Nature

If you venture onto the region's smaller roads and hiking trails, you can have some of the unique experiences that nature offers.

Perhaps you walk along a "mulattiera," a mule track that winds up the mountainside — first along the human-made terraces of olive groves, then through a shady deciduous forest where the silence is broken by the murmur of a mountain stream. After a turn, you may be greeted with a panoramic view of green, forest-covered mountains. If you're lucky, you might even spot one of the area's eagles silently gliding through the blue sky.

If you want to explore even further into nature beyond the marked hiking and mountain biking trails, such as up to the nearly 2,000-meter-high Monte Toraggio, it's a good idea to join a tour with a local guide. This way, you have the opportunity to learn about the unique plant and animal life in the area.

The fact that nature here is something special, shaped by the coastal mountainous landscape, led to the decision in October 2007 to designate the area as a nature park.