Cascata del Sasso

Sant'Angelo in Vado, Marche Region, Italy

About Cascata del Sasso

For Subscribers Only. See Membership Options.

Waterfall Safety and Common Sense

Cascata del Sasso was a picturesque waterfall that was different amongst the waterfalls we’ve witnessed in Italy in that it was one of the wider block-type waterfalls.

The vast majority of waterfalls in the country that we had seen to this point were of the taller, thinner variety.

Cascata_del_Sasso_038_20130523 - Cascata del Sasso
Cascata del Sasso

In terms of dimensions, it’s said to be around 100m wide and 15m of cumulative height.

It certainly felt like one of the lesser known waterfalls, especially given how Italian waterfalls tended to be relatively unknown to begin with.

About the Cascata del Sasso

Cascata del Sasso was on the Metauro River near the town of Sant’Angelo in Vado.

The river was said to start in the long Apennine Mountains then drain out towards the Adriatic Sea.

Further to the east was the town of Urbania, and further east of that was the provincial capital of Urbino (part of the joint Pesaro-Urbino Province) in the Marche Region.

Cascata_del_Sasso_045_20130523 - Context of the main road and a side road leading closer to the bottom of Cascata del Sasso. Not pictured here are the industrial buildings by the main road
Context of the main road and a side road leading closer to the bottom of Cascata del Sasso. Not pictured here are the industrial buildings by the main road

Unfortunately, immediately adjacent to the falls was an extensive industrial zone, which was perhaps the most striking thing we noticed when we went looking for the falls.

Therefore, we have to believe that there might be some degree of pollution from industrial runoff in the immediate vicinity of the river.

It also made us wonder whether it would be a good idea to swim here or even fish (though I noticed signs saying fishing was prohibited).

Experiencing the Cascata del Sasso

From the official pullout and viewing area (see directions below), there was grassy overlook with a picnic table right at the brink of the Cascata del Sasso.

Cascata_del_Sasso_008_20130523 - Picnic table and lookout at the brink of the Cascata del Sasso
Picnic table and lookout at the brink of the Cascata del Sasso

Some informal trails appeared to lead right to the top of the waterfall itself, and this would be where I’d imagine some daredevils might have managed to kayak over the falls.

Another branch of this path also led to the concrete reinforcement wall adjacent to the brink of the falls immediately beneath the official overlook.

Since the view of the Cascata del Sasso from the official signposted viewing spot wasn’t very satisfactory, we sought to improve the experience by exploring a bit.

So, we walked down a rural road further downstream before we encountered some informal paths that went around what appeared to be some old house or mill.

Cascata_del_Sasso_006_20130523 - Looking across the brink of the Cascata del Sasso
Looking across the brink of the Cascata del Sasso

This path then led to some informal trails leading right to the banks of the Metauro River beneath the waterfall.

Of these trails, the most obvious paths happened to be the steepest and muddiest paths (i.e. most difficult).

However, I noticed that the path that ran up against the cliff wall was the least steepest and easiest to get down (as well as to get back up).

Once I made it to the banks of the river, I then scrambled further downstream as far as I could to get the photo you see at the top of this page.

Given the heavy rain from earlier in the day that we showed up, the scrambling was indeed very muddy and slippery.

Cascata_del_Sasso_011_20130523 - Scrambling behind this building or mill in search of a safer way to descend to the front of the Cascata del Sasso
Scrambling behind this building or mill in search of a safer way to descend to the front of the Cascata del Sasso

I also didn’t entertain crossing the swollen river to get to the other side where the views of Cascata del Sasso would have been more direct (though the internet literature has shown some photos were taken from there under more benign conditions).

Overall, I probably spent about 45 minutes away from the car encompassing all the scrambling, tripod photography, and walking.

Authorities

Cascata del Sasso resides near the town of Sant’Angelo in Vado in the Pesaro-Urbino Province within the Marche Region of Italy. For information or inquiries about the area as well as current conditions, visit the Pesaro-Urbino Tourism Board website.

Maps and Routing Content are for annual subscribers. See Membership Options.
Content is for subscribers. See Membership Options.
Tagged with: sant'angelo, vado, pesaro, urbino, marche, italy, waterfall, metauro, sasso, apennine, urbania



Visitor Comments:

Got something you'd like to share or say to keep the conversation going? Feel free to leave a comment below...

No users have replied to the content on this page


Share your thoughts about what you've read on this page

You must be logged in to submit content. Refresh this page after you have logged in.

Visitor Reviews of this Waterfall:

If you have a waterfall story or write-up that you'd like to share, feel free to click the button below and fill out the form...

No users have submitted a write-up/review of this waterfall


Have you been to a waterfall? Submit a write-up/review and share your experiences or impressions

Review A Waterfall

Nearest Waterfalls



How To Build A Profitable Travel Blog In 4 Steps

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.