Majella National Park: The Complete Guide to Abruzzo's UNESCO Global Geopark

Some mountains in Italy are called "mothers." The Majella is one of them — and probably the most literal of all. The name, according to traditional etymology, derives from Maja, the mother of Jupiter in Italic mythology, buried according to legend beneath this very massif. For the people of Abruzzo, she is simply "la Majella" — the mother-mountain of the region, the imposing limestone-dolomitic massif that dominates the landscape from the Adriatic to the Apennine foothills, second only to Gran Sasso in height but perhaps first in identity.

Today those 74,095 hectares make up the Majella National Park (established in 1991), and since 2021 also the Maiella UNESCO Global Geopark — a worldwide recognition placing this territory among the very select group of sites where the geological history of the Earth can be read in its entirety on the surface. 39 municipalities across 3 provinces, over 2,100 plant species (a third of Italy's entire flora), 5 botanical endemisms found nowhere else on Earth, a summit — Monte Amaro at 2,793 meters — that is the second highest peak in the Apennines, medieval hermitages, Romanesque abbeys, stone borghi at 1,000 meters, five ski resorts. It is a universe, not merely a mountain.

In this guide, we tell you what the Majella is today: its geography, its extraordinary biodiversity, the UNESCO Geopark, the Celestinian hermitages, the iconic municipalities, the access routes, the seasons, and why many Italian naturalists consider it the most biodiverse park in the Mediterranean.

What Is the Majella National Park?

The Majella National Park is one of Italy's 24 national protected areas and one of three national parks in Abruzzo, alongside the Abruzzo Lazio and Molise National Park (PNALM) and the Gran Sasso and Monti della Laga National Park. It was established by the Framework Law on Protected Areas of December 6, 1991, no. 394, while the Park Authority itself was created by Presidential Decree of June 5, 1995. The Authority's headquarters is in Guardiagrele (province of Chieti).

The Park is defined by a rare territorial compactness: unlike the PNALM, which is fragmented with an irregular "star" shape, the Majella gathers around the great main limestone massif, the Morrone mountains to the west, the Pizzi peaks and the Porrara group to the east, down to the Altipiani Maggiori d'Abruzzo to the southwest. It is a single, immense block of stone that visually dominates half of Abruzzo.

Key Facts and Figures

• Total area: 74,095 hectares (the green heart of Abruzzo)

• Provinces: 3 — Chieti (27,396 ha), L'Aquila (23,850 ha), Pescara (22,849 ha)

• Municipalities within the Park: 39 total

• Mountain Communities: 6 (Peligna, Alto Sangro e Altopiano delle Cinquemiglia, Majella e Morrone, Majelletta, Aventino-Medio Sangro, Medio-Sangro)

• Internal state nature reserves: 7

• Wildlife areas: 5

• Minimum elevation: 130 m (banks of the Aventino, foothill valleys)

• Maximum elevation: 2,793 m (Monte Amaro)

• Above 2,000 m: 55% of the Park's territory

The current President is Lucio Zazzara; the Director is Luciano Di Martino. The Authority manages the territory through a network of visitor centers, wildlife areas, reserves, marked trails, wildlife reintroduction programs, and botanical conservation initiatives.

The Maiella UNESCO Global Geopark: A Carbonatic Margin Unique in the World

Since 2021, the entire territory of the Park is also a UNESCO Global Geopark, officially designated as the Geoparco Maiella UNESCO. It is one of the few Italian geoparks and the only one in Abruzzo. UNESCO recognition is not a landscape award — it is a scientific certification: it means the Majella holds global geological significance, comparable to that of the planet's greatest natural sites.

What makes the Majella geologically unique in the world? The answer lies in one technical phrase: the depositional margin of a carbonate platform observable in its entirety in outcrop. In plain terms: the Majella preserves, perfectly visible on its surface, the complete sequence of how a tropical carbonate platform formed hundreds of millions of years ago, from open sea to coral reefs. It is one of the very few places on Earth where geologists can "read" this story continuously, without interruption.

The Geology in Brief

The limestones of the Majella were deposited starting from approximately 100 million years ago, on the floor of a tropical sea teeming with life — as testified by the numerous fossils of corals, molluscs, and marine organisms still locked into the rocks today. The orogeny (the uplift of the mountain) is, by contrast, relatively recent: it dates to the Pliocene, about 5 million years ago, when the tectonic forces of the Apennines pushed this enormous mass of sedimentary rock upward.

