Campotenese

Campotenese is a thermal and soaring site on Monte La Serra in Calabria, southern Italy, launched from beside the peak's telecom antennas at 1,380 m. Two launch directions work depending on the day: the official northwest side, and a southeast option facing the town of Morano Calabro when conditions favor it. Because takeoff and landing sit close together, pilots can rack up repeated short flights through the day rather than one long glide, and the site also opens genuine cross-country lines once thermals build. Mornings work best — around 9:00 in summer, 10:00–11:30 in winter — before the wind picks up. The northwest wind here can build fast, from a manageable breeze to 70 km/h, so pilots treat 30 km/h as a hard ceiling and drop off the ridge into the calmer valley center the moment it looks like building further.

Launch & conditions

Launch is on Monte La Serra's summit ridge next to the telecom antennas, with a northwest-facing side (the official one) and a southeast side toward Morano Calabro used when conditions suit it.

Getting there & local rules

By car: leave the motorway at the Campotenese exit, follow signs toward Morano Calabro, then turn at the 'Campizzo' sign onto the road leading up to launch.

Local rules & hazards

The northwest wind can strengthen quickly from moderate to as much as 70 km/h, so pilots treat 30 km/h as a hard limit and head to the calmer valley center — off the ridge — the moment it looks like building. It's a genuine cross-country site once thermals develop, but better flown with others than solo.

Check conditions before you fly

A forecast for the valley is not a forecast for the launch. Before heading to Campotenese, read the wind and thermals for the site itself, confirm the day's rules with the local club, and remember the standing rule — when in doubt, don't launch. In the free OutDare app you can open Campotenese with a 7-day forecast built from high-resolution weather models, see who else has been flying, and get there with offline maps.