Where We Stay
The historic spa town of Caramanico Terme is stunningly situated on the lower flanks of Monte Amaro, at the edge of the Majella National Park, above the mouth of the dramatic Orfento Gorge. The old town stretches downhill in a narrow strip along a spur, with charming and characteristic stepped alleys and narrow streets. The newer part of town includes an extensive establishment of thermal baths which offers a wide range of therapeutic and aesthetic treatments. The most luxurious pampering treatments are to be found at the 4-star Hotel La Reserve. Caramanico’s Visitors Centre includes an interesting little museum containing information (in Italian) on the archaeology, culture and natural history of the Majella, and there is also an Otter Breeding Sanctuary which offers late evening tours several evenings a week. The town has a range of shops, including a chemist, post-office and bank, a public outdoor swimming pool, several bars serving drinks and ice-cream, and two shops selling a selection of traditional specialities, including food, wine, liqueurs and ceramics. We particularly recommend the delicious biscuits and a wild-strawberry liqueur called fragolino. There is a very small street market on Thursdays.
In Caramanico we stay at the 3-star Hotel Pescofalcone, on a quiet street 3 minutes walk from the town’s central piazza. The attractive en-suite rooms have all been recently refurbished and on the ground floor there is comfortable seating surrounding an open fireplace. Franco Parone and his wife Lella are wonderful hosts, always helpful and enthusiastic about their home town and mountains.
