Start & Finish: Campeo, near Spigno Saturnia Superiore/ Sat Nav – parking & start of walk: 41.30945, 13.69875 (you will be on a woodland track, find a wide spot and park / Start elevation: 479m / Max elevation: 551m / Gain: 67m / Total distance: 1.2km one way / Typical Duration: 45 mins – 1 hour / Category: Moderate

Mont La Civita is a hill on the edge of the Monti Arunci mountains, just over the border with Lazio. It starts at the back of a remote little village called Campeo, with the great slopes of the real Aurunci mountains looming up ahead. The track winds through mature beech forest and up to a large grassy col (dip) between Mont La Civita and its neighbour. A little further on you reach a beautiful picnic spot with rickety old tables. We sat here for a good hour in the sun, watching fishing boats sail up the glassy bay to the harbour at Gaeta. Birds of prey hunted on the thermals above us and the peace was only interrupted by a herd of cows, each with a bell, as they tinkled up the valley to the pasture. This was the walk where we got lost coming home, in mid-winter, in the dark – but it led us to a special encounter – read more here. Though there’s a hill at the start, it’s a good track and a great out and back walk for kids and dogs (and you won’t get lost I promise!). It’s also very near some spectacular walking in the Arunci mountains proper, just up the road from here (details coming soon).

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