The Revamped Hiking Trail Regenerating an Italian Region Blighted by Stereotypes
The Il Sentiero dell’Inglese hiking trail is regenerating the Aspromonte region of southern Italy. By promoting slow tourism, the initiative provides local economic support and helps challenge deeply ingrained, outdated mafia stereotypes among international and domestic travelers.
Highlights
- •The 80km hiking trail, Il Sentiero dell’Inglese, follows the path of 19th-century poet Edward Lear.
- •It serves as a key economic catalyst for seven rural villages in the Aspromonte mountains.
- •The initiative challenges long-standing negative stereotypes regarding mafia activity in southern Italy.
- •Local cooperative management prioritizes sustainable tourism to help combat regional abandonment and preserve cultural heritage.
A specialized hiking trail is breathing new life into the Aspromonte mountains of Calabria, a southern Italian region that has long struggled with economic stagnation and negative stereotypes. Known as Il Sentiero dell’Inglese—or the Trail of the Englishman—this 80km route is helping to reshape how outsiders perceive the area while providing a vital boost to local communities.
The trail derives its name from the 19th-century English poet Edward Lear, who traversed these mountains on foot in 1847. By following segments of Lear’s original journey, contemporary travelers are invited to engage directly with the geography and traditions of the region, moving past outdated biases that have unfairly burdened the area for decades.
Challenging Stereotypes through Tourism
For many years, the Aspromonte mountains were infamous due to their associations with the ’Ndrangheta, a powerful criminal organization. This reputation was solidified in the late 20th century by high-profile kidnappings, most notably that of Jean Paul Getty III, an event that later gained international attention through film. However, proponents of the trail argue that these historical labels have hindered the region's development and masked the authentic character of its people.
The initiative, managed by La Cooperativa San Leo, focuses on sustainable, slow tourism. Since its inception in 2019, the trail has fostered a network of local hosts in seven villages, allowing visitors to experience authentic Calabrian hospitality, cuisine, and culture. Participation has grown significantly, with hundreds of hikers completing the route annually. This influx of visitors provides essential revenue for local bed-and-breakfasts, guides, restaurants, and artisans.
The impact of Il Sentiero dell’Inglese extends beyond financial gain. By walking the landscape, tourists are given the opportunity to contrast their preconceived notions with the reality of daily life in the Area Grecanica. As local guides and residents have noted, the interaction between visitors and the community often dispels prejudices. This connection is vital, as the region currently faces challenges related to human abandonment and the potential loss of unique linguistic and cultural heritage, including the Greco-Calabro language.
Ultimately, the trail serves as a tool for regional regeneration. It proves that by emphasizing local history and agropastoral traditions, communities in southern Italy can move beyond past stigmas and create a sustainable path forward. By encouraging travelers to explore beyond mainstream destinations, the initiative highlights the beauty and resilience of the Aspromonte, demonstrating that the region offers far more than the narratives of the past would suggest.
