Calanchi Regional Reserve of Montalbano Jonico

The Calanchi regional reserve protects the most spectacular landscape of Montalbano Jonico: ridges, pinnacles and gullies of clay carved by erosion, between the town and the Agri valley.

An open-air museum

The clays of the calanchi formed on the seabed between about 1.2 million and 640,000 years ago and record the transition between the Lower and Middle Pleistocene. They are rich in fossils and contain nine layers of volcanic ash, one for each eruption. For this reason the site has been proposed as an international reference section for the geological time scale.

What to see

• The clay ridges and gullies, which change colour with the daylight.
• The “appiett”, the old mule tracks farmers used to go down to their fields along the Agri.
• The Mediterranean scrub and pine woods.
• The fossils exposed in the clays, which should be observed without being collected.

Useful information

• Guided walks are organised by the “I Calanchi” environmental education centre run by Legambiente.
• After rain the clays become slippery: it is best to choose dry days and wear trekking shoes.
• In summer avoid the hottest hours: there is little shade in the calanchi.
• In town, a stroll to Terravecchia is worthwhile.