Majella mountains campsite in Abruzzo, Italy
How Majella mountains campsite in Abruzzo, Italy makes a difference
Environment
WILDLIFE:
The wildlife of Abruzzo, and the Majella National Park, is incredibly rich and diverse but hasn’t always been so. By the mid-80‘s, the invasive and destructive actions of man had reduced some of the big wild mammals of the three National Parks to extreme rarity, and others to complete destruction. Thanks to a massive and combined effort of the Corpo Forestale dello Statto, the Parco Nationale della Majella, the Parco Nationale d’Abruzzo, WWF Italia, the Club Alpino Italiano and several municipalities this has now been radically altered. Deer have now returned to the Parks and populate almost all the wooded areas and open spaces, The Chamois of Abruzzo has again become the undisputed King of the high peaks and plains and, most exciting of all, the Marsican brown bear is now seen in several areas of the Park, as is the wolf of the Apennines which is present in at least 6-7 different packs.
In recognition of this remarkable turnaround, in 2005 the Majella National Park was awarded admittance to the “PAN Parks” European Network. This certification is only assigned to wilderness areas with a remarkable naturalistic value and development strategies for sustainable tourism. Here at Kokopelli, we are committed to working with all of the above organisations to ensure their continued growth, development and promotion. We are members of a number local bodies, including the Parco Nationale della Majella, the Club Alpino Italiano and PAN Parks and, as such, keep up to date and active with their causes and campaigns. In turn, as it is of utmost importance to us that all who visit Kokopelli share our passion for conservation and sustainable tourism, we will pass on all this information to encourage exploration of the region with understanding and sensitivity to the delicate ecosystem of our Parks.
TRANSPORT:
As we are in a fairly remote mountainous rural community, with steep hills and infrequent buses, we do advise our visitors to have their own transport. However, we also recommend that the exploration of our beautiful and diverse area is done on foot or by pedal power. We can supply route maps, GPS devices, guidance and itineraries for runners, walkers, cyclists and mountain bikers, with starting points directly out of Kokopelli. To encourage the use of bicycles, we actively encourage cycle tourists, we can arrange bike hire locally or, for anyone wanting to travel with their own bicycle, we’re happy to advise on travelling with your bike and will even pick up from Pescara airport or Chieti station.
To reduce weight and bulk when travelling we have tents which can be hired from us, together with a full camping pack.
On a personal note, we have a policy of not using our car for journeys less than 5km, we will run, walk or cycle wherever we can. The bulk of our shopping is done at the local shops, markets and visiting produce vans. For longer journeys we have a very exciting “shopping in town” weekly excursion where we bulk all of our needs into one day and one place. To encourage “combined shopping” we are happy to take shopping lists from our visitors, or even take the visitors themselves if they fancy a day in town too.
Community
FRIENDS & NEIGHBOURS:
The promotion and sensitive development of Serramonacesca and its surrounding areas is absolutely critical to us at Kokopelli and we have spent much time in sourcing what is available locally so this can be passed on to our visitors.
In an area that is relatively untouched by tourism, and where any language other than Italian is rarely spoken, we recognise this may be daunting to some visitors from other countries. We also understand the difficulties faced in finding, visiting and using local suppliers and services. To help and encourage immersion into the richness of the locality we can supply guidance on shopping in the local alimentari, butchers, bakers, hardware stores and so on where products, food and language may be unfamiliar. We can advise on the locations of local markets and restaurants (the best of which are hidden away!) and we can recommend entertainment, festivals and events. As regular visitors to all of these ourselves any of our visitors are more than welcome to join us.
We can also recommend, and arrange, local guides and activities such as rock climbing instruction, mountain guides, bushcraft, archaeological & tourist guides, kite surfing and wake boarding.
VOLUNTEERING & CHARITY:
Serramonacesca has ancient roots and is an area steeped in history where many traditions are still very alive today. These traditions are kept alive by their celebration through the many festivals and events and the voluntary work and passion of the people of the village.
At Kokopelli we give our help gladly to the Association and the Commune in the operation and organisation of these events, and we encourage the support of all our visitors. In particular, we are Guides on the annual Magna Majella (www.magnamajella.org), a cultural hike down the mountain with many food sampling stations of local cuisine and wine, and are dubious connoisseurs in the preparation of vin brulle (a mulled wine) in the October pagan festival of l’Aneme de le Morte!
Majella mountains campsite in Abruzzo, Italy
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