Cascata del Rio Verde

Borrello, Abruzzo Region, Italy

About Cascata del Rio Verde

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Waterfall Safety and Common Sense

Cascata del Rio Verde (Rio Verde Waterfall; I’ve also seen it called Niagara Rio Verde) was said to be the highest natural waterfall in Italy at around 200m.

While we didn’t have the means to corroborate or refute the claim, we did notice that it possessed multiple leaps with the main tier having a converging Y-shaped drop.

Cascata_del_Rio_Verde_025_20130521 - Cascata del Rio Verde
Cascata del Rio Verde

Some of the sections of the falls were hidden from us as seen from the official lookout spots.

So we suspect that the height figure reported in the literature for this waterfall pertained to its overall cumulative drop.

Cascata del Rio Verde – A Back to Nature Escape

This was the first waterfall we saw in our Italy trip when we gradually made our way north from Naples.

Since it was in the Apennine Mountains (essentially a mountain range that are the second highest in the country and forming the “backbone” of the Italian peninsula), it was a bit of a detour (over 3 hours) to reach the waterfall.

The town of Borrello was the town closest to the falls.

Cascata_del_Rio_Verde_058_20130521 - Looking back towards the town of Borrello backed by snow-capped mountains from the Cascata del Rio Verde trailhead
Looking back towards the town of Borrello backed by snow-capped mountains from the Cascata del Rio Verde trailhead

From talking with Italians we’ve met, they generally think of Abruzzo (the region in which this waterfall is located) as a place to escape for the weekend to go skiing or even to get back to Nature in Summer.

Daytripping for a waterfall in the Abruzzo region (like what we were doing) was not normal.

And while we didn’t know it at the time, it turned out that most of the natural waterfalls in the country would typically require at least over two hours drive from any major developed or highly touristed areas.

Indeed, it took some work to truly escape back into nature.

Nevertheless, our experience here contrasted mightily with the charming medieval or ancient cities throughout much of the developed parts of Italy.

Cascata_del_Rio_Verde_011_20130521 - Distant look at the Valle di Sangro with the viaduct passing by some of the charming medieval towns that seemed to be the norm in this part of Italian Appenines
Distant look at the Valle di Sangro with the viaduct passing by some of the charming medieval towns that seemed to be the norm in this part of Italian Appenines

It was actually refreshing to go where trees and mountains were more prominent than hidden outdoor shopping malls, duomos (cathedrals; Italian plural word is duomi), and cobblestone streets.

In fact, we noticed signage saying there were rare native flora and fauna trying to maintain their existence in this wilder part of South-Central Italy.

We even noticed WWF (World Wildlife Fund) signs perhaps underscoring the emphasis on Nature and protection in this area.

Experiencing Cascata del Rio Verde

From the open-air car park (see directions below), we took a relatively short 20-minute walk towards a pair of overlooks.

Cascata_del_Rio_Verde_007_20130521 - The actual trailhead for Cascata del Rio Verde after walking the gravel and grassy roads to get here
The actual trailhead for Cascata del Rio Verde after walking the gravel and grassy roads to get here

Initially, the path followed a gravel road past a biglietteria (ticket office) towards a signed fork where we stayed left.

The path then narrowed as it bypassed a smaller opening (possibly for vehicles that could handle the rougher road to get there) as it entered into the cover of the forest.

The trail then descended a bunch of steps towards another junction.

Staying left at this junction, the path briefly descended to the first (upper) overlook where we were able to see Cascata del Rio Verde as well as an impressive panorama of the Sangro Valley.

Cascata_del_Rio_Verde_019_20130521 - Julie descending steps towards the lookout for the Cascata del Rio Verde
Julie descending steps towards the lookout for the Cascata del Rio Verde

The panorama included the autostrada perched high on a viaduct passing by more charming medieval towns perched atop foothills and towered over by the Apennine Mountains still hanging onto its snow in the late Spring.

Going down the other path at the junction in the forest, more stairs descended towards the lower lookout deck which yielded us a closer and more direct view of Cascata del Rio Verde (as pictured at the top of this page).

Although we were able to see most of the waterfall from this vantage point, trees tended to obstruct its lowermost sections.

It didn’t appear that there was a safe or sanctioned trail leading to the very base of the Cascata del Rio Verde, which we didn’t do (despite photos in the literature suggesting it might be possible to get down there).

Cascata_del_Rio_Verde_044_20130521 - Looking towards some of the hidden upper tiers of the Cascata del Rio Verde
Looking towards some of the hidden upper tiers of the Cascata del Rio Verde

Overall, we spent about an hour away from the car during our visit.

On the way back to the car from Cascata del Rio Verde, we noticed there was an open field with a gorgeous view of Borrello fronting some snow-capped mountains as well as a cross with some signage near the biglietteria.

Authorities

Cascata del Rio Verde resides near the town of Borrello in the Chieti Province within the Abruzzo Region of Italy. For information or inquiries about the area as well as current conditions, visit their website.

Maps and Routing Content are for annual subscribers. See Membership Options.
Content is for subscribers. See Membership Options.
Tagged with: borrello, chieti, abruzzo, italy, waterfall, rio verde, apennine, niagara rio verde, castel di sangro, caianello, naples, napoli



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Johnny Cheng

About Johnny Cheng

Johnny Cheng is the founder of the World of Waterfalls and author of the award-winning A Guide to New Zealand Waterfalls. Over the last 2 decades, he has visited thousands of waterfalls in over 40 countries around the world and nearly 40 states in the USA.
Read More About Johnny | A Guide to New Zealand Waterfalls.