ITINERARY

‍Day 1 - Meet Fill Pill and Regional Park of Castelli Romani

The day begins with our meeting at 1:00 p.m. at the Castelli Romani Regional Park. For convenience, those without cars can reach Albano Laziale, Cecchina, or Pavona stations, from where we’ll arrange transportation to the park. Upon arrival, park rangers will welcome us and introduce the theme of biodiversity conservation in this unique area. During the excursion, we’ll ascend Monte Cavo, the highest peak in the park, and enjoy breathtaking views of the volcanic lakes of Albano and Nemi, surrounded by ancient forests and ruins that tell stories of pre-Roman civilizations. The day will conclude with a special dinner in a trattoria set inside a Roman aqueduct, in the heart of Castel Gandolfo, the historic summer residence of the Pope, where we’ll savor local flavors in a timeless atmosphere.

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Day 2 - Ostia and the Roman Coast

Saturday takes us to the sea, in the neighborhood of Ostia, where we will embark on an adventure by boat to discover the dolphins that inhabit the waters between the Protected Marine Area of the Secche di Tor Paterno and the Capitan's Reserve. Guided by the Aps Sottoalmare Association, we will immerse ourselves in a dolphin-watching session, exploring a marine area that has successfully regenerated and now hosts common bottlenose dolphins and other marine species. After this experience, we will visit the Lipu Oasis Center in Ostia, located at the mouth of the Tiber River. Here, in an area that was once an open-air landfill, we will admire a nature reserve that now welcomes flamingos and herons, symbolizing the resilience of nature against urbanization. In the late afternoon, we will return to Rome to visit the Aventine Hill with our guide Francesco De Luca. The evening will be dedicated to a special dinner, where we will taste traditional Roman dishes reinterpreted in vegan and vegetarian versions, all accompanied by a group of Roman folk musicians who will revive the authentic atmosphere of the city with guitars, tambourines, and mandolins.

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Day 3 - Regional Park of the Appia Antica and departures

The last day of our trip will be entirely dedicated to discovering the historic Appian Way. Riding bicycles, we will explore the most representative section of this ancient Roman road, traversing the Regional Park of the Appia Antica, the largest urban park in Europe. As we pedal along the route, we will immerse ourselves in an open-air museum, uncovering ruins and landscapes that tell stories of a distant yet vibrant past, until we reach mile XI in the Castelli Romani. After exploring this extraordinary blend of nature and archaeology, we will return to the starting point in the afternoon, concluding our journey enriched by new discoveries and perspectives on Rome and its surroundings.