Where once the wagons of the Littorina rattled, the historic narrow-gauge railway line that connected the Vibo hinterland to the coast, today there is an enchanting cycle-pedestrian path nestled between the hills and the Tyrrhenian Sea. In Vibo Valentia, work has in fact been completed on the first stretch of approximately 2 kilometers of the old disused infrastructure, transformed into an extraordinarily panoramic soft mobility itinerary.
The track starts near the Madonnella and enters the Calabrian landscape through a suggestive tunnel of about 200 meters and unique observation points, capable of making the gaze range from Pizzo along the Costa degli Dei, up to spotting the outline of the island of Stromboli. The intervention, which cost 1.4 million euros and was financed with PNRR funds, involved the reconstruction of the permeable concrete flooring to facilitate water filtering, the consolidation of the retaining walls and the creation of two rest areas equipped with pergolas and racks.
The track is ready but awaits delivery: the words of councilor Salvatore Monteleone
The work was completed on time in June 2026, but its official use has not yet begun due to the completion of bureaucratic formalities. As explained by the Councilor for Public Works Salvatore Monteleone, the benches intended for visitor rest are currently located in the municipal warehouses and will be positioned on the occasion of the formal handover of the route to the community.
The intervention carried out represents only the first piece of a much broader strategic plan: the municipal administration led by mayor Enzo Romeo has already made a formal request for further resources to the Calabria Region to extend the cycle path. The final objective is to cover a total route of approximately 35 kilometers connecting the municipalities of Mileto, Vibo Valentia, Pizzo and Vibo Marina.
The history of Littorina: from the tragedy of 1951 to the tourist redemption of the area
The recovery of this route restores new dignity to an infrastructure marked by a dramatic page in the local news. The railway line entered a serious crisis following the terrible accident that occurred on 17 November 1951, when the collapse of the bridge over the Timpa Janca ditch between Pizzo and Vibo Marina caused the death of 11 people, mostly workers on their way to the cement factory in the area. That tragic event led to the definitive closure of that specific route, anticipating the decommissioning of the entire line in 1966. Today, decades later, that same abandoned route is redeemed by transforming itself into a top-level tourist resource, ready to welcome cyclists and walkers in a postcard setting.
