The Transhumance Trail
The Transhumance Trail in Sila is one trail in the vast and intricate network of trails where it is possible to trek in Sila National Park having Camigliatello Silano as a base point.
In fact, the trail starts from the locality of Fossiata, near the Cupone visitor center.
The trail retraces the paths of transhumance in Sila, that is, the ancient practice of seasonal migration of livestock from mountainous to lowland pastures and vice versa.
It is therefore a mostly non-strenuous trek on well-marked trails with wide spaces.
Let’s get going!
We therefore set out on the trail from the locality of Fossiata, a well-known popular place in Sila where there is a picnic area with facilities.
There is also a water fountain present, and we take the opportunity to stock up on water since there are no water fountains on the trail we have chosen and the route will be quite long.
Between forests and the great outdoors
The Transhumance Trail in Sila alternates between passages through dense forests and large open areas.
The first section is wide and comfortable. We proceed on a nice grassy surface where we find small bridges over small streams.
The path is level and we don’t struggle to walk at all, our steps are comfortable and safe on soft, smooth ground.
Passing through the tall grass
We come to a section where the grass is high and almost up to our knees. This worries us a bit given the sign illustrating the "crawling" fauna present here. But we go on without any problems enjoying our walk.
We pass through a charming little grove.
After a start on a wide path just off the ditch, we enter some passages through the woods.
The path is always clearly visible and beaten, and we walk without difficulty within this charming little grove.
Back to open spaces
After passing through the grove, we find ourselves again in wide spaces among landscapes that look almost like paintings, beautiful to walk through calmly enjoying the serenity that these places are capable of instilling.
The pond of Macchialonga
We also pass by a small body of water, the “Macchialonga” pond, which is almost totally dried up at this time.
A trail that is also perfect for biking
The flat, well-trodden path and wide open spaces also make the Transhumance Trail perfect for mountain biking.
We walked it this time, but we will definitely come back to walk it by bike.
In fact, given the characteristics of this trail such as the well-trodden path, the virtually total lack of elevation gain, and the beautiful scenery, we feel we can recommend biking this route, even for less trained people.
We will definitely return with our mountain bikes as well.
Let’s turn back from the Serralonga Pass.
At this point we have already covered 11km and have arrived at the Serralonga Pass.
The transhumance trail is still very long if you want to walk it all the way; we are almost halfway through at this point and decide to turn back.
We therefore set out on the return journey, traveling largely along the same trail from which we came, but making passages on other paths that intersect the main one.
We make the first pass on the “Beautiful Pine Trail”; then we take the main route of the transhumance trail again and then make another detour on the “Crow Trail.”
Passage on the “Trail of the Beautiful Pine Tree”
After arriving on the Serra Longa pass, we turn back and immediately take the “Beautiful Pine Trail.”
The Pino Bello trail, like the transhumance trail to which it is connected, is characterized by wide open spaces.
We travel about 5km on the Pino Bello trail and re-enter the transhumance trail on which we travel about another 5km before entering the Crow trail.
Passage on the Raven Trail
And here we are on the Crow Trail, one of our favorite trails in Sila National Park.
We decide to pass by which instead of going straight back to the ditch because we want to go out to Lake Cecita, where we calculate to arrive at sunset.
The Crow Trail is very different from the Transhumance Trail. Instead of wide open spaces and wide landscapes here we walk through forests and in beautiful tree-lined avenues.
If you would like to learn more about the Crow Trail visit this page, where we documented one of our treks on this beautiful trail.
Sunset arrival at Lake Cecita
As per our calculations, we arrive right at sunset near Lake Cecita, where we manage to take some good photos.
This beautiful sunset at Lake Cecita is a fitting and splendid conclusion to this transhumance trail trek.
All that remains is for us to set out again to the not-so-distant Fossiata where we left the car.
Conclusions and impressions
What about the transhumance trail? A beautiful trek in which we were able to explore the typical and beautiful landscapes of Sila on a path that is always well-trodden and comfortable.
For us, the Transhumance Trail is easily passable by anyone, bearing in mind, of course, its not inconsiderable length.
In our opinion, it is perfect to be cycled, given the beauty of the landscapes and the fact that it is always flat or with very little elevation gain.
Route layout
Below you can view and download the gpx file of the route we took on the Transhumance Trail in Sila.
Download the gpx file of the route taken on the Transhumance Trail
Useful links
Below are some useful links to better plan your hike and trek on the Transhumance Trail in Sila.
