"THE MAJELLA NATIONAL PARK UNTAMED" - A 7 DAY SLOW TRAVEL JOURNEY

Pick up from rome Fiumicino or Pescara Airport, transfer to your accommodation in the Majella National Park and check in. Meet with your Tour Leader for the e-bike hire check & settings, and afterwards a gentle stroll to familiarise with your new surroundings. In the evening, dinner at a local restaurant.

• Airport pick up
• Check in, meet your tour leader, e-bike check & settings, and gentle stroll
• 19.30pm Dinner at a local restaurant

After breakfast, accompanied by your tour leader your slow travel journey in the Majella National Park will begin with a tranquil e-bike ride along spectacular landscape. We will start from Fara San Martino and cycle towards Lama dei Peligni, a picturesque town nestled on the side of the Mountain. Gorgeous views over the Aventiono Valley can be admired from the terrace in its historic centre. Lama dei Peligni is also renowned for its original pastry produced here since 1850, the traditional "Sfogliatella di Lama", which we will enjoy with a cappuccino. Back on the sadle and following the astonishing panoramic road that unwinds around the mountain side, we'll reach the quintessential medieval town of Palena. Here over 60 species of "Wild Orchids" can be spotted in its surrounding uncontaminated landscape from late April to the end of June. After a stroll thorugh the historic centre, we will continue up a short climb, then descending towards Taranta Peligna. The landscape here changes completely, from the open and far reaching views at the top to the dramatic and overwhelming sight of the mountain that in all its grandeur, majestically looks down upon you. We will stop for our lunch break at the beautiful "Parco Fluviale delle Acquevive" natural reserve, one of our favourite places to visit. We will enjoy a snack before continuing our ride back up to Lama dei Peligni and all the way down back to Fara San Martino. Rest of the afternoon at your own leisure and in the evening dinner at a local restaurant.

• 09.00am Final bike check and ride begins
• 09.45am Lama dei Peligni for a cappuccino & sfogliatella break
• 11.00am Palena, stroll through the historic centre and stop for a drink
• 12.30pm Parco Fluviale delle Acquevive in Taranta Peligna and aperitivo
• 14.00pm Ride back to Fara San Martino
• 15.30pm Afternoon at your own leisure
• 19.30pm Dinner at a local restaurant

Abruzzo is a casket full of precious gems, and this morning we will enjoy discovering why Fara San Martino is rightly considered one of the shiniest. It is a picturesque village nestled at the foot of the Majella National Park and globally renowned as Italy's "capital of pasta". After breakfast we will start our morning walking visit, during which we will introduce you to its jaw-dropping natural wonders and medieval charm. The walk will start at the spectacular Gole di San Martino, a towering karstic gorge so narrow you can touch both limestone walls at once. Passing through this dramatic rock gateway leads you directly to the hauntingly beautiful ruins of the 9th-century Abbazia di San Martino in Valle, an ancient Benedictine monastery unearthed from the stone. Loop back toward the town center to see the crystal-clear springs of the Sorgenti del Fiume Verde, whose pure waters power the historic pasta factories —such as De Cecco and Delverde— that dot the valley. We will finish our morning strolling through the peaceful, winding alleys of Terravecchia, the village's oldest preserved historic quarter.  Lunch in the Parco delle Sorgenti del fiume Verde with traditional Arrosticini Abruzzesi and Bruschetta accompanied by a glass of locally produced artisan beer. Rest of the afternoon and evening at your own leisure.

• 09.00am Walk to the Gole di San Martino
• 11.30am Walk to the Parco delle Sorgenti del fiume Verde
• 12.30pm Lunch
• 14.00pm Walk through the historic quarter
• 15.00pm afternoon and evening at your own leisure

After breakfast our e-bike adventure begins at 9:00 AM from Fara San Martino, setting off on a scenic, effort-free ride through the rolling hills of the Aventino Valley. The route takes us past the serene shores of Lake Sant'Angelo (also known as Lake Casoli), where the calm waters perfectly mirror the towering peaks of the Majella massif. From the lakeside, our e-bike will powers us up toward Gessopalena, a fascinating hilltop village perched at 654mt a.s.l. Rooted in early medieval history and monastic rule, the town's original core was built atop a massive spur of crystalline gypsum rock. Locally known as Pretalucente ("the shining stone"), the village earned its poetic name because the high concentration of selenite crystals in the rock glitters brightly under the sun. After exploring the hauntingly beautiful ghost town —an open-air gypsum museum whose dwellings, streets, and churches are carved directly into the reflective stone— we will enjoy an apertivo in a local bar. A gentle panoramic ride back down the valley, will safely take us back in Fara San Martino. Rest of the afternoon at your own leisure and in the evening dinner at a local restaurant.

• 09.00am Ride starts
• 11.30am Gessopalena and its ancient quarter
• 13.00pm Aperitivo
• 15.00pm Arrive in fara San Martino and afternoon at your own leisure
• 19.30pm Dinner at local restaurant

After breakfast today will be completely free for you to enjoy. Included in our welcome pack there will be information and maps of nearby places you can visit at your own leisure, or if you would like to relax we can organise for you a massage treatment with our expert professional masseur Katie, (advance booking necessary, please ask for more information prior booking a treatment).

• Day completely at your own leisure

After breakfast accompanied by our local expert we will embrace the crisp morning air with an historically rich, scenic walk along the official Majella National Park H11 trail, also known as the Freedom Trail (Il Cammino della Libertà). From our starting place this gentle 5-kilometer point-to-point hike winds its way northward to the picturesque mountain village of Lama dei Peligni. Hikers will step back in time as the dirt and rock footpath cuts through the dense, vibrant oak and beech forests flanking the slopes of Monte Tari. Hidden beneath the forest canopy lie genuine World War II defensive trenches, stone bunkers, and foxholes built by German forces to secure the eastern sector of the formidable Gustav Line. Alongside these sobering remnants of wartime resistance, the trail rewards walkers with sweeping morning views across the Aventino Valley. With an easy-to-moderate E-grade difficulty (Escursionistico) and a modest vertical climb of roughly 300 meters, this trail is a highly accessible, immersive blend of natural beauty and profound heritage—perfect for a morning tour. Rest of the afternoon at your own leisure and in the evening Good Bye Abruzzo dinner.

• 09.00am Meet with local expert and walk begins
• 12.00pm Apertivo at local bar
• 14.00pm Return to Fara San Martino and afternoon at your own leisure
• 19.30pm Good Bye Abruzzo dinner at local restaurant

Breakfast, check out and transfer to the airport of your departure.