The result is a limestone-dolomitic massif characterized by:

• Vast, gently rounded summit plateaus, shaped by the glaciers of past ice ages (including the famous Vallone di Femmina Morta at 2,500 m — a suspended plateau unique in the Apennines).

• Western slopes without valleys, streaked by wide scree fields descending into beech forests.

• More gentle eastern slopes, shaped by erosion.

• Widespread karst: over 100 catalogued caves, with stalactites, stalagmites, and underground rivers.

• River-carved canyons: the Orta between Bolognano and San Valentino in Abruzzo Citeriore, the Foro in the Chieti area, the Aventino toward Palena.

The UNESCO Geosites

The Geopark identifies dozens of Geosites — specific points of particular geological interest, accessible to the public, marked with information panels and educational trails. The municipality of Palena (Chieti) alone hosts five, spread across its valleys, limestone outcrops, and karst sites. Other Park municipalities count numerous others: the complete Geosite network is a scientific heritage that continues to grow.

The Summit: Monte Amaro, 2,793 m

The main peak of the Majella massif is Monte Amaro, at 2,793 meters. It is the second highest summit in the Apennines, after Corno Grande in Gran Sasso (2,912 m), and one of the most isolated and wild mountains in Italy. The summit is characterized by a large detrital plateau, with a small iron bivouac shelter (the Bivacco Pelino), from which you can enjoy panoramic views stretching from the Adriatic to the Tyrrhenian Sea on the clearest days.

Other main peaks above 2,000 meters:

• Monte Acquaviva: 2,737 m

• Monte Focalone: 2,676 m

• Monte Rotondo: 2,656 m

• Monte Macellaro: 2,646 m

• Cima delle Murelle: 2,598 m

• Monte Cavallo: 2,171 m

In total, the Park counts approximately 30 peaks exceeding 2,000 meters. Ascending Monte Amaro is considered one of the most demanding treks in the central Apennines: over 1,500 meters of elevation gain, 8–10 hours round trip, rated EE (Experienced Hikers), summer only (June–September). The most frequented route starts from the Blockhaus (Passo Lanciano-Maielletta) and crosses the famous Tavola dei Briganti at 2,118 meters — rock slabs where 19th-century brigands carved their names and dates, inscriptions still visible today.

Biodiversity: The Mediterranean's Most Species-Rich Park

The Majella National Park is considered one of the most important biodiversity hotspots in the Mediterranean. The numbers are staggering.

Flora: 2,100 Species and 5 Exclusive Endemisms

More than 2,100 plant species and subspecies have been catalogued — a botanical heritage amounting to:

• ~30% of Italy's flora

• ~65% of Abruzzo's flora

• ~17% of Europe's flora

An exceptional species density, owing to the variety of habitats (from 130 to 2,793 meters in elevation), the position as a "glacial refuge" in past eras, and the co-presence of Mediterranean, mountain, and continental climatic influences.

Among its species, the Park counts 142 endemisms (plants growing only in limited areas), of which 5 are exclusive to the Park's territory — meaning they exist nowhere else on Earth:

1. Soldanella del calcare (Soldanella minima subsp. samnitica) — a small white flower of high-altitude limestone zones.

2. Pinguicula di Fiori (Pinguicula fiorii) — a carnivorous plant of moist habitats.

3. Fiordaliso della Majella (Centaurea tenoreana) — the botanical symbol of the Park, a violet high-altitude flower.

4. Radicchiella della Majella (Crepis magellensis) — a small endemic composite.

5. Ranuncolo multidentato (Ranunculus multidens) — a yellow flower of alpine meadows.

Around 300 additional species are listed on Red Lists of threatened species, protected by international conventions. The Park also hosts ancient woodlands — tracts of beech forest and other tree species that have evolved over long periods without human intervention, reaching stages of development now extremely rare in Europe.

Wildlife: 78% of Abruzzo's Mammals, 200 Bird Species

The fauna lives up to the flora. The Park is home to:

• Over 150 vertebrate species

• Over 200 bird species

• 78% of mammal species present in Abruzzo

• Over 45% of Italy's mammals

The Park's keystone species include all the great predators and ungulates of the central Apennines:

• Marsican brown bear (Ursus arctos marsicanus): the endemic subspecies of the central Apennines, of which only 50–60 individuals remain in total. The Majella is one of its crucial territories, in ecological continuity with the PNALM.

• Apennine wolf (Canis lupus italicus): stably present with several packs.

