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Both flats are located in Cupra Marittima, a beautiful town found between Ancona and Pescara

Parks

Le Marche has one hundred areas of protected flora in the three nature reserves. There are 15 national forests.

The National Park of the Sibillini Mountains is one of the largest. This is a section of the Apennines, a spectacularly beautiful range with more than 40 km of mountain peaks and the area is a botanist's paradise as well as being rich in exotic birdlife. The guide to Le Marche Gateway to Central Italy has descriptions of different routes you can take.

Stretching through some of the most remote areas of Le Marche with Monte Vettore at 2,476m the highest, the area tends to attract the intrepid who want to explore without meeting a mass of other visitors en route.

Skiing

Skiing is also popular.

Wolves, chamois and brown bear make their homes in this park. And you might be lucky enough to see a golden eagle. Horse-riding, walking and cycling (see Allan Nelson’s site for an amusing account of a Marche cycling tour) are all recommended as ways to explore the park.

The mountains take their name from a legend telling how one of the sibyls - the prophetesses of classical mythology - hid here in a cave on Monte Sibilla known as the Grotta delle Fate (Cave of the Furies) when she was chased out of the underworld. Another bit of mythology has it that the mountain lake is reddened by the blood of the devil.

Historical events have made their mark here. The territory was inhabited by the Piceno population, the Romans, Longobards, Benedictines and the Farfense during the time up to the middle ages.

It is a territory rich in castles and look-out towers built by the local population to defend themselves at the time of the Saracen raids.

National Park

The National Park of the Sibilline Mountains (some 70,000 ha) was created in 1993 with the aim of safeguarding the environment, promoting sustainable development, and making it a park for everyone.

At Montegallo comprised of 27 historical hamlets linked to agriculture, woodland farming shepherding there is the Center for Enviironmental Education. There are springs of mineral waters in this locality and centuries old deep cliffs and dramatic overhangs.

There are many recommended tours and treks through the mountain region. In the northern area of the Park where the Ragnolo meadows are, orchids and lilies bloom during summer, along with interesting species such as the Orsini fritillary, the narcissus, and the Alpine aster.

In the valley of the Fiastrone, you find the Grotta dei Frati an ancient hermitage inhabited by the Claren monks, dating back to 1000 AD.

Along the river is the Lake of Fiastra, in which it is possible to see surrounding summits reflecting themselves. In the valley of the Acquasanta there are beautiful waterfalls.

Enjoy the Coast

Beautiful coasts in Cupra Marittima The southernmost seaside resort of Le Marche is San Benedetto del Tronto - six kilometres of sand, known as the Riviere de Palme because of the five thousand palm trees planted there. It is also the home of one of the most important fishing ports on Italy's Adriatic coast, so it's no surprise to find excellent fish restaurants in the area. More...

Activities

activities in cupra marittima The coast along Le Marche is mostly quite flat and therefore cycling is easy. There is a cycle path stretching from Cupra through Grottamare and on to San Benedetto, but cycling is only one highlight of Le Marche's many offerings. More...

Historic Towns

historic towns around le marche Urbino, in the very north of the region, is said to be where the Renaissance began and it is famed as an exceptionally beautiful town, described by one author as: "a jumble of Renaissance and medieval houses". More...