Alecobbe, Orrido di Botri, CC BY-SA 3.0

In the province of Lucca there is the Orrido di Botri, also known as “the Canyon of Tuscany“, is a deep canyon created by the Mariana and Ribellino torrents. Their waters have dug deep into the rock forming these high calcareous walls and then reunite in the Rio Pelago.
The Orrido is located on the slopes of Monte Tre Potenze and Monte Rondinaio and can be reached by car coming from Borgo a Mozzano, turning towards Garfagnana and then taking the road to Tereglio.
The canyon today can be visited by guided tours and through different routes from the easiest to the most challenging. Only a part of the Orrido can be visited and only during the summer periods because of the lower water and the cold that is already present during the summer.
To travel along it, you must wear closed hiking or gym shoes and the helmet that is supplied to avoid dangerous accidents due to slippery ground and stones.
All the visits leave from Ponte a Gaio where the center of the Forestry Corps and the ticket office are located; from here, going up the river, you will enter the Orrido. The deep rock faces rise for hundreds of meters and, after half an hour from the beginning of the path, you meet the ford; here the walls touch itself almost and it is necessary to enter the water to continue the route.
Visit the Orrido di Botri is a unique experience that will make you feel in close contact with nature and will give you the opportunity to see its wonders.