• Apennine chamois (Rupicapra pyrenaica ornata): successfully reintroduced, today numbering several hundred individuals.

• Red deer and roe deer: present in significant numbers.

• Eurasian otter: protected in the river valleys, especially in the Valle dell'Orfento.

• Wildcat: present in the ancient woodlands.

• Golden eagle: nests on the limestone walls, several monitored pairs.

• Eurasian dotterel (Charadrius morinellus): a high-altitude wader, the Park's ornithological symbol.

The Park's 5 wildlife areas allow you to observe some of these animals up close in a managed habitat: the wolf area in Popoli, the bear area in Palena, the chamois area in Lama dei Peligni, the otter area in Caramanico Terme. All are open to visitors and perfect for families.

The Hermitages: The Majella of Pietro da Morrone

The Majella is not only nature. For at least a thousand years, it has also been a spiritual mountain. Its valleys and rocky crevices sheltered hermits, anchorites, and monks seeking solitude for centuries. The most celebrated of all was Pietro da Morrone: born in Molise around 1209–1215, he withdrew to a hermitic life in the Majella while still young, founded the Order of the Celestines, and was eventually elected Pope in 1294 under the name Celestine V. A few months later, in a gesture unique in Church history until Benedict XVI, he renounced the papacy to return to his life as a hermit on the Majella.

The valleys of the Majella still preserve the Celestinian hermitages that Pietro frequented and, in some cases, personally founded. The main ones, all within the municipality of Roccamorice (Pescara):

• Eremo di San Bartolomeo in Legio: set into a sheer rock face, reachable only on foot along a trail carved into the rock. Inside, it preserves a spring, an ancient wooden statue, and an atmosphere unchanged from eight centuries ago.

• Eremo di Santo Spirito a Majella: the largest and architecturally most complex of the Celestinian hermitages. Pietro lived here for a long period; this is where he founded the first nucleus of the Order of the Celestines. It includes a church, refectory, monastic cells, and a holy staircase.

• Eremo di Sant'Onofrio al Morrone: technically part of the Morrone (western slope of the Park), near Sulmona. This is where Pietro received news of his papal election in 1294.

These are joined by numerous smaller hermitages scattered across the territory: the Eremo della Madonna dell'Altare (Palena), the Eremo di San Giovanni all'Orfento (Caramanico), the Eremo della Stella (Palombaro), and others.

Celestinian spirituality also gave rise to the Perdonanza Celestiniana di L'Aquila (August 28–29), an UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity since 2019 and one of Christianity's oldest plenary indulgences. We'll explore the hermitages and spiritual trails in a dedicated feature article.

The Romanesque Abbeys

Beyond the hermitages, the Park holds some of the most important abbeys in medieval Abruzzo.

Abbazia di San Liberatore a Majella (Serramonacesca)

One of the oldest abbeys in Abruzzo. The original building dates to the age of Charlemagne (9th century), was destroyed by an earthquake in 990, and rebuilt at the start of the 11th century in the Romanesque forms visible today. It sits in Serramonacesca, in a setting of rare natural beauty, isolated among the valleys. The interior preserves a magnificent Cosmatesque mosaic floor from the 12th century and a sculpted ambo. To visit it, you'll need to collect the keys from the parish priest of Serramonacesca — one of those timeless experiences the Majella reserves for curious travelers.

Abbazia di Santa Maria Arabona (Manoppello)

A Cistercian abbey from the 12th century, one of the order's earliest foundations in central Italy. Austere and luminous architecture with early Gothic elements. Manoppello is also famous for the Volto Santo, a miraculous image kept in the Sanctuary of the Volto Santo (separate from the Abbey), the object of intense pilgrimage since Pope Benedict XVI's visit in 2006.

The 39 Municipalities: The Borghi of the Majella

The Majella National Park encompasses 39 municipalities spread across three provinces. It's impossible to visit them all in a single trip, but some are unmissable stops.

Caramanico Terme (PE) — The Park's Thermal Heart

The most strategic municipality for exploring the central Majella. Caramanico is home to the Terme di Caramanico, a historic spa with sulphurous saline-bromine-iodine waters among the most renowned in Italy. It hosts a Park Visitor Center with a geology museum, reconstructions of the European otter's habitat (a protected species in the Valle dell'Orfento), and an archaeological section with finds dating back to the Lower Palaeolithic. Trails to the Valle dell'Orfento State Nature Reserve — one of the Park's wildest and most evocative places — depart from here.

