Marguareis Nature Park

The signed nature trail starts at the Certosa and follows woodland paths and tracks beside the Pesio, with interpretation panels along the way. An optional branch visits the Canavere deer enclosure before rejoining the way to Pian delle Gorre. The official sheet lists 4.1 km, 248 metres of ascent and about two hours for its described outward itinerary; arrange time for the return as well. It is a good choice when you want the valley’s smaller details rather than a high viewpoint. Follow the official nature-trail description.

Two short steep, cobbled sections interrupt the generally easier tracks and paths. It is not a smooth pushchair or wheelchair route.

From Pian delle Gorre, the published loop climbs via Sestrera sottano into the Vallone del Marguareis, passes the small lake, reaches Garelli and descends through the Vallone di Sestrera. The changing surroundings are the point: enclosed forest gives way to rock walls and open grazing land. The official figures are 11.8 km, 1,023 metres of ascent and five hours of walking. Treat it as a full mountain day; allow six to seven hours with breaks. If a shorter ascent is your priority, the refuge also describes the direct Sestrera approach. Use the official loop sheet.

Officially graded medium, with sustained ascent and steep sections of descent. It needs walking fitness and sure footing; it is not a casual stroll to lunch.

Start below Carnino superiore and walk through the village towards the Gola della Chiusetta. Beyond the narrow passage, the landscape opens into pasture around the Selle di Carnino before the climb continues to Don Barbera at 2,079 metres. The park route description gives 1 hour 20 minutes to the gorge, then 1 hour 5 minutes to the refuge: about 2 hours 25 minutes uphill, with the descent still to do. Make the refuge your turnaround, rather than treating Punta Marguareis as an automatic extra. The official description includes both the refuge approach and the separate summit continuation.

This is a substantial uphill outing on mountain paths, with sunny slopes and rocky ground. Plan a full day at a comfortable pace.

The Geotour adds an explanation to the terrain: how sediments became mountains, and how water and ice reshaped them. Its 15 numbered observation points mostly follow the Giro del Marguareis and variants, with some along the Alta Via del Sale. Each can be read independently, so choose stops on a route you can already manage. The dedicated map-guide is more useful than trying to improvise a circuit from a list of points. Ask about it at park information points or refuges, or use the publisher link on the official Geotour page.

This is an interpretive overlay on mountain routes, not a uniformly easy or accessible trail. Difficulty depends on the section selected.

Use day one for the Certosa and a woodland outing, keeping enough time for the return walk and a stop at Pian delle Gorre if services are operating. On a clear second day, choose the Garelli loop if its climb suits you. If you are staying in the upper Tanaro valley instead, swap that mountain day for the Carnino–Don Barbera approach. Do not try to combine both high walks into one day.

Recreational drone flying is not a casual add-on to a park visit. The authority’s published rules prohibit drone use without authorisation, with permissions restricted to professional purposes. Enjoy the ground-level views instead.

Save the high-level walk for another day. The Certosa offers a way to stay with the valley’s story: the park describes visits as available on request, so arrange one with the monastery rather than assuming you can turn up. If it is unavailable, keep plans in the lower valley flexible. A cave entrance or a steep waterfall path is not a useful substitute when heavy rain makes conditions worse. Arrange a Certosa visit.

Roe deer are the park’s emblem. Look quietly along woodland edges, without expecting an animal to appear on cue.

Chamois belong to the open mountain slopes. Binoculars let you watch from the path without following them across steep ground.

Red deer live wild in the park, but those viewed in the Canavere enclosure are managed animals. Keep the two experiences distinct.

An alarm call can draw attention to an Alpine marmot in summer pasture. Observe from a distance and never offer food; winter is its hibernation season.

The wolf returned naturally to these valleys. It is an important part of the story, but a very unlikely sighting on an ordinary walk.

In the forest, listen for the black woodpecker as well as looking for it. Avoid approaching cavities or using recorded calls to draw birds in.

Silver fir gives Valle Pesio much of its character. These are living forests with a long history of management, rather than untouched stands outside human influence.

European beech joins the forest scene, with many stands shaped by past coppicing. Its seasonal canopy makes a lower-valley walk rewarding beyond the summer hiking season.

Limestone dissolves slowly in water, opening fissures and underground passages. Here that process overlaps with the work of former glaciers, so the surface carries more than one story. The pale, apparently dry uplands and the valley’s springs belong to the same wider water landscape. You can understand the karst perfectly well from the surface; there is no need to enter a cave. Read the park’s geology introduction.

The meeting of Alpine and Mediterranean influences, together with varied soils and slope aspects, helps explain the park’s plant diversity. Near Garelli, the Bicknell and Danilo Re botanical stations bring conservation and interpretation into a walking day. These include managed collections: a labelled plant there is not automatically evidence that it grows wild everywhere around you. Ask Garelli about guided visits, and keep to the designated paths through the stations. Botanical visits at the refuge.

The Pis del Pesio is a seasonal waterfall, usually active for a short snowmelt period rather than reliably all summer. Ask about flow and trail conditions before making it your main goal. In winter, snowfall can close the paved Certosa–Pian delle Gorre road because of avalanche danger. The park describes an alternative approach from Villaggio d’Ardua, but that is not a declaration that any snow-covered route is safe. Get current local advice and appropriate winter experience before using it.

Pian delle Gorre is the practical low-level base, with a refuge and picnic area. Confirm meals, toilets and any table or parking charge with its operator. The park’s published tariff table still names the 2025 season, so it should not be used as a current price promise. For Garelli or Don Barbera, book staffed overnight accommodation directly and discuss dietary needs before climbing. Carry a backup picnic even if you hope to eat at a refuge. Pian delle Gorre operator.

For Valle Pesio, approach through Chiusa di Pesio and the Certosa towards Pian delle Gorre. For Carnino, use the upper Tanaro valley via Ponte di Nava and the road towards Viozene and Upega. The park identifies Cuneo or Mondovì as rail gateways for Pesio, and Ceva for Tanaro. Its 2026 summer information points to bus line 43 through Chiusa di Pesio to Certosa; check the timetable for your date and the last return before relying on it. Do not assume a bus reaches Pian delle Gorre or Carnino. Official access information.