Val Bavona: Foroglio-San Carlo

The Valle Bavona is a fascinating area. A place where the enterprising spirit of humans has blended perfectly with nature, with truly surprising variety in terms of biodiversity. Both setting off from Foroglio, these two itineraries provide an introduction: the first winds its way towards San Carlo, while the second moves through the Val Calnègia. The privilege, in addition to the opportunity to admire a picture-postcard landscape, is the chance to explore nationally important floodplain areas rich in plant (e.g. the Salix elaeagnos, grey alder and ash) and animal species (such as the common frog and the fire salamander). During the excursion, you will also see splüi (shelters under the rock) and suspended meadows (cultivated boulders) that bear witness to the ingenuity of humans when it comes to exploiting even the most unthinkable places to provide themselves with food. This particular agricultural landscape is also very popular with various species of reptile (such as the common wall lizard and the Italian slowworm), crickets, grasshoppers, locusts and a myriad of butterflies (more than 100 species have been identified). Higher altitudes provide the ideal habitats for chamois, ibex and marmot, as well as the rock partridge, a fascinating species that is not easy to observe.

Discover more walks "Alla scoperta della biodiversità" in the printed guide (in Italian). Information: www.a-pro.ch