"Argentino River Valley" Nature Reserve

The Argentino River Valley Nature Reserve is located in the municipality of Orsomarso, in the Pollino National Park in the province of Cosenza. Access to the Argentino River Valley Nature Reserve is free for individual visitors or small groups (maximum 5 people), while groups and tour groups are only allowed for study and educational purposes, subject to specific authorisation issued by the Carabinieri Biodiversity Department of Cosenza. The main purpose of the Argentino River Valley Nature Reserve is to protect an exceptional area of wilderness, i.e. an unspoilt area that has never or rarely been touched by humans, with all the habitats that have been preserved from human activity over time.

Visitors can enjoy the natural beauty of the Argentino River Valley Nature Reserve via four well-equipped trails. The valley area is characterised by alternating wetlands (mainly Neapolitan alder and black alder) and woods of holm oak, manna ash, black hornbeam and shrubs typical of the Mediterranean scrub, turkey oak, downy oak and other species.

The woods of the Argentino River Valley Nature Reserve are home to beech, Loricato pine and black pine trees. nature trails marked out along old municipal tracks or mule tracks: walking along these paths offers a unique experience, with wonderful views of a valley rich in vegetation. The spectacular landscapes, the abundance of wildlife and, above all, the presence of a population of roe deer, considered one of the few native species on the Italian peninsula, are the reasons behind the establishment of the Reserve itself in 1987, in addition to the protection of the riverbed.