In the State Nature Reserve accompanied by the Nature Guides of Ufficio Guide Outdoor
Hiking
Access allowed every day except weather alert.
You are visiting the Ufficio Guide Outdoor Website
We are environmental guides since 2000, we’ve been guiding people in the Canyon for more than 15 years. Each of us does it with our personality and accentuating some characteristics, we all have a strong passion for this place and a profound desire to share its extraordinary beauty with others.
How old is the Ravine? How did it formed? Why a mountain forest at 600 m. high? What extraordinary plants live inside the Canyon? Which animals and other living beings inhabit it?
Come with us and discover everything that hides behind the prodigious beauty of the Canyon
The Orrido di Botri is a spectacular limestone gorge on the slopes of the Rondinaio and Tre Potenze mountains, with steep rocky walls deeply dug by the cold waters of the Mariana and Ribellino streams, which then join to form the Rio Pelago.
In the summer period, when the water flow is lower and the temperature a little milder, it is possible to walk up the final stretch, from Ponte a Gaio to the Salto dei Becchi.
The vegetation is distributed according to a vertical stratification, with the wetter and colder levels at the base where mosses and ferns predominate, replaced as you rise upwards from the more temperate levels, where we find columbine and Silene plants in the midst of extensive beech forests.
The impervious walls of the Ravine reach up to 200 m high, and have always constituted an ideal nesting site for the Golden Eagle.
Visits start from Ponte a Gaio – the only access to the gorge, where the reception center and box office are located.
Due to the frequent fords and slippery ground, the use of a protective helmet and trekking shoes are mandatory.
For the conservation of the natural environment and for the safety of hikers, the Reserve is open from June to September, at other times access is prohibited
The Guide is not mandatory for access to the Canyon
The meeting point is in Ponte a Gaio where the helmet is given to each participant and the visit begins; the Guide will briefly explain how the visit will take place, what the rules are within the Reserve. During the hike he/she will deepen the geological formation of the canyon, the flora and fauna present. The guides know the area well and will tell you, in addition to the naturalistic aspects, about local curiosities and anecdotes.
The bed of the Rio Pelago is accessed up to “Salto dei Becchi”; then the canyon becomes narrower and narrower and it is forbidden to continue, we return to Ponte a Gaio along the same route.
A good sense of balance is important to move in the stony bed of the stream, trekking poles are not recommended,
Children who join the adult group must be able to move and walk independently in the bed of the stream and without having to be taken by the hand, the route is indicated from 8 years of age onwards.
Total Hike duration:
Approximately 3 hours + stops
Short trousers and a sweatshirt are recommended
In the event of a yellow alert and weather conditions that endanger visitors and at the discretion of the Carabinieri Biodiversity Department of Lucca responsible for security, access will not be permitted.
The guides will inform members of any entry bans due to weather warnings by the evening before the visit, while they will not be able to give prior information due to sudden bans decided by the Carabinieri of the UTB Department of Lucca who manage the accesses and are responsible for safety.
In Ponte a Gaio there is a trattoria (the Nido dell’Aquila 0583 800022) where you can eat traditional dishes – handmade pasta, meat, cheese, coldcuts – or you can have a picnic on the large lawn nearby.
Meeting Point:
directly in the Ponte a Gaio area according to the time that the guides will indicate by email and which will be communicated after you have registered and no earlier than one week before the excursion. Booking must be done online, then the map will be sent with time and directions for the visit and to arrive on site.
Participation fee:
€ 22.00 per person, € 14.00 for children aged 8 to 11, plus € 2.00 per person for the entrance ticket to the Canyon to be paid to the cooperative that manages the accesses.
According to the regulation, access is allowed to a maximum of 300 people per day.
No reservations are necessary for independent visits.
