Excursions to Calabrian waterfalls: four jumps not to be missed

The Calabrian mountains hold surprises you cannot imagine, and hidden corners where, amidst the thickest and most intense greenery, sudden rushing waterfalls open up.

Let's discover together some of Calabria's most suggestive and majestic waterfalls, set in breathtaking natural surroundings and perfect for a regenerating excursion.

Are you ready? Backpack on your shoulders, let's go!

We start from the highest waterfall in Calabria.

We are in the heart of the forest of Bivongi, the "Village of Longevity" in the province of Reggio Calabria, along the course of the Stilaro river (also not far from Stilo, among The Most Beautiful Villages in Italy).

Among these fragrant forests, the waters of the Marmarico Waterfalls sing loudly.

To get there, you have to sacrifice a little, like any self-respecting piece of paradise, by travelling along a stretch of dirt road in an appropriate off-road vehicle (about 20 minutes), followed by an equally long footpath that skirts the precipice of the Folea (not really suitable for those suffering from vertigo!).

The spectacle that appears to us, however, amply repays the sacrifice: included in 2011 among the sites of the "Italian Wonders", the Marmarico Waterfalls come down from a height of 114 metres and create a crystal-clear lagoon at their feet, ideal for an invigorating swim.

The dialect word "marmarico" means "slow", "heavy" and is only in apparent contrast to the rapid falling power of the water, because the optical effect of this monumental gush among the rocks is really that of an eternal stillness.

Still in the province of Reggio Calabria, but further south, in the municipality of Roghudi, whose abandoned part, Roghudi Vecchio, represents one of the most fascinating "ghost towns" in the Aspromonte National Park, we encounter the majestic Maesano Waterfalls, or Amendolea Waterfalls, named after the torrent that marks the route to reach them.

The Amendolea Waterfalls are among the most beautiful natural spectacles in Calabria.

To reach them, we follow a marked path through dense woodland, which starts at the Menta Dam (the last place reached by car) and continues on foot along the Amendolea Valley.

Upon reaching our destination, a triple drop awaits us: three simultaneous waterfalls, each forming a pool of icy water, with a temperature of 12°/13°.

From the Maesano Waterfalls, it is possible to reach other places of cultural and natural interest within the Aspromonte Park, including the panoramic peak of Montalto.

We move to the province of Catanzaro, to the lush municipal area of Sersale, in the centre of the Valli Cupe Regional Nature Reserve.

A place that, despite its name, has nothing dark about it except, perhaps, the gloom that characterises the narrow gorges of one of Europe's largest canyons. Between these gorges are some of the most beautiful waterfalls in Calabria.

A hundred or so spectacular waterfalls up to 100 metres high, immersed in a subtropical vegetation setting, fed by rushing torrents that cascade down to the Ionian Sea: the Hell Waterfall, one of the most impressive in the reserve, the Rupe Waterfall, surrounded by rare ferns from prehistoric times, and the Crocchio Waterfalls, to name but a few.

One of the most popular and easily accessible is the Campanaro Waterfall, which with its 22-metre drop offers an oasis of wellbeing for young and old alike. Surrounded by red algae and ancient ferns, it awaits us at the end of a path naturally carved into the rock.

It doesn't end there! There are dozens of smaller waterfalls in the reserve, each one more beautiful than the last, all the way to the heart of the Sila National Park: Cascate degli Allori, del Salice, del Tiglio, della Chiusa, della Chiusetta, del Rovetto, di Raga, dei Muschi e di Cavallopoli; delle Ninfe, del Tronco, della Pietra, dell'Anemone, del Frassino, del Faggio, dei Lamponi, del Lupo, dell'Aquila e delle Grotte e del Paradiso.

The province of Cosenza is no different and it offers us the evocative spectacle of a place that, not by chance, is called the "Dream Path".

Close to the historical centre of Sangineto, along the geological fault line that runs through it, there is an ancient site that the local elders call "U Gùgliu" and which takes its name from a spring of water that generates a waterfall inside a monumental cave, the Vuglio Waterfall, which is breathtaking.

Easy to reach with basic equipment and shoes suitable for the hike, simply walk along the "Dream Path" along the river to the mouth of the cave.

Sufficient to satisfy your craving for nature and adventure?