Calabria isn’t just coastline. Even though its name conjures up images of crystal-clear waters and white sandy beaches, the mountains of Calabria have strong historical importance and are rich in unique natural beauty. The mountains of Sila are famous for snow in winter, their beautiful lakes, the wolves which inhabit them and their delicious porcini mushrooms. On beautiful summer days you can admire the scenery, discover captivating views, and enjoy the pure, unspoilt surroundings.
In particular, we recommend a visit to the beautiful Sila National Park, on the banks of Lake Cecita. You can tour the Botanic Garden and walk amongst the trees along a nature path, where enclosures contain typical Calabrian wildlife such as stags, deer and wolves. Another destination not to be missed: The Giants of Sila.
The nature reserve was given its name by the impressive scale of its inhabitants: centuries-old larch pines on a majestic scale, whose trunks have created a perfect natural arcade. Each tree can grow up to 45 metres tall with a base diameter of around 2 metres, often drawing comparisons with the North American sequoia trees (which actually reach double this height with more than a 10 metre diameter). There are 56 larch pine trees in this reserve. Other than the larch pines there are also wild apple trees, beech trees, chestnut trees, poplars and mountain maple trees.
