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Nature reserves of Abruzzo

Besides its three national parks and the Sirente-Velino regional park, Abruzzo protects 25 regional nature reserves: caves, waterfalls, springs, lakes, rare woodlands and stretches of coast. On this page you will find a profile for each one, the map and a quick search.


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Nature reserves of Abruzzo — profiles, map and contacts



Protected areas

Nature reserves of Abruzzo

25 regional reserves across mountains, hills and coast. Search by name, town or theme: caves, waterfalls, lake, dunes, bear…

Please note: In 2025 the Region cut funding for the reserves: opening times, guided tours and visitor centres may change. Contact the reserve before you go.
Filter by province All L’Aquila Teramo Pescara Chieti
Reserves · 9

Province of L’Aquila

Guided reserve

Gole del Sagittario

Anversa degli Abruzzi · L’Aquila

Established1997
Area~450 ha
  • Gorges carved by the Sagittario and the Cavuto springs, with a botanical garden and museum; a WWF oasis.
  • CAI trail 18 towards Castrovalva; wallcreeper, golden eagle and peregrine falcon.

Phone: 0864 49587

See also: Lake San Domenico →
Guided reserve

Gole di San Venanzio

Raiano · L’Aquila

Established1998
Area1,072 ha
  • A deep, narrow gorge of the Aterno, with the hermitage of San Venanzio built above the river.
  • Golden eagle, lanner and peregrine falcon nest on the cliffs.

Phone: 0864 726058 · golesanvenanzio.it

Regional reserve

Grotte di Luppa

Sante Marie · L’Aquila

Established2005
Area435 ha
  • The Luppa sinkhole, a cave crossed by an underground stream and surveyed for at least 2 km.
  • A karst trail of about 5 km; the first part can be visited with a torch, beyond it you need a caving guide.

Phone: 333 8601069

Special reserve

Grotte di Pietrasecca

Carsoli · L’Aquila

Established1992
Area110 ha
  • The Grotta Grande del Cervo, 2.5 km long and discovered in 1984, and the Ovito cave.
  • Nine marked karst trails and caving tours on booking.

Phone: 0863 908317 · grottedipietrasecca.it

Controlled reserve

Lago di San Domenico e Lago Pio

Villalago · L’Aquila

Established2005
Area60 ha
  • Lake San Domenico, a 1929 reservoir in a Sagittario gorge, with the hermitage on its shore.
  • Little Lake Pio, where red deer often come down to drink.
Page in this guide →
Guided reserve

Monte Genzana e Alto Gizio

Pettorano sul Gizio · L’Aquila

Established1996
Area3,160 ha
  • An ecological corridor between the Abruzzo National Park and the Majella, from 530 m on the Gizio to 2,170 m on Monte Genzana.
  • Marsican bear, wolf and golden eagle; the village of Pettorano and its castle lie inside the reserve.

Phone: 0864 487006 · riservagenzana.it

Guided reserve

Monte Salviano

Avezzano · L’Aquila

Established1999
Area722 ha
  • The sanctuary of the Madonna di Pietraquaria and the scenic Via dei Marsi, above Avezzano.
  • The southern red squirrel is its symbol; rare flora such as Iris marsica.

riservamontesalviano.it

Regional reserve

Sorgenti del Fiume Vera

L’Aquila (Tempera) · L’Aquila

Established2004
Area30 ha
  • The Vera springs, the main one in a small cave, with old water mills.
  • A walking and cycling path from Tempera and three marked trails.
Page in this guide →
Guided reserve

Zompo lo Schioppo

Morino · L’Aquila

Established1987
Area1,025 ha
  • A waterfall fed by an intermittent karst spring, at its best in spring.
  • Low-altitude beech woods and a yew population; visitor centre and ecomuseum at Grancia di Morino.

Phone: 0863 978809 · schioppo.aq.it

Page in this guide →
Reserves · 3

Province of Teramo

Regional reserve

Borsacchio

Roseto degli Abruzzi · Teramo

Established2005
Area~1,140 ha
  • A coastal and hill reserve north of Roseto, with dunes and beach.
  • Kentish plover nesting and protection of the sea daffodil; guided walks, also by e-bike.

Boundaries under review: regional law 13/2026 has provisionally restored protection over the whole original area.

See also: the Abruzzo coast →
Guided reserve

Calanchi di Atri

Atri · Teramo

Established1995
Area~380 ha
  • A landscape of clay badlands (calanchi), among the most striking in Italy; managed by WWF.
  • Wild gladiolus, caper and liquorice; buzzard, kestrel and migratory birds.

Phone: 085 8780088 · riservacalanchidiatri.it

Controlled reserve

Castel Cerreto

Penna Sant’Andrea · Teramo

Established1991
Area—
  • Turkey oak woodland with hop hornbeam and field maple, four trails and a pond.
  • An outdoor classroom; green woodpecker, sparrowhawk, tawny owl and scops owl.

