The route of the second edition of the Ciclovia della Salute unfolded over a length of 88 kilometres, from Tiriolo to Serra San Bruno, an event dedicated to sport, wellbeing and environmental sustainability, held over the weekend just gone, in conjunction with the European Sustainable Mobility Week 2026.
An experience that also represented an important opportunity to discover places, highlighting their naturalistic, landscape and cultural heritage. A significant experience for the Gal Serre Calabresi, with four municipalities directly involved in the reference area: Caraffa, Girifalco, Squillace and Chiaravalle Centrale.
Each stage, with moments of discussion, collective participation and sharing, constituted, in fact, an opportunity to raise awareness and increase awareness of the importance of prevention, of an active and healthy lifestyle, of daily behaviors oriented towards well-being. Information aimed, in particular, at the prevention of colon cancer, one of the most common neoplasms.
Each stage represented an opportunity to highlight the welcoming spirit of the communities involved, the beauty of the centers crossed, transforming sport into a tool for relationships, knowledge and promotion of the territory.
An event, promoted by the Region, with the Calabria Parks Cycle Route, networking institutions, social realities and local authorities. The Ciclovia della Salute is the result of this synergy. Among the main partners: the Onco Med and Pedalatori Seriali associations. The Gal Dei Due Mari, Serre Calabresi and Terre Vibonesi also took part in the initiative.
The Ciclovia della Salute represented an intense and lively moment of aggregation, which animated the passage through the interested centres, flooded by the colors and energy of the caravan of cyclists. Accompanying in the various stages: Antonio Montuoro, regional councilor for the Environment, present at the starting line, Giovanni Aramini, manager of the Parks and Protected Natural Areas Sector of the Calabria Region, Teresa Gualtieri, representative of the Italian Federation of UNESCO Clubs and Centres, and other representatives of the bodies and realities partnering with the event.
Meetings sealed by the presence of local authorities, associations and many citizens, demonstrating the involvement of the communities and the interest aroused by the initiative in the territories crossed.
In Caraffa, a town with Arbëreshë tradition, as proof of the cultural richness of the Gal territory, the municipal administration wanted to pay homage to the passage of the cycle path with a tangible gesture of hospitality, offering participants, through a coupon, the possibility of enjoying a drink at a business in the town. The presence of the community and in particular of many enthusiastic children supported the reception by the Pro Loco.
In Girifalco, the most important stage of the day. To welcome the cyclists: the municipal administration, the Pro loco and Avis, which by donating briks of water to the participants of the Ciclovia della Salute, contributed to the awareness-raising activity, drawing attention to the importance of good hydration and the value of solidarity which also translates into the donation of blood and plasma. The Girifalco in Bici association accompanied the group of participants in the cycle walk up to Squillace. On the occasion of this stop, Gal Serre Calabresi, present with the director Carolina Scicchitano and staff from the Planning Office, offered a tasting of typical products with the participation of the companies: Salumificio Iozzo di Chiaravalle and Amacalabro – Typical Calabrian Products and Olio Bova di Amaroni. A showcase, also, for the quality and excellent productions of the local Action Group area.
The 43 kilometer itinerary of the first day ended with the arrival and visit to the suggestive Norman Castle of Squillace, among the most important historical and architectural testimonies of Calabria.
The next day the departure from the Cathedral square of Squillace, after the symbolic delivery of a graffitied ceramic plate to the Aramini manager, representing the ancient artisan tradition of the place.
From a village overlooking the Ionian Sea, to the coolness of the hinterland to arrive in Chiaravalle Centrale, in Piazza Dante. Administrators, citizens and a representation of local cyclists welcomed and provided the backdrop for the arrival of the cyclists.
From here it’s off to Serra San Bruno, the final destination of the two-day cycle walk. On the occasion of the Ciclovia della Salute, on the subject of environmental sustainability, the “Every can is worth” project was illustrated, promoted by the Calabria Marine Parks Authority, with the aim of raising awareness among local communities on the importance of recycling aluminium, an entirely recoverable and reusable material.
A concrete action in support of the initiative was the delivery to participating municipalities of special containers for the collection of cans, to be placed in key points of inhabited centres. The project also includes a symbolic incentive: for every 800 cans collected, the gift of a “ricycletta”, a bicycle made with recycled materials.
«The arrival of the Ciclovia della Salute in the four municipalities of the territory – declared the director of Gal Serre Calabresi, Carolina Scicchitano – has returned a dynamic and authentic image, showing how collaboration between the various local actors can transform a passage into an opportunity for meeting and promotion. From agri-food production to craftsmanship, from historical and cultural heritage to raising awareness on health and environmental issues, each stage has contributed to composing a mosaic of identities and resources, to creating connections between territories and communities, not only to be crossed, but also to be experienced”.