Trekking in Sila by dokeys.

Donkey trekking is a way to travel slow, enoying the beautiful places visited.

Longobucco

We lived this experience in person and it was so excited! We walked with the company of these funny donkeys and the enviromental guide Domenico Flotta, Sila National Park official guide, along a piece of the path called The Englishman’s Path, exactly the stretch one which is included in the Longobucco village municipality. This path is so called because the famous English writer of 1800s, Norman Douglas, travelled along it during his trip in Calabria and he talked about it in his book “Old Calabria“.

The Englishman’s Path

When we arrived in the main square of Longobucco, we waited for our guide and the other travel friends, these sweet and tame donkeys. The village is surrounded by stunning natural landscapes of Sila National Park. It overlooks the valley of Trionto River and stretch toward the Greek Sila mountains, so called for the Oriental influences which this area has kept.

The main square in Longobucco

We started with a briefing about this excursion and how equipping the donkey which had to take our backpacks and the food for the pic nic, marking the rhythm of the step along the way. Domenico explained it’s important to get in touch with the animals, because after then they trust in you almost completely.

Trekking with the Donkeys in Calabria in Sila National Park

In fact as we left the village and went to the natural path, at once one of the donkeys, named Ciccio, stopped before a wood bridge. They tented several ways to convince him to go through the bridge, but Ciccio went ahead only when his eyes was covered by Domenico until reaching the rest of the group. The donkeys are very intelligent and careful, if they don’t know a place, they don’t trust and stop. “Ciccio don’t know this place, it’s the first time for him, so he thinks it’s not prudent to go ahead” our guide explained.

Ciccio, the prudent donkey

During this moment of stop, we looked around and saw a sign which indicated to The Way of the Mine: in the past Longobucco was full of mining wells, especially silver, whose exploitation has continued until 1783.

The Way of the Mine

We went into the dense vegetation which lined our path, full of glimpses with sweeping panoramas overlooking the mountains and stretching until the Ionian Sea.

Panorama overlooking the Ionian Sea

A brief stop for resting the donkeys and having a small pic nic, then we continued our slow walking, enjoying completely the close contact to the extraordinary surrounded nature.

The donkeys are resting

And slowly, step by step, along the circle itinerary we came back to the starting point. This time when we arrived again to that wood bridge, Ciccio didn’t stop, because it wasn’t new for him, no more and didn’t afraid.

Then we said goodbye to our new friends whose sweetness made our excursion more fascinating. 

Ciccio says goodbye

This is Calabria which fascinate!

Brunella Brusco

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