Italy: your favorite national park?
 

What is your favorite national park in Italy- what is the most beautiful?

Mt Etna
Mt Etna

I haven't been to many (at all) so I don't know what is the most beautiful, but I loved Parco Nazionale d'Abruzzo, Lazio e Molise.

http://www.parcoabruzzo.it/

And the Gran Sasso! Wowza.

http://www.gransassolagapark.it/

Admittedly, in any country I visit I find stunning national parks. Worldwide, this <i>might</i> be my favorite:

http://www.volcanoesrwanda.org/

I don't think you'll find many people who have been to more than one or two. I live in Italy, and have been to a few, but I don't think I've seen enough to say which is my favorite or which is the most beautiful.

In Italy, you don't always notice a big sign saying that you're entering a park. I've sometimes been in a national park without realizing that it was a park until later. And there are even more regional parks, and they often border each other.

I agree that the Park of Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise is very nice, as is the Park of the Gran Sasso and the Park of the Monti Sibillini. These are all near each other, on the Apennine Mountain chain. However, the areas outside these parks are just as nice. One of the most beautiful areas in the Apennines is on the border between Tuscany, Le Marche, and Emilia Romagna, in the vicinity of Pennabilli and Carpegna. There is a regional park in this area, the Parco Sasso Simone e Simoncello. The park includes parts of all three regions.

Sardinia is one huge national park. Nature at its best. I also loved the Parco Naturale delle Madonie in Sicilia and today we drove on the Parco Nazionale del Gargano in Puglia. Very nice.

thanks, will look them up

Parco Nazionale del Gran Paradiso (for strenuous but beautiful Summer hikes)

Dolomiti for sheer staggering beauty, but the Parco Nazionale del Gran Paradiso is incredibly charming as well as very beautiful. I picked easy valleys to walk through, alongside the cows wearing noisy bells, looking at waterfalls, so it doesn't need to be strenuous if you're not in the mood.

There are also pretty parks with mesmerizing sea views, like the Cilento near the Amalfi and the Parco Portofino or le Cinque Terre on the Italian Riviera.

Will these parks be open in late October?

National parks are never closed.
It may happen that some trails disappear under deep snow or landslides, according to meteorologic conditions, however.

also, how hard is it to drive in italy?

Not hard, but do some prep before you go. Familiarize yourself with road signs, speed and traffic regulations (and customs), etc.

What part of Italy do you plan to visit?

The northernmost parks, where the Alps are, have many roads that close at the end of September, and if you want to take cable cars, many of them are shut down. Hotels and restaurants may close too. It can rain in October quite a bit in the north, and if it is raining you don't get to see the beautiful scenery because the peaks of the mountains are all hidden in clouds. If you are traveling in October it might be better to go to the beautiful parks in the south, like the Cilento by the sea south of Salerno, or the scenic trails around Sorrento. Or parks in Sicily or Sardegna (I don't know what they are.)

It is not hard to drive in Italy but if you go to scenic places for spectacular views, you need to be prepared to drive on narrow twisting mountain roads, some without guard rails. If you are not comfortable driving a stick shift, you should rent an automatic vehicle, because it is hard to drive a stick shift in steep places with lots of curves.

thanks everyone for the advice, will look into ceilento and sorretnto.

We were thinking of going to gran paradiso np to hike, lake como, and cinque terre, (and maybe almalfi coast and gargano np). Which of these will be closed in october? Is it possible to hike in gran paradiso in late october? Btw, which part is where the alps are-- the dolomites, or gran paradiso, or something else?

Both Gran Paradiso and the Dolomit are in the Alps. There are some high mountain passes near the Gran Paradiso, leading from Italy to France or Switzerland, that close at the end of the September. However, there are many roads at lower elevations that will be open, and walks and hiking should still be possible in October, not too muddy -- although that is easier in the beginning of October than the end.

You must know what the weather is before you go out hiking. That is true in le Cinque Terre as well. Sudden storms can make for very unstable -- even dangerous conditions. Check the weather in the morning and talk with your hotel hosts.

Even though you might get rain or clouds in Gran Paradiso and le Cinque Terre, you will still most likely enjoy some views for most days. In the Dolomiti, you really need absolutely clear weather without low clouds or mists to appreciate why the Dolomiti are so famous. So I think your choices are good, but I do encourage you to consider the Cilento (note the spelling) and Sorrento.

thanks. its good you told me that about dolomites, I guess we can take that off our list.

" There are some high mountain passes near the Gran Paradiso, leading from Italy to France or Switzerland, that close at the end of the September"

Guardiamo un po:

Col du Petit St-Bernard: may get closed in November
Tunnel du Mont Blanc: open all the year round
Col du Grand St. Bernard: usual route via tunnel open all the year round, route via Ospizio usually closed from end October
other passes: hiking trails only

necker, where do you find the info on closed parks? is it in english or in italian?

I wrote:
"National parks are never closed.
It may happen that some trails disappear under deep snow or landslides, according to meteorologic conditions, however."

What do you want to know exactly?

oh i misread what you wrote. how do we find out the weather conditions on that day or day before?