About 12 km southeast of Crotone stretches a narrow strip of land that gently slopes toward the Ionian Sea. This is the promontory of Capo Colonna, on whose eastern tip the National Archaeological Park of Capo Colonna is located today. The creation of the Park began in 1993, with the expropriation of the land west of the Roman enclosure wall, thus removing it from illegal construction and degradation.

In this area, typical species of Mediterranean scrub have been reintroduced, recreating the sacred grove dedicated to the goddess Hera, mentioned by ancient sources. Set within a striking landscape and overlooking the Capo Rizzuto Marine Protected Area, the Park preserves the remains of the extra-urban sanctuary dedicated to Hera Lacinia, one of the most famous sacred places of Magna Graecia and the ancient Mediterranean. The visitor route follows wooden walkways that trace the ancient road network, including the Via Sacra, accessible through the monumental entrance gate, now partially preserved.

At the heart of the sanctuary stood the great Classical-period Temple (480–470 BC), of which only a single column survives today. Also preserved are service buildings from the 4th century BC, intended for hospitality and banqueting, known as Buildings H and K. In the Roman period, beginning in the 2nd century BC, a small settlement arose, composed of public and private buildings, enclosed in the second half of the 1st century BC by a massive defensive wall. A visit to the Park thus offers a true journey through the millennia-long history of one of the most important sacred sites of antiquity.