Cilento Coast Multi-Adventure Tour

You’ll depart Olbia after a leisurely breakfast for a 90 minute transfer to Isola Maddalena.

Ride. 
After a morning pick up in Paestum, you’ll have a short transfer to our countryside hotel, where we’ll set up bikes, take in a welcome briefing over coffee, and roll out by 10.30am.

This is an easy loop to loosen the legs after your travels and work out any kinks with your hire bikes. We’ll head up the mountain a little before we turn and head for the sea, with a superb winding but free flowing decent to the flat agricultural land where grapes, pepper and cime di rape grow effortlessly. We’ll follow the coast and roll past the very well preserved Greek temples of Paestum, on our way to a quintessential local lunch at a Caseficio (buffalo mozzarella cheese producer). This is not only a delicious food experience, it’s also the beginning of our immersion into the slow food, mediterranean diet and lifestyle that the region of Campania is famous for.

Distance: 44.3km | 27.5mi
Elevation: 650m | 2132’

Hike
Our first hike of the tour starts on our door step. We’ll meander out the gate and up to our nearest village, where the path becomes more narrow and heads through a picturesque forest and a craggy rock strewn landscape, taking us up to the highest point. Here we’ll be treated to a stunning vista which takes us past the Greek ruins, to the Amalfi coast and Capri, which we’ll continue to enjoy as we walk down the hill and back to our tranquil hotel. It’s the type of view you’ll become very used to enjoying in this special part of the region.

Distance: 10.7km | 6.6mi
Elevation: 570m | 1870’’

Ride
Rolling out this morning, we’ll start with a beautiful 5km descent and then a warm-up roll through the flat farming land, before we take our one long climb for the day. This is a superb loop that sees the landscape change from abundant farms to green forests along roads that hang to the edge of the mountains, and up through more of the rugged rock strewn hills dotted with large granite boulders, before our final 300metre pinch to the top with an average gradient of 19.8%!

Distance: 55.2km | 34.2mi
Elevation: 1363m | 4471’

Hike & Canoe
Today’s hike is a beautiful loop in the Cilento National Park that has you meandering along a fresh water river and into light green pristine forests with a single track, taking you past gorges and ravines, over medieval stone bridges and right to the waters edge where you’ll have the opportunity to take the added bonus of paddling a canoe along the crystal clear waters. This is a beautiful adventure into the pristine nature of this untouched UNESCO heritage site.

Hike Distance: 12.3km | 7.6mi
Hike Elevation: 560m | 1837′

We’ll start the day with another descent, and then bounce along the undulating rural farm roads before we hit the coast. From here, we have the stunning Mediterranean sea by our side for the rest of the day, as we roll through quiet hamlets where it feels like time has been forgotten and along deserted roads that cling to the edge of the cliffs. As the hills and cliffs flatten to long stretches of sandy beaches, we’ll reach Pioppi, the home of the Mediterranean diet, where we’ll stop for a mid ride lunch by the sea, slow food style. After our rehydration and delicious refreshment stop, we’ll keep pushing south on the main coastal road and enjoy the twists, turns, amazing vistas and ever so slight elevation, as we roll up to our new medieval hamlet and home for the next two days.

Ride Distance: 87km | 54mi
Ride Elevation: 1646m | 5400‘

Hike
Today, we’ll set off from Agropoli, with its charming medieval centro storico and panoramic Aragonese castle, and enjoy a wonderful walk along the pristine headland of Punta Tresino. We’ll pass through a lush Mediterranean landscape of forest and scrub, along beautiful beaches and an ancient roman harbour, with lovely views over the Gulf of Salerno and over to Capri. We’ll pass through abandoned villages around which many of the delicious white wines of Campania are produced, past medieval watchtowers with fantastic sea views, before descending to the golden sands and charming fishing harbour at Santa Maria di Castellabate.

Hike Distance: 11km | 6.8mi
Hike Elevation: 150m | 492‘

Ride
After a leisurely breakfast on the terrace immersed in a sea of olive trees and with magical views to the sea, you’ll set off on the bike and head up into the hills, passing through many of the little mountainside hamlets on our way to the lush green plateau and a small village for our mid ride espresso. After a loop of the picturesque village, you’ll enjoy a beautiful winding descent through olive groves and fruit trees, with vistas to the sea. Pure Mediterranean magic!

