Italy
The Big Five

Explore the Italian wilderness, and learn about Marsican brown bears, wolves, deer, wild boar and the endemic Apennine chamois during this sustainable adventure. 

Our journey through the Central Apennines rewilding area takes us across thousands of hectares of beautiful rugged mountains, deep valleys and extensive beech forest. This region of Italy is a biodiversity hotspot with abundant populations of iconic species such as brown bears, wolves, deer, wild boars and the endemic Apennine chamois. Little villages still characterized by the traditional lifestyle of the people who live there provide a special mix of culture and nature that makes this area unique in Europe.  

Together with your nature guide, you will explore the Park’s wilderness, following the tracks of the large animals and learning how to correctly approach the wildlife. We will focus our efforts on Marsican bears and wolves, while we will have good chances to see chamois, deer and wild boar. The long days in the field will be concluded with tasty meals from the world-famous Italian cuisine, a bottle of good wine in the friendly atmosphere of a very comfortable hotel. 

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An incredible biodiversity hotspot

DAY TO DAY PROGRAM 

Day 1 Welcome. You are greeted by our staff at our office in Pescasseroli. Check into your rooms before we sit down for an introduction and get to know each other a bit. We will have a short walk to introduce you to the park. Dinner with local products and overnight stay. 

Day 2 Explore. Sunrise wildlife watching session. After a hearty breakfast we will take a walk through an old-growth forest. We learn about the inhabitants of our beech woods ecosystem. We return to the hotel late in the evening. 

Day 3 Wolves move very early in the morning. After a coffee we will move along the southern slope of a mountain. Historically, this area has been frequented by wolves. Transfer to Civitella Alfedena, visit to the Apennine Wolf Museum. Lunch and hike to the mountain refuge. Dinner based on local products and overnight stay in the mountain refuge. 

Day 4 Sirente Velino Regional Park. After breakfast we will reach the reserve. There are excellent opportunities to experience species such as golden eagle, griffon vulture, peregrine falcon, lanner falcon. Return to the hotel, dinner and overnight stay. 

Day 5 Time to say our goodbyes. After breakfast and at the end of five fascinating days together with your guide, it’s time to say goodbye. 

TRIP DETAILS 

  • 5 days/ 4 nights, a shorter trip is an option when you book a private tour
  • Season: All year
  • Accommodation: One night in the mountain refuge double room ,three nights in a local family-run hotel in a double room 
  • Guide: Umberto, Valeria or Marco 
  • How to get there: Closest airports are Rome Fiumicino and Pescara Airport. You can rent a car from the airport for an easy 3 hr drive to the town of Pescasseroli, or request to book a transfer from/to the airport with us. You can also reach Pescasseroli by train (to Avezzano) and bus: www.tuabruzzo.i
  • Languages: English, Italian

PRICES

  • Private tour (starting 2 people) - flexible dates
    • 2-3 people: € 795,00 (5 days / 4 nights) 
    • 4-8 people: € 595,00 (5 days / 4 nights) 
    • 2-3 people: € 685,00 (4 days / 3 nights)
    • 4-8 people: € 515,00 (4 days / 3 nights)
  • Scheduled group tour (4-8 people) : € 420,00 (5 days / 4 nights) 
  • Next trip dates:
    •  26 August 2020
    • 14 October 2020
    • 5 May 2021
    • 14 July 2021 
  • The cost includes: Internal transfer. Half-board in double rooms with services, support of official nature guide. Binoculars and Nikon spotting scopes rental. Use of a thermal camera. Dinner in restaurants and bivouac. 
  • The cost does not include: Lunches or packed lunch and anything not mentioned. Transfer from and to Rome Fiumicino or Pescara Airport. Flights
  • What to bring: We reccomend you to dress in layers. Hiking shoes, sun hat, water bottle, daypack, long pants, hat and wool gloves, jacket, raincoat or poncho, sun protection cream, non smelling mosquito repellent. Personal toiletries/medicines and a sense of adventure!

OUR RESPONSIBILITY

Rewilding Europe Levy: 5% of your booking sum goes to the local Rewilding Europe organization.  

In the Central Apennines rewilding area Rewilding Europe is working with local partners to develop large “coexistence corridors” by connecting the local economy with wilder nature in five corridors collectively covering more than 100,000 hectares.  

By reducing the damage caused by such wildlife, and by allowing communities to benefit from it, people living here will become ambassadors for the area’s wild nature.  

Rewilding Europe is working with local partners to reduce bear mortality and conflict by installing traffic accident prevention measures, removing old fencing, restoring and improving signage, and distributing new mobile electric fences. By working to establish a vibrant nature-based economy in the Central Apennines rewilding area, Rewilding Europe is providing local communities with an economic incentive to protect such wildlife. 

Read know more about rewilding work in the Central Apennines here 

I am interested in this safari

CONTACT OUR SAFARI EXPERT

Aukje Van Gerven

OUR LOCAL PARTNER

Meet Valeria

Since she was a child she walked along the paths through the forest of the mountains where she was born. Her curiosity led her to explore and get to know the territory.

While listening to stories from older people in the area, Valeria learnt the importance of the local traditions and how necessary it was to preserve traditions and value the past. 

Her love of nature and for the Abruzzo mountain’s became her passion, which intern became her profession. She is now a nature guide, environmental interpreter and nordic walking instructor, and one of our expert guides in the Italian Apennines.

‘The mountain’s bring you closer to nature, and to yourself’

Wildlife Adventures guide

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