KCC Day 3: Monteresso to Pizzo (18 km)

Five of us opted out of the final leg of the Kalabria Coast-to-Coast, 18 km hike from Monteresso to Pizzo. After breakfast, we hitched a ride with the minivan that was hired to take our luggage to our next hotel in Pizzo. The Hotel Asterias is modern with a nice swimming pool and jacuzzi, and best of all, I got my own room! We relaxed by the pool, happy that we were not hiking as the day was quite warm.

At about 4 pm, we walked over to the center of Pizzo to meet up with the returning hikers. We celebrated their accomplishment by having drinks in a cafe right in the middle of the town square, dancing to music from speakers, much to the bemusement of the locals and other tourists.

Following that we went to the castello nearby to get the last stamp on our KCC passport and the certificate that showed we completed the hike, even for those few of us who did not finish the 3rd leg.

We then went back to the town square to sample tartufo, the gelato that Pizzo was famous for. It was delicious!

I spent the rest of the afternoon exploring the town of Pizzo, checking out the church at the top of the hill, as well as interesting shops, many of which have red peppers as a theme since Calabria is known for its red hot peppers.

In the evening, we had dinner at a seafood restaurant along the shore. The food and wine were excellent.