|
The Cedri Riviera - The Citrus
Coast
From Jesse's Journeys in
Italy...
The Cedri Riviera
is an ecological masterpiece.
It is situated on the western
Tyrrhenian seaboard and occupies
the region known as the instep
of Italy's boot between the
towns of
Aieta
and
Tropea.
The word "cedri" (pronounced
"chedree") is the plural
for the Italian word "cedro",
used to describe two very
different trees: Cedar and
Citron, both of which are in
abundance along this magnificent
coast. Olive groves,
vineyards and cultivated fields
of mint, basil and oregano are
also present, producing a
complicated aroma of fragrances
that are only interrupted by
whiffs of the salty, sweat, sea
air.
Visitors who are lucky enough to
experience this breath-taking
coast, will experience in
addition to oranges, lemons and
pine tree covered mountains, a
unique littoral, unmatched in
morphological and geographical
complexity by any in the world.
One of the main reasons for this has to do
with the fact that hundreds of thousands
of years ago, when the peninsula of
Italy was being formed by volcanoes such
as Mount Vesuvius near Pompeii, the lava
from which
flowed into the sea to be instantly cooled. Over thousands of
years however, the lava-formed rocks
have been weathered and carved by the
salt waters of the Mediterranean sea, leaving behind
inlets of crescent shaped, white and
black sand beaches that are often quite
inaccessible except to boaters and avid
hikers.
Each of the towns along the Cedri Riviera has a unique history,
but the one thing they share in common
is the famous hospitality and pride of
southern Italians.
This area of Italy is one of the most
unique and least discovered areas for
English-speaking travelers. It is,
however, increasingly popular
among Italian vacationers who swarm these
small beach towns in the sweltering
months of July and August every year.
Our
recommendation - by all means visit.
But, if you can, come during the
shoulder seasons, either May-June or
September-October, when the crowds have
departed and the temperatures are more
tolerable. |
|
