative places in Campania, through artistic, archaeological, food and wine and naturalistic tours realised with the utmost attention to quality and detail, making use of their vast and valid experience 'in the field'.

To intrigue visitors and guide them through the secrets and curiosities of Campania is a real mission:
even the 'goats' were not simply 'inciucesse', women ready to unveil the secrets of others, but they were first and foremost workers, hairdressers who went from a low to a high floor, from a commoner to a rich matron, ready to satisfy and entertain their customers with curiosities and legends.

The association, in its project to enhance the Campania region, offers guided tours for groups of travellers and for school classes of all levels. Each visit can also be customised with real travel experiences!

Pollino Rafting

Pollino Rafting, in Laino Borgo, is one of the leading and well-established outdoor activity centres in the South. Located in Laino Borgo, at the gateway to Calabria and in the heart of the Pollino National Park, it is recognised by FIRAFT, FICK and CONI thanks to its compliance with high quality and safety standards.

The team is made up of certified and federation-recognised guides, with the possibility of activities in Italian, English and Spanish.

The equipment for river activities is entirely provided by the facility, constantly disinfected and up to standard.

The wide and varied offer has made the Pollino Rafting centre one of the recognised facilities for sport and tourism, with ever-expanding goals thanks to the team's passion and experience.

In addition, the PollinoRafting centre's campsite and camper van area will welcome you in pitches reserved for tents, campers and caravans for open-air stays that will allow you to enjoy the magic of natural scenery of incomparable beauty, far from the stresses of everyday life, but without sacrificing comfort. In fact, there are electric hook-ups, bars, changing rooms with showers, toilets, and equipment for sports such as a five-a-side football pitch, a spinning room, and a swimming pool for kayaking.

Activities
You can choose from many nature discovery activities including: rafting; packraft; paintball; canyoning; hiking; canoeing-kayaking.

Terrægusto

Terrægusto is a farm located in Mormanno, Calabria, in the heart of the Pollino National Park, specialising in the cultivation of local ecotypes of cereals and legumes; it is a new reality, started up thanks to the initiative of two young men who choose to do quality mountain farming on a daily basis, respecting the natural cycles dictated by mother nature.

The cultivated areas extend at different altitudes and over the entire municipal territory, due to the conscious decision to re-cultivate abandoned land and reconstitute the agricultural mosaic that has made the local territory so typical and characteristic.

The diversity of altitudes (from 500 m asl to 1100 m asl) allows and guarantees dry and irrigated cultivation and the sowing of varieties that prefer different microclimates. The cultivation method adopted is organic, so much so that part of the farm already enjoys certification.

One of the main corporate values is to respect the seasonality of cropswhich are deeply linked to local knowledge that comes to life in the farmers' tales. It is precisely these tales that will be at the heart of a collection, which the company has undertaken to compile, to pass on the ancient values to the younger generations who want to commit to working according to these principles. Underlying the work of Terrægusto is the desire to pursue the cultivation of local ecotypes (such as chilli, zafarana, chickpeas, spelt and more). This choice is guided by the deep conviction that genetics and climate have allowed the different crops to acclimatise, which over time has made the products rich in taste, ensuring that they reflect all the environmental quality characteristics of the place.

Also the safety plays a key role among the company's values: all manufacturing processes, from cultivation to packaging and processing, are guaranteed by the application of HACCP protocols and compliance with of high quality standards, which allow all steps to be traced back clearly and transparently. Thus was born the “Country Notebook' a medium where all the steps performed are recorded, from seed selection to planting in the field and harvesting.

The white poverello bean - A unique local ecotype
Among the flagship products cultivated by Terrægusto, a special place is occupied by the white poverello bean, which is characterised by its oval, mottle-free seed and low tegument content. The cultivation of this bean is also of great environmental value due to its taproot type, which penetrates deep into the soil and maintains a good soil structure by preserving it from erosion. Cultivation and harvesting techniques have remained unchanged and are carried out manually, excluding any type of synthetic chemical product and without the use of agricultural machinery.

The municipalities of Mormanno, Laino Castello and Laino Borgo, contained within the Park, have decided to establish a unique Communal Denomination (De.Co.) for this type of legume, one of the few cases of recognition managed by an association of neighbouring towns.