Calabrian Organic Olive Oil Tour ~ 7 Days

Day 1 – Arrive to Agriturismo in Maida (CZ) and overnight.

Day 2 – Breakfast. Sightseeing of Cosenza, the Northern city in Calabria Walk in the old part of the town, with a stop at the medieval Cathedral which is an UNESCO heritage. The second part of the visit is in the modern side of the town along its high street which hosts the Open Air Museum MAB with several statues made by important artists such as Manzù, Giorgio De Chirico, Salvator Dalì, Mimmo Rotella, Sosno. Don’t miss the new “San Francesco di Paola bridge” which was projected by the famous Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava. In the afternoon free time at leisure for shopping. Overnight at the agriturismo.

Day 3 – After breakfast, depart for a day trip to Tropea  Tropea which is named the Pearl of the Tyrrhenian Sea. It’s charming medieval historical centre is located on a terrace at about 70 meters above sea level and is the best known Calabrian resort, with its walls, its towers, its gates and its sandy white beach. In the afternoon transfer to Pizzo Calabro, next to Tropea: it lies along the slopes of a wonderful promontory overlooking the Tyrrhenian sea and has got an Aragon 15th-century castle where Joachim Murat, Napoleon’s brother-in-law and King of Naples, was imprisoned and then sentenced to death in this castle. Pizzo is also renowned for the “tartufo” ice cream (truffle, so called for its shape and color which looks like a black truffle): the hazelnut and chocolate ice-cream covered with cocoa powder was created by Pizzo ice cream makers and now it’s exported to the whole Calabria and in some Italian regions. Very interesting in Pizzo is the Church of Madonna di Piedigrotta: it’s inside a cave on the beach and where the sculptures were carved from the rock inside. Return back to the Agriturismo and overnight.

Day 4 – After breakfast, cooking class at the Agriturismo A lesson about the “scilatello alla ’nduja”, a typical Calabrian dish with handmade pasta. They learn how to knead the different species of flours, the creation of the “scilatello” by a typical “ferretto” (an iron tool) which helps you to give it the right shape. Then the sauce for flavoring the pasta. In the late afternoon, guided tasting of 3 Calabrian wines by a sommelier. Overnight at the Agriturismo.

Day 5 – Breakfast, Olive Harvesting A half day dedicated to the activity of the olive harvesting at the Agriturismo and the transformation into organic oil. Light lunch with the products of the farm. In the afternoon mini class of olive oil tasting: how you can recognize a good quality olive oil. Overnight at the Agriturismo.

Day 6 – Breakfast Departure to the starred chef’s restaurant in Catanzaro which was named by the New York Times in its list of the best place to go in 2017: show cooking and lunch with a 7-course tasting menu with an aperitif and pastries with wine strictly from the territory. In the afternoon guided visit of Scolacium Archaeological Area, one of the best preserved in Calabria, surrounded by a wonderful olive grove. Return back to the Agriturismo and overnight.

Day 7 – Breakfast. Trip to come back home