Pacentro (AQ) — Borgo among Italy's Most Beautiful

At 690 meters on the eastern slope of the Morrone, it is listed among the Borghi più Belli d'Italia. Dominated by the Castello Caldora-Cantelmo with its 15th-century towers, it has a magnificently preserved medieval historic center. It hosts the Corsa degli Zingari, an ancient tradition of barefoot racing through the crags, held on the first Sunday of September. Excursions toward the Morrone depart from Pacentro.

Pescocostanzo (AQ) — Borgo among Italy's Most Beautiful

At 1,395 meters, it is one of the highest borghi in Abruzzo and among the most elegant. Also listed among the Borghi più Belli d'Italia. White stone historic center with a Renaissance-style central square, the Basilica di Santa Maria del Colle with its gilded coffered ceiling, and a tradition of tombolo lacemaking. Adjacent to the borgo, the Riserva Naturale Regionale Bosco di Sant'Antonio, a centuries-old beech forest established in 1986. Pescocostanzo is also one of the Park's 5 ski resorts.

Palena (CH) — Borgo among Italy's Most Beautiful (2024) and Geosite Capital

Designated as one of the Borghi più Belli d'Italia in August 2024. It is the second-largest municipality in the province of Chieti, with over 93 km², traversed by the Aventino river where you can enjoy river trekking. The municipal territory counts 5 Geosites of the Maiella UNESCO Geopark. In the town, the 18th-century Teatro Aventino is one of Italy's smallest theaters with just 96 seats. The Castello Ducale houses the Museo Geopaleontologico Alto Aventino, a Pinacoteca, and the Museo della Ceramica.

Roccamorice (PE) — Capital of the Hermitages

A small borgo at 525 meters, it is the starting point for the Celestinian hermitages of San Bartolomeo in Legio and Santo Spirito. Also known for its climbing crags and the wild nature of the surrounding valleys.

Lettomanoppello (PE) — Hermitages and Caves

Famous for its rock-cut hermitages, karst caves, and the Parco Naturale Sorgenti del Lavino, where intensely blue water emerges from the ground, forming natural pools that are a photographer's dream. It hosts a Park information center.

Manoppello (PE)

Home to the Cistercian Abbazia di Santa Maria Arabona and the Sanctuary of the Volto Santo. Site of international pilgrimage since 2006.

Popoli (PE)

The northwestern gateway to the Park. Hosts the Wolf Visitor Center, the Castello Ducale Cantelmo, and the evocative Riserva Naturale Sorgenti del Fiume Pescara, where Abruzzo's longest river is born in an aquatic oasis of rare beauty.

Sant'Eufemia a Majella (PE)

Hosts the Visitor Center with the Giardino Botanico Daniela Brescia, where the mountain environments of the Majella are recreated and the herbarium holds over 1,000 Abruzzo plant specimens. Within the municipal territory, the abandoned borgo of Roccacaramanico (above 1,000 m) has been reborn over the past twenty years as a destination for slow travel.

Serramonacesca (PE)

Home to the Abbazia di San Liberatore a Majella. Also worth visiting: the Eremo di Sant'Onofrio (a namesake but distinct from the more famous one on the Morrone), the rock-cut tombs along the Alento river, and the remains of Castel Menardo.

Sulmona (AQ) — Western Gateway to the Park

Not within the Park itself, but its main western gateway. The city of Ovid, birthplace of the Confetti di Sulmona, and the ideal base for exploring the Morrone slopes (including the Eremo di Sant'Onofrio where Celestine V received news of his papal election). We'll explore Sulmona in a dedicated article. Read the dedicated article

The 4 Access Points to the Park

The Majella can be reached from four sides, each with its own character:

• Sulmona — western approach: main gateway for L'Aquila, Rome, and the Tyrrhenian coast. From Sulmona you access the Morrone and then the Majella proper. Sulmona's train station is well connected to Rome (Frecciarossa via Pescara).

• Pescocostanzo — southern approach: gateway to the Alto Sangro and Cinquemiglia plateau. From Roccaraso it's just a few kilometers to Pescocostanzo. Ideal for visitors coming from southern Italy.

• Guardiagrele — eastern approach: the Chieti gateway to the Park, where the Authority's headquarters are located. From Guardiagrele you can reach Pennapiedimonte, Lama dei Peligni, Palena, and Fara San Martino.

• Lettomanoppello — northern approach: the Pescara gateway, close to the A25 motorway and Pescara airport. It's the approach most quickly reachable from the Adriatic coast.

