It feels like being in Provence, but we are in Calabria, specifically in Campotenese, in the heart of the Pollino National Park. The Lavender Park of Morano Calabro presents itself as a colorful and fragrant expanse, enriched with suggestive, fairy-tale, and particularly scenic corners.
Here, thanks to the commitment and industriousness of the Rocco family, the native lavender of the Pollino National Park, Lavanda Loricata known as Loricanda, blooms through strictly organic techniques, reaching its peak flowering period from mid-June to mid-August. During this period, thousands of tourists arrive in Morano, intrigued by the place, enchanted by the scents, or looking for some particularly "Instagrammable" shots.
From the lavender, the Rocco family extracts the essence used in cosmetic production and for fragrances. The Park also becomes an educational farm to spread knowledge of this species, a path suitable for children of all ages that includes a walk in the botanical garden; direct experience of the technique of plant reproduction by cuttings; understanding the transformation of a product of the earth through drying and the technique of steam distillation using a distiller for educational purposes, and information on how and why lavender essential oil is used.
The visit to the Lavender Park can be extended to the entire village of Morano Calabro, where you can find Il Nibbio, Naturalistic Study Center, also dedicated to a predominantly school audience, as well as the ruins of the Norman-Swabian Castle and the characteristic yellow-blue majolica dome of the Collegiate Church of Santa Maria Maddalena.
Opening hours:
Monday and Wednesday 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM Tuesday and Thursday 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and holidays closed
To book a visit:
Other places to explore:
- Il Nibbio - Morano Calabro
- Devil's Bridge - Civita
- Pollino Eco-Museum "Sandro Berardone" - Rotonda