Ride Distance: 55km | 34‘
Ride Elevation: 1433m | 4700‘

Sea Kayak
After a short stroll to our charming little harbour where fishermen still catch anchovies with the millennia old Greek system, called la ‘Menaika’, we’ll meet our local guide and head off on our half day kayak experience, heading south for the mythical headland of Palinuro, named after one of the shipmates of Aeneas. This stretch of coastline is characterised by sheer limestone cliffs cut with many sea grottoes, including the spectacular Grotta Azzurra, which you’ll enter and explore in your kayak. We’ll paddle along rocky shores, take in views of hills covered with forest and olive groves, and enjoy being fully immersed in the magical blue sea and this part of the Cilento coast, famous for snorkelling and diving, and at the occasional pebbly beach, we’ll stop for refreshing swims.

Boat Tour
This afternoon, enjoy an optional relaxed boat tour along the promontory of Capo Palinuro, the major natural attraction of the Cilento National Park. Departing from our charming small harbour and in the comfort of our own private ‘gozzi’ boat, Alessandro will take us to visit the key attractions of the area, passing the Arco Naturale, a stunning rock formation, sea grottoes, small coves and beaches that are some of the most beautiful of the southern Cilento and then enjoying what is perhaps the most spectacular part of the journey, the circumnavigation of Cape Palinuro.

Ride
Today we are on the move to our final location and we ride the entire way. And what a ride!
The route is a perfectly balanced mix of climbing up quiet hairpin laden roads, descending through rugged landscapes and rustic villages, and spending more than half the day with ocean by your side and with the stunning landscapes and mesmerising colours of the sea, to keep you company. This will be a day on the bike that will be unforgettable.

Ride Distance: 74.7km | 46.4
Ride Elevation: 1355m | 4445’

Hike
A shorter walk today but spectacular throughout, taking you along one of the most unspoilt stretches of coastline in Italy, the Costa degli Infreschi. Follow the ancient footpath as it meanders past a series of natural caves, deserted beaches and sleepy inlets to Infreschi Bay, a natural harbour used by the Romans for its protection from the elements. Retrace your steps back to the hotel or return by boat.

Ride Distance: 7km | 4.3‘
Ride Elevation: 1637m | 5370‘

Ride

Our ride is short and sharp, and goes up from the first pedal stroke, as we take in the first hairpin laden hill on our way to our morning coffee stop in the beautiful town of Maratea, nestled into the side of a hill. You’ll get the chance to soak up the beauty of this little hamlet over a macchiato before taking on the second hill which takes you up to the imposing and magnificent statue of Chris the Redeemer at San Biagio. Take the time to photograph the amazing statue, the incredible architectural feat of the road and the mesmerising landscape of majestic mountains that fall into the intoxicating sapphire sea. Your final 15km is a delightful undulating descent with a landscape that defies belief at every turn, followed by a final thrilling descent down to the sea, and our seaside villa. The perfect start to the day!

Ride Distance: 35km | 21‘
Ride Elevation: 1024m | 3360‘

Hike
After a very short transfer in the van to the beautiful old town of Maratea, you’ll enjoy a coffee with the riders and then meander up and out of town through the tiny winding alleys that give way to lush forest and ancient stone walls. The single track twists, turns and passes through craggy boulders, before the vegetation thins and you’re able to see little towns in the valley below, and surrounding nearby mountains. As you round the last corner, you’ll see the large statue of Chris the Redeemer for the first time, mesmerised by its size and significance of protection over this beautiful land and its people, and then make your way to the finish of the climb which is at the church built in honour of San Biagio, the patron saint of Maratea. Take some time to wander and soak up the silence and magic of the land and seascapes in every direction, before taking the gentle and well worn passage down the hill, passing once again through the beautiful town of Maratea before arriving back at seaside our hotel to get ready for your next and final adventure.

Hike Distance: 7km | 4.3mi
Hike Elevation: 300m | 984‘

Sea Kayak
With our three-hour sea kayak tour, you’ll have the opportunity to experience the magic of exploring coves and tunnels accessible only by sea. Accompanied by experienced instructors, you will visit four to five caves and tunnels where you can enter directly by kayaking or swimming in.
During the adventure, we will leave the kayaks in the natural coves and on the beaches, as we swim and enjoy the pristine waters and also Vranne Beach, a strip of fine and clear sand reachable only by sea, often chosen by loggerhead sea turtles for nesting.

Today we have or final swim and shared leisurely breakfast, we say goodbye to the beautiful shores of the Cilento Coast transferring to the local station and Frecciarossa high speed train.

Grazie e buon viaggio!

Total Riding Distance: 350km | 217.4mi
Total Riding Elevation: 7134m | 23,405”

Total Hiking Distance: 48km | 28.9mi
Total Hiking Elevation: 1930m | 6332′