Nature and Sport

• Sicilia Nature and Sport ( 16 Articles )
  

  There is a Sicily of landscapes oblivious to man, a real Sicily, like the truth of a nude body. In order to see its natural beauty stand out naked, beyond the rich, embellishing garments of art and history, it would be necessary to explore the territory in its most hidden folds: amidst the imposing beech woods and the panoramic peaks of the hidden green planet of the Nebrodi, in the most jealous privacy of the mountain communities of the Peloritani, on the shores of lakes full of avifauna and precipices steeply overlooking torrents, in the presence of King Etna and on the craters of the volcanic line that warms this land and embroiders it with lava flows and caves, immersed in the bucolic atmosphere of the Madonie - crowned by cork-oak woods, butterfly wings, and plays of rock - until arriving to the sea of the Aeolian and the Egadi Islands, a divers’ paradise for its shoals that are unique throughout the Mediterranean and the joy of sailing lovers because of the favourable winds caressing them.

• Calabria Nature and Sport ( 3 Articles )
  

  An elongate strip of land between two seas, rocky coasts and gentle inlets, woods of centuries-old trees on the mountains and the fragrance of the citrus groves. Characterized by contradictory landscapes, Calabria offers unforgettable experiences for nature lovers. The three natural parks that delimit the areas of Aspromonte, the Silla and the Massif of Pollino help keep intact a natural balance of rare beauty. The wealth of waters, the impressive vegetation, and the variegated fauna make the landscape as luxuriant as it is harsh and inaccessible in certain stretches, as is its rocky heart, the Sila, whose very name is sufficient to conjure up visions of old and not-so-old tales of brigandage.

• Puglia Nature and Sport ( 3 Articles )
  The heel of Italy’s “boot” stretches down from the continent in a geological formation typical of the Italian Apennines and then opens up as it reaches the valleys facing the Tavoliere towards the breadth of the sea, with its Ionian and Oriental scents and savours. This region, shaped like a huge, flat limestone plate, is both agricultural and maritime in spirit. Its landscape is unique and varied, ranging from karst chasms to lagoons and forests. The Gargano National Park, with the two coastal lakes of Lesina and Varano, contains numerous caves and dolines and incorporates the Foresta Umbra, a remainder of the woods that originally covered the whole of the promontory. Murge, the area between Bari and Taranto, contains fascinating gorges (gravine) and fissures in the limestone rocks that have been inhabited since Neolithic times. Most of the long coastline runs low and straight, except for the magnificent cliffs of the Gargano and between Otranto and Capo Santa Maria di Leuca.
• Campania Nature and Sport ( 4 Articles )
  The islands of Ischia and Capri, part of the Phlegraean archipelago, offer fascinating routes for excursions to discover the wild beauty of the area. They go from Mount Epomeo, dominating Ischia from the height of its 789 meters and revealing the geological evolution of the volcanic island, to Vallone di Cava Scura, amidst walls dug out of tufa rock and typical terrace cultivations, passing by Lake Ameno, and discovering the remains of the ancient city of Pithecusae, founded by the Greeks in 700 B.C. On Capri, Mount Solaro conceals the fortresses built by the English in the 19th century amidst broom bushes, ferns, and a sparse brush, as well as the famous and charming Blue Grotto.
• Lazio Nature and Sport ( 2 Articles )
  

  Leave Rome and move out of the orbit of this magnificent city to discover a region rich in little-known places of natural beauty, hidden in the meandering countryside of one of the most densely inhabited regions of Italy. The volcanic lakes of the area around Viterbo, the gentle hills of the Castelli Romani, the heights of the Monti Simbruini and Monti Lepini, the wide stretches of the Agro Pontino, home to the most precious treasure of nature - the Circeo National Park. Here is a mosaic of different habitats and delicate eco-systems, from the woods of ilex to the marshes with their wild fauna and migratory birds. Facing the Park are the Pontine Islands – a jewel in the sea of Latium that surrounds them with its crystal-clear waters and colourful depths.

  
  
• Marche Nature and Sport ( 1 Article )
  

  In the midst of a harsh but fascinating land, the protected areas of Marches offer a number of inspiring expeditions for nature-lovers: from the Conero nature park and mountain of the same name - the only summit (572 metres) overlooking the sea between Trieste and Gargano in Apulia, to the Nature Park of the Sasso Simone and Simoncello in the ancient lands of Montefeltro, a hilly area between 670 and 1415 metres above sea level, to the National Park of the Sibylline Mountains with Mount Vettore rising to 2476 metres. According to ancient legends this was the land of the mythical Sibyl, where the buffaloes dragged the lifeless body of Pilate, through woods infested with demons, sorcerers and fairies.

• Toscana Nature and Sport ( 5 Articles )
  

  For excursion lovers, a tour in Tuscany to discover the natural beauties of the region: from Lake Massaciuccoli, loved by the great Puccini, to the Apuan Alps, to admire the famous quarries of the marble preferred by Michelangelo. Leaving the mainland behind, the island of Elba offers not only splendid beaches of fine sand and cliffs overhanging the sea: there are lovely paths that unwind through the National Park of the Tuscan Archipelago, cross the hilly landscape or along the coastal precipices, in a territory rich with historic and artistic treasures, from ancient Villanovian settlements to Romanesque churches, to the shepherds’ shelters of the Costa del Sole (the “sun coast”).

• Liguria Nature and Sport ( 2 Articles )
  A slice of mountain embracing the sea: this is the incredible geography of Liguria and its mark of uniqueness. Thanks to the “strong, protective shoulders” of the mountains and the sunny exposure southward, here the climate is always mild and conducive to an exuberant vegetation and success in cultivating olive groves and vineyards. But it does not all come easy: this stony and difficult land was tamed over a period of eight hundred years by the farmer-seamen who, with their little plots of land, created terraces and built their houses, making them climb up the mountain without ruining the natural scenery. Lastly, the sea, generous with fish, offers pleasant beaches to the east and spectacular inlets toward Portofino, a dream for tourists from all over the world.
• Sardegna Nature and Sport ( 2 Articles )
  You fall in love at first sight with the sea. The turquoise color of the water around the La Maddalena island swept by the wind, the emerald green of the water of Stintino, the azure spotted with sea-fans at Cala Gonone, the indigo of the abysses of Capo Caccia, and the impalpable transparencies of the white beaches of the south. It is a falling in love that manages to overtake everyone, from lazy chaise-loving bathers to sportspersons who like sailing and surfing, from VIPs to divers. And yet if you just move slightly inland from the coasts you discover that Sardinia’s interior is a hiding place of bashful, intriguing natural beauties that have the taste of the wild and mysterious. They are beauties that must be sought amidst the harsh rocky formations that have kept them for centuries, such as amidst the bizarre limestones of Supramonte, the absolute kingdom of the mouflons, a land that is apparently harsh but which shows the traces of the hospitality of its eagles’ “nests” in many nuraghic settlements scattered among centuries-old ilex groves and valleys covered with yews; or by following the wild deer, finally saved from extinction, running amidst the hard granites to which myrtles and giant junipers cling in the Sàrrabus forest; or by observing the flight of the griffons and the many eagles inhabiting the most impervious peaks of Barbagia, mellowed in the springtime by peonies and wild orchids. And, as if that weren’t enough, wild Sardinia with its numerous caves offers a spectacle of the most “visceral” nature, revealing the deepest secrets of the earth to speleology fans.
• Veneto Nature and Sport ( 1 Article )