After visiting its beautiful coastlines, it is easy to forget that Calabria has other landscapes and wildly different destinations to offer. Venturing into one of its many national parks allows you to explore the mountainous regions and some beautiful scenes of nature, such as the Marmarico Falls of Bivongi (Cascate del Marmarico), located in ‘Le Serre’, within the Reggio Calabria province.
The waterfalls are the highest in Calabria and the Southern Italian Apennines, at 114m high. It is not possible to access the remote location by road, but a jeep shuttle service is available to take you up the steep dirt track. This is available from outside the restaurant ‘La Vecchia Miniera’, just up the road from the car park and picnic area which is a little outside of the town of Bivongi. The jeep takes you up the majority of the track, with only a 20 minute walk through the forest to your destination at the end. Cross the arched concrete footbridge and follow the red painted arrows to reach the waterfall (please ensure that you are wearing sturdy footwear). Here you can access the base of the waterfall, with a beautiful clear pool perfect for swimming for the adventurous! Splash and paddle in the water or enjoy a picnic in the shade of the trees, watching the water cascading down the mountain.
Yet to truly appreciate the beautiful setting of the waterfall and Le Serre national park, we would recommend walking up the trail yourself. It is an uphill trek, not for young children, but absolutely worth it to enjoy the scenery up into the hills. Take the route from the starting point at the same restaurant, and walk up to the left where the road turns into a trail into the mountains. The walk up to the waterfall will take approximately 2 hours, so ensure that you take enough water and wear light clothing, especially in the summer. Take a picnic and explore at a leisurely pace in the heat. The trek is definitely worth it, and a great opportunity to enjoy the views if you have the time.