Phone: 340 9122304 · floema.org

Reserves · 3

Province of Pescara

Controlled reserve

Lago di Penne

Penne · Pescara

Established1987
Area—
  • A lake on the Tavo river with grebes, herons and storks; an otter centre and butterfly garden.
  • The “Nicola De Leone” natural history museum and botanical garden; run with WWF and COGECSTRE.

Phone: 085 8213130 · ceabellini.it

Of provincial interest

Pineta Dannunziana

Pescara · Pescara

Established2000
Area—
  • A historic pine wood in southern Pescara, with Aleppo pine, holm oak and myrtle.
  • A small pond of botanical value; nearby are the former Aurum and Liberty-style villas.

pinetadannunziana.it

See also: Pescara →
Guided reserve

Sorgenti del Fiume Pescara

Popoli Terme · Pescara

Established1986
Area~50 ha
  • A crystal-clear basin fed by many springs, about 7,000 litres per second.
  • One of the oldest protected areas in Abruzzo; free entry and guided tours.

Phone: 085 9870506 · riservasorgentidelpescara.it

Reserves · 10

Province of Chieti

Regional reserve

Abetina di Rosello

Rosello · Chieti

Established1997
Area211 ha
  • A forest of Apennine silver fir with beech and maple, between 850 and 1,179 m.
  • Wolf, wildcat and spectacled salamander.

Phone: 0872 948444

Guided reserve

Bosco di Don Venanzio

Pollutri · Chieti

Established1999
Area78 ha
  • One of the last lowland forests on the Adriatic coast, with pedunculate oaks up to 30 m tall, along the Sinello.
  • Visitor centre and woodland museum in the Casina di Don Venanzio.
Guided reserve

Cascate del Verde

Borrello · Chieti

Established2001
Area287 ha
  • The Rio Verde falls: a drop of just over 200 m in three leaps.
  • Holm oak woods and gorges with beech and silver fir; dipper and freshwater crayfish.

Phone: 0872 945022 · cascatedelverde.it

Regional reserve

Grotta delle Farfalle

Rocca San Giovanni, San Vito Chietino · Chieti

Established2007
Area510 ha
  • On the Trabocchi Coast, it protects the Fosso delle Farfalle and its Mediterranean scrub.
  • Holm oak, bay laurel and rockrose, with riverside vegetation towards the sea.
See also: Trabocchi Coast →
Controlled reserve

Lago di Serranella

Altino, Casoli, Sant’Eusanio del Sangro · Chieti

Established1990
Area302 ha
  • A wetland where the Sangro meets the Aventino: 218 bird species recorded.
  • Abruzzo’s most important site for the European pond turtle; a WWF oasis.

In July 2025 activities were suspended because of funding cuts; in 2026 the visitor centre is again running events on booking.

Phone: 333 7971892 · Official website

Guided reserve

Lecceta di Torino di Sangro

Torino di Sangro · Chieti

Established2001
Area165 ha
  • A coastal wood of holm oak and downy oak between the Sangro mouth and the sea.
  • Its symbol is Hermann’s tortoise; next to it is the British war cemetery.

Phone: 329 2587548 · leccetaditorinodisangro.it

See also: Trabocchi Coast →
Regional reserve

Marina di Vasto

Vasto · Chieti

Established2007
Area57 ha
  • About 3 km of coast south of Vasto Marina, with dunes, pine wood and back-dune ponds.
  • The Kentish plover nests on the beach from 15 March to 15 July.
See also: the Abruzzo coast →
Guided reserve

Punta Aderci

Vasto · Chieti

Established1998
Area285 ha
  • The beaches of Punta Penna, Mottagrossa and Libertini, cliffs, dunes and the Punta Aderci trabocco.
  • Kentish plover and esparto grass; the Via Verde path is currently closed by a landslide.

Phone: 085 8279489 · puntaderci.it

Page in this guide →
Regional reserve

Punta dell’Acquabella

Ortona · Chieti

Established2007
Area28 ha
  • A headland with cliffs and a pebble beach; the name comes from a historic spring.
  • Aleppo pines down to the sea and nesting bee-eaters; after the 2021 fire, check access before going.

Phone: 085 9067233 · riserveregionaliortona.it

See also: Trabocchi Coast →
Regional reserve

Ripari di Giobbe

Ortona · Chieti

Established2007
Area—
  • A cliff of about 60 m above a cove of white pebbles, reached by a stairway.
  • The coral Cladocora caespitosa lives on the submerged rocks; the bottlenose dolphin is its symbol.

riserveregionaliortona.it

See also: Trabocchi Coast →

No reserve matches your search.

Parks and state reserves

Other protected areas in this guide


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