The 4 access routes can be combined into a circular drive around the massif: an itinerary of around 200 km through panoramic roads, borghi, hermitages, and visitor centers. We recommend it for anyone with 3–5 days who wants a full picture of the Park.

The 5 Ski Resorts

In winter, the Majella is also a skiing destination. There are 5 ski resorts within the Park, not geographically connected to each other:

• Passolanciano-Maielletta (Chieti slope): the best known and most visited, with runs reaching up to 2,000 meters.

• Passo San Leonardo (Peligna slope): between Pacentro and Pescocostanzo.

• Pescocostanzo: slopes linked to the borgo, cross-country and downhill.

• Pizzoferrato-Gamberale (Chieti slope).

• Campo di Giove (L'Aquila slope).

For competitive-level skiing (World Cup), the benchmark Abruzzo destination remains Roccaraso (technically in the Alto Sangro but adjacent to the Park), with the Skipass Alto Sangro resort — the largest ski area in the Apennines. We'll cover Abruzzo skiing in a dedicated series of articles.

Main Trekking Routes

Monte Amaro

The Park's flagship hike. From the Blockhaus at 2,000 meters, trail 1, crossing Monte Cavallo, the Tavola dei Briganti, and the Sella Acquaviva, all the way to the summit. 800 meters of elevation gain, 8–10 hours round trip, rated EE (Experienced Hikers), summer only (June–September).

Valle dell'Orfento (Caramanico)

One of the wildest gorges in the Apennines. A trail following the Orfento river through beech forests, giant's kettles, and rock-cut hermitages. Various difficulty levels, departing from the Caramanico Visitor Center. Possible encounters with red deer, roe deer, and — rarely — bears.

Gole di Fara San Martino

On the Chieti side, in the municipality of Fara San Martino, the Gole di Fara San Martino are a unique natural spectacle: an extremely narrow canyon (just a few meters wide in places) carved by the Verde river between 200-meter-high limestone walls. Accessible to everyone for the first 500 meters — a perfect family outing.

Grotta del Cavallone

On the Chieti slope, at Taranta Peligna. One of the highest tourist karst caves in Europe (entrance at 1,475 m). A guided tour of about an hour along an equipped internal path. Typically open from April to October.

Anello del Morrone

A multi-day trek on the Morrone massif (western slope of the Park), with stops at the Celestinian hermitages and the Sanctuary of Ercole Curino. An itinerary of historical as well as natural interest.

Human History: 800,000 Years of Presence

The Majella has been inhabited since the Lower Palaeolithic, approximately 800,000 years ago, when bands of hunter-gatherers of the species Homo erectus exploited the mountain's natural resources. Finds from this period are preserved in the Park's visitor centers.

Agriculture in the Majella area, as elsewhere in Abruzzo, began between the 6th and 5th millennium BC: the transition from hunter-gatherer to farmer-herder, one of the greatest revolutions in human history. From that moment on, people began reshaping the Majella's landscape: the first permanent settlements appeared, then pastures, terraces, and trails.

During the Italic and Roman periods, the Majella was territory of the Marrucini and Frentani peoples. Sulmona is the birthplace of Ovid (43 BC), and Corfinium (today within the Park) was briefly the capital of the Italic Confederation during the Social War (90–88 BC).

In the Middle Ages, the Majella became a sacred mountain, with its hermitages and abbeys. During the Risorgimento, the massif was a refuge for post-unification brigands (the celebrated Tavola dei Briganti at 2,118 m still bears witness to that history). During World War II, the Majella sheltered the Brigata Maiella, a partisan formation decorated with the Gold Medal for Military Valor, which fought between Casoli and the inland valleys against the German occupation.

When to Go and How to Plan

Spring (April–June)

The ideal period for trekking, wildflower blooms, and wildlife sightings. Temperatures are mild, the valleys are green, and high-altitude flowers are in full bloom from late May through June. Residual snow above 2,000 m is possible through June.

Summer (July–August)

Peak season. The high elevations are fully accessible, nights are cool even in midsummer, and the borghi are lively. Food festivals and concerts fill the calendar. Book accommodation and restaurants in advance in Caramanico, Pescocostanzo, Pacentro, and Roccaraso.

Autumn (September–November)

A magnificent season for the beech forest foliage. From October through November, the slopes turn into a palette of reds, oranges, and yellows. Trekking is still possible at lower and mid elevations. The thermal spa season begins.

