The surrounding: traces of ancient cultures, a cultural heritage to discover

Stio is a small village in the heart of the national park of Cilento.
It is surrounded by majestic mountains and ample chestnut woods. As well as offering vast areas of unspoilt nature, this location is also an excellent base to visit places of historical significance such as the archaeological sites of Paestum and Velia, bearing testimony to ancient Greek colonies (40 minutes by car), or those of Moio della Civitella (15 minutes by car).
There are also traces of oriental monasticism and Byzantine culture in the remains of ancient chapels that are scattered around Magliano (10 minutes by car) and in the Diocesan Museum of Vallo della Lucania (30 minutes by car).

For those who prefer more energetic activities, there are several walking trails in the area. There are walks of all lengths and levels, some of which start in the village. It can be a long low level walk in the woods, an ancient trail that hops between villages, a walk by the Calore river, or a hike up one of the highest mountains (such as Mount Gelbison, Mount Cervati – which even has a refuge on the summit, or Mount Pruno di Laurino).

Among other activities are cycling excursions and canoe trips on the river. In the warm summer months there is nothing more energising than a dip in the freezing pools of the Calore river (a few minutes by car from Stio), where a perfectly preserved medieval bridge can also be admired.
For the food lovers, Stio and the surrounding villages have a long tradition of producing delicious dishes of ‘cucina povera’ that use local vegetables, locally-reared meat and home-made pasta, as well as other local products such as chestnuts, chestnut honey, porcini mushrooms and wild strawberries.