BLOG I DAY 18 I  ITALY'S FOUR SEAS: A cycle tour along the Italian peninsula

October 01, 2023  Catanzaro Lido, Calabria  - Outskirts of Cariati Marina, Calabria  I  124 Km

This morning I woke up after a good sleep and went to have breakfast in the large room equipped with a modern kitchen etc. Obviously there weren't many people and I can't imagine what it was like in the high season, for me and everywhere I have travelled I have never been surrounded by masses of people so I have different views when I describe my trip.

I was greeted by the very nice mother who brought me a cappuccino to the table and after a few minutes the owner, Francesco De Cillis, an accountant, arrived with some freshly baked croissants. After exchanging a few words with another guess, I said goodbye to the owner and his mother and I took some photos of the group and also of some beautiful murals that were outside in the parking lot of the B&B.

The first stretch - Left the B&B on a sunny day and the wheels were turning on the SS106 road with little traffic with a big wind in front and it seems that on this trip for now I only have headwinds against me and my legs worked more. I had good views of land with wind turbines which, thanks to the force of the wind, transforms it into a source of electricity. While my legs were working harder to push against the wind and maintain stability on the road the sound of the wind was beautiful and the vegetation in the fields seemed to be dancing due to the strong gusts of wind!

The second stretch - I stopped for something to eat and then I continued to follow the Ionian state road 106 in the coastal stretch that from Catanzaro Lido is where there were some ups and downs reaching the town of Praialongo which belongs to the municipality of Isola di Capo Rizzuto, in the province of Crotone. From that point the road ran inland and I pedalled up to an altitude of 160, reaching Isola di Capo Rizzuto, a promontory in a municipality in the province of Crotone.

Crotone - A maritime town

Crotone was an ancient Greek colony in Magna Graecias before Rome came into existence. It is located along the coast of the Ionian Sea and borders the provinces of Cosenza, Catanzaro.

This time I did not visit the city and its attractions, since I had already visited it on another of my bicycle trips, but I saw in the distance on one of the sections of road the marine reserve of "Capo Rizzuto" which rose between the coasts and surrounded by the sea. It is a the fascinating Aragonese Castle of Le Castella was built in the 15th century.

The third stretch - Then, still pedalling on the same road with little gradient, I passed the outside city of Crotone, the delightful coastal town including the charming coastal town of Torre Melissa then that of Cirò Marina located close to Punta, a promontory on the Ionian coast and also located at the foot of the Pollino National Park is a mountain range of the southern Apennines, on the border between Basilicata and Calabria.

The fourth stretch - Afterwards I passed the beach town of Toretto and finally the last stop at the outskirts of Caraiate Marina which is a small coastal town where even today no camping could be found so I had stayed at the OSAKA SUSHI Restaurant Hotel a place overlooking the sea.

The flast leg - In this family hotel of Chinese people I was able to put my bicycle in the room, a mediocre and nothing special place where I had a Japanese dinner in the same hotel. The hotel was located on the main road and the sea was beautiful but there wasn't a place to walk by and so after dinner I sorted out my gear and was ready for tomorrow as I would wake up early without waiting for them to serve breakfast. The days are getting shorter and shorter and getting darker and earlier in the evening. Then, I sent a few messages to my friends and family  and tomorrow I will pedal in another region, Puglia and further north of Italy!

coming soon