Waterfalls and lakes of the Aspromonte: a guide to the park's watery heart

The Aspromonte National Park occupies the mountainous heart of southern Calabria, a granite massif that rises just a few kilometres from the sea and holds the water from rain and snow in a dense network of torrents, the fiumare, which run steeply down towards the Ionian and Tyrrhenian seas. Where the terrain allows it, this water has carved gorges, formed waterfalls and, in two very different cases, one artificial and one natural, collected into a lake.

This guide gathers the park's most interesting and verifiable water destinations: Lago del Menta, the large reservoir that supplies Reggio Calabria, the Amendolea and Forgiarelle waterfalls, among the best known in the Aspromonte, and the surprising story of Lago Costantino, born from a landslide in 1973 and now almost entirely gone. These are places that often call for a real hike, not a simple walk: for each one you'll find difficulty, approximate distances and the recommended season.

Water and granite: why the Aspromonte has waterfalls and lakes

The Aspromonte massif is mostly granite and schist rock, not very permeable: the rain and snow that fall on the summit plateaus, between 1,200 metres and Montalto's almost 1,955, don't seep deep down as they would in limestone terrain, but run on the surface. The result is a dense network of torrents and fiumare that, on the steepest stretches, form gorges, drops and waterfalls, before opening out, towards the coast, into wide, pebbly beds that are almost always dry in summer.

It's a watery landscape quite different from the more tamed one of the beaches a short distance away as the crow flies: here you walk through the forest, often on little-used trails, to reach a waterfall or a reservoir. This guide points to the most reachable and verifiable destinations - a large artificial lake, two of the park's best-known waterfalls and the story of a natural lake that has almost entirely disappeared today - with practical notes on difficulty, distances and the recommended season.

Lago del Menta, the great water reserve among the woods

Lago del Menta, or Diga del Menta, is an artificial reservoir at 1,431 metres above sea level, almost entirely within the municipality of Roccaforte del Greco, with a small portion in Roghudi. The dam, built with rockfill, is 450 metres long and 90 metres high, with a capacity of 19 million cubic metres of water collected from the Menta torrent.

The project was built to solve the water supply of Reggio Calabria: it was approved in 1979, work began in 1985 and the dam body was completed in 2000, but the official inauguration only came in 2018. The original project included two further basins, on the Amendolea and Aposcipo-Ferraina torrents, linked by a tunnel: they were shelved due to environmental opposition, leaving only the Menta reservoir.

It's reached from Gambarie, about 11 kilometres of mountain road, and is also the most common starting point for the hike to the nearby Amendolea waterfalls.

The Cascate dell'Amendolea, or del Maesano

A short way below the Menta dam, the stream that collects its overflow forms the Cascate dell'Amendolea, also known as the Cascate del Maesano or, in local dialect, U Schicciu da Spana. There are three drops of about 20 metres each, ending in clear, icy pools carved into the rock: one of the most photographed images of the whole Aspromonte National Park.

The official trail, rated as a hike, is a there-and-back route of about 4 kilometres with roughly 300 metres of ascent and 330 of descent, walkable in half a day; the altitude ranges between about 1,280 and 1,370 metres. The area is an integral reserve, so you need to stay on the marked trails and check the trail conditions before setting out.

Spring, especially April and May, is the best time: with snowmelt and seasonal rain the flow is more abundant, while in high summer the water can drop noticeably.

The Cascate Forgiarelle, in the municipality of Samo

In the municipality of Samo, within one of the park's integral reserve zones, the Ferraina stream forms the Cascate Forgiarelle: a two-tier drop reaching about 70 metres in total, at an altitude of around 1,200 metres, in one of the least frequented and wildest stretches of the Aspromonte.

The reference route starts from Serro Cerasia, near San Luca: a loop of about 17 kilometres, with roughly 800 metres of elevation gain and a walking time of 6-7 hours including breaks, over forest tracks, rugged paths and small stream fords. It's a demanding hike, not suited to anyone without mountain-walking experience; water is available midway and near the former Canovai village, now abandoned.

Precisely because of the difficulty and its location within a protected area, it's advisable to walk it with a park guide or at least to check the trail conditions in advance.

Small high-altitude lakes: Rumia and the story of Lago Costantino

Not all of the Aspromonte's bodies of water are waterfalls. Lago Rumia is a small artificial basin in the municipality of San Roberto, at around 1,300 metres above sea level and a few kilometres from Gambarie: set in the forest, it's more of a scenic stop along a hike than a destination in itself.

More surprising is the story of Lago Costantino, in the municipality of San Luca. On the night of 4 January 1973 a landslide broke away from Monte Antenna, shifting about 20 million cubic metres of rock and damming the course of the Fiumara del Bonamico with a natural dam about 600 metres long and up to 130 metres high. This formed a lake about 2.4 kilometres long, with a perimeter of about 5 kilometres and a maximum depth of 18 metres, named Lago Costantino after an old monastery nearby dedicated to San Costantino, or Lago degli Oleandri before that.

From 2008 onward, a series of floods pushed the delta forward and filled the basin with sediment: today the lake is almost entirely silted up, a genuine 'ghost lake', but it remains one of the officially recognised geosites of the Aspromonte National Park.

Trails, seasonality and safety

The destinations in this guide aren't strolls accessible to anyone: they call for hiking boots, plenty of water and, for the longer routes such as the Forgiarelle, a basic level of fitness and stable weather. Several stretches cross the park's integral reserve zones (zone A), where access is regulated and in some cases an authorised guide by reservation is advisable, as already happens for other Aspromonte destinations, such as the nearby Pietra Cappa.

It's wise to avoid the fiumare and gorges on days of heavy rain or right after: flash flooding is possible. Spring remains the best season to see the waterfalls at their fullest flow, while autumn offers pleasant colours but shorter days. Anyone looking for shorter routes suited to less experienced walkers can turn to the easy hikes of the Aspromonte; for a less demanding outing, the Aspropark adventure park is also nearby, close to Reggio Calabria.

Frequently asked questions

What's the best time to see the Aspromonte's waterfalls?
Spring, especially April and May, when snowmelt and seasonal rain keep the flow abundant; in high summer some streams shrink considerably.

Are the Cascate dell'Amendolea and the Forgiarelle suitable for people who aren't in training?
The Amendolea is a half-day hike, about 4 km round trip with 300 metres of elevation gain, manageable for anyone with a basic level of fitness; the Forgiarelle, about 17 km and 800 metres of elevation gain over 6-7 hours, are far more demanding.

Do you need a guide to visit these areas?
Not everywhere, but several stretches cross the park's integral reserve zones with regulated access, and some nearby destinations, such as Pietra Cappa, can only be visited with authorised guides by reservation: for the Forgiarelle in particular it's advisable to check with the Park or an official guide beforehand.

Can you swim in the waterfalls or the lakes?
In the natural pools below the Cascate dell'Amendolea, summer swimming is a very popular activity; Lago del Menta is a drinking-water reservoir and isn't meant for swimming, while Lago Costantino is today almost entirely silted up.

How do you get to Lago del Menta?
From Gambarie, follow the mountain road towards Roccaforte del Greco for about 11 kilometres: the dam is also the most common starting point on foot for the Cascate dell'Amendolea.