Sila National Park

15 Ottobre, 2009 - 15:04 | Francesca Aprea

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Calabria is home to places of extraordinary beauty, , even “Nordic” forests. These are the unspoilt, mysterious mountains of Sila, which even way back in far flung times gave rise to the very first principles of nature conservation in Italy. Sila Park can boast astonishing features in terms of landscape, flora and fauna. The Sila massif stands as a vast, unusual, rolling plateau that culminates in low, rounded peaks, soft ridges covered in forests, vast woodlands and a mix of Mediterranean and Nordic appeal that together make the landscape of the Sila one of the most picturesque and surprising areas in the entire peninsula.
The park is particularly rich in waterways, the Sette Fontane di Tacina being its most important and well-known natural spring. The area is also particularly suited to artificial lakes. Vegetation is rich and varied, ranging from olive groves, vineyards and other Mediterranean maquis, to chestnut trees and Calabrian larch pine trees. Wildlife includes the Appenine wolf, symbol of the park, roe deer, deer and eagle-owl, not to mention hare, wild boar, fox and the dark-haired squirrel typical of the Sila.
Inside the park, tours can be taken on foot, mountain bike and horseback, with opportunities for nature photography, alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, sailing, canoeing and much, much more. Also of note are the park’s forestry, agricultural, livestock and handicraft activities, with a vast range of tasty local produce on offer.