Winter (December–March)

Skiing, snowshoeing, and thermal spas. Five ski resorts operating, spectacular snow-covered panoramas. Some hermitages and high-altitude sites are inaccessible due to snow, but the eastern slope at lower elevations remains visitable.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between the Majella National Park and the PNALM?

They are two distinct national parks, contiguous but separate. The Majella lies further east, covering the namesake massif plus the Morrone and the Pizzi-Porrara group, across 3 provinces. The PNALM (Abruzzo Lazio and Molise National Park) lies further south, covering the upper Sangro valley, with territory also in Lazio and Molise. The Majella is a UNESCO Global Geopark; the PNALM is not. They complement each other perfectly and are often visited together on combined trips.

Is it possible to see bears in the wild?

Theoretically yes, but in practice it is very rare. The Marsican brown bear is shy, nocturnal, and present in very limited numbers (50–60 individuals in total in the central Apennines, between the Majella and the PNALM). The odds of a chance encounter during a trek are very low. For a better chance of seeing bears, visit the Park's wildlife areas (Palena), where individuals that cannot be released live in naturally enclosed habitats.

How much does it cost to enter the Park?

Access to the Park is free. Costs apply to individual services: guided tours, visitor centers (some paid, some free), tourist caves (Grotta del Cavallone), Terme di Caramanico, and ski resorts.

Is it suitable for families with children?

Absolutely. Many trails are short and easy (Sorgenti del Lavino, Gole di Fara San Martino for the first 500 m, paths around the Bosco di Sant'Antonio), the wildlife areas offer an excellent educational experience for children, and the Terme di Caramanico has family-friendly programs. We'll cover Abruzzo with children in a dedicated series of articles.

What are the risks of high-altitude trekking?

Above 2,000 meters, the Majella is genuine high-mountain terrain: sudden summer thunderstorms, fog that can reduce visibility to just a few meters, residual snow through June, unstable scree. Always check trail conditions with Park Visitor Centers, set out at dawn, carry appropriate gear, and monitor the weather. For Monte Amaro and similar peaks, a certified mountain guide is strongly recommended.

Can you bivouac at altitude?

The Bivacco Pelino on the summit of Monte Amaro is a small metal shelter, always open, free, and available for emergencies. Suitable for one night for experienced hikers. For more structured overnight stays, there are managed mountain huts on the Chieti slope (Rifugio Pomilio, Rifugio della Maielletta) and on the L'Aquila slope.

Are there multi-day trails?

Yes. The Cammino dei Briganti crosses part of the Park. The Sentiero Italia CAI has significant stretches through the Majella. The Cammino di San Tommaso touches several Celestinian hermitages. We'll cover these in a dedicated article on Abruzzo's long-distance trails.

Is the Majella connected to the Gran Sasso Park?

Geographically they are separated by the Pescara river valley (A25 motorway). However, ecological corridors between the two parks do exist, vital for wildlife (bear, wolf). From a tourism standpoint, it's easy to combine both parks in a single trip (1–2 hours by car between the two).

Discover the Majella with Stravagando

The Majella is one of Italy's richest territories for the variety of experiences it offers: high-altitude trekking, medieval hermitages, Romanesque abbeys, stone borghi at 1,000 meters, thermal spas, skiing, unique wildlife, mountain gastronomy. For those who want to truly know it — to go beyond the visitor centers and marked trails — it's essential to rely on people who know these places intimately: certified hiking guides, hermitage custodians, mountain hut managers, and hosts at agriturismi within the Park's municipalities.

Stravagando is the Italian marketplace for experiences exactly like these: guided treks, sunset hikes, snowshoeing, photo workshops, themed tours, stays in old villages, led by carefully selected local hosts. We're putting together our Abruzzo catalogue right now— the Majella included — and in the coming months you'll be able to book directly here.

In the meantime, if you are hosts, environmental guides, or local tour operators and want to join our circle, write to us: we're looking for you.

And if you're a traveler, subscribe to the Stravagando newsletter: we'll let you know as soon as the first experienceson the Majella are bookable online — with transparent pricing, certified hosts, and an editorial curation we promise feels different from the big generalist marketplaces.

For further reading: the guide to Abruzzo's traditional products (Pecorino di Farindola is produced on the Majella's doorstep, Zafferano dell'Aquila just a short distance away); the Pecorino di Farindola; Zafferano dell'Aquila DOP; the Celestinian hermitages, the Valle dell'Orfento, Monte Amaro, and the Majella's iconic borghi.

Happy travels.