The Operatori Ciclovia Parchi Calabria association launches six years after the completion of the the cycle route.
The route is 544 kilometres long
The routs links the protected areas of the Apennines, and the operators involved include accommodation providers, bike point managers, tourist hubs, travel agencies, tour operators and tourist guides active along the 544-kilometre route stretching from Laino Borgo, in the Pollino, to Reggio Calabria.
200 operators are part of the association
The association stems from a shared vision of regional development and the need to consolidate the network of services along the cycle route. The result, as confirmed by the latest monitoring carried out by the Ciclovia dei Parchi della Calabria, has seen the emergence along the route of 45 new businesses dedicated to accommodation and services for cycle tourists, as well as around 200 operators who have already signed up to the Service Charter, the framework that underpins the standardization of the project.
Some 20,000 cyclists used the route in 2025
Data released by Komoot, a leading digital platform for over 50 million cycle tourists worldwide, shows that in 2025 the number of active users on the cycle route reached nearly 20,000, which was a 31% per cent increase over the previous year when Calabria ranked 13th in Italy for foreign visitors, and in the top 10 cycling destinations during the shoulder seasons (7th in winter, 10th in spring, 9th in autumn).
Easy, intermediate and difficult levels
The Calabria Parks Cycle Route crosses the region’s hinterland, passing through the Pollino and Sila National Parks, the Serre Regional Nature Park and the Aspromonte National Park. The total elevation gain of the route is 10,330 metres, whilst the total elevation loss is 10,590 metres; the highest point is 1,560 metres, in the Sila Park, whilst the lowest point is reached in Reggio Calabria, at sea level. The route is signposted and divided into 12 stages, ranging from 31 to 58 kilometres each, and offering three different levels of difficulty – easy, intermediate and difficult.
