John Muir, the Scottish naturalist who dedicated his life to roaming the North American mountains, wrote: the mountains are calling, and I must go, the mountains call me and I must go. Hard to be wrong when you find yourself in the heart of the Maritime Alps: not the peaks of California he spoke of, but here, in the province of Cuneo, where the Alps end and the Mediterranean begins to be felt in the air, the lure of rock, woods and summits makes itself heard. It doesn’t take a three-thousand-meter summit to sense it; one only needs to pause on a high-altitude plateau to admire the extraordinary panorama, letting yourself be surprised by the fact that you are not alone: sooner or later you will glimpse the silhouette of a raptor in flight, circle after circle, or the powerful and elegant bound of a chamois, reminding that in certain places man is still the guest.
The Parco Naturale delle Alpi Marittime is a protected area of almost 28,000 hectares in Piedmont, tucked between the last offshoots of the Alps, before the plain yields to Liguria and, a little further, to the sea. It is not exactly a hotspot, even in summer: the Parco del Gran Paradiso attracts more attention, the Dolomites more photographs, the Aosta Valley Alps more visitors. The Maritime Alps largely remain on the margins of summer trekking conversations, frequented by mountain enthusiasts and by those who have already been there once and return because they know what to expect: trails that plunge into nature while preserving the memory of a centuries-old history, among military roads and salt routes; wildlife not hard to spot; high-altitude glacial lakes perfect for a vacation photo souvenir.
The Maritime Alps Natural Park: history, location, and how to reach it
The history of the Parco Naturale delle Alpi Marittime has roots in the nineteenth century, more precisely in 1857, when King Vittorio Emanuele II established here the Royal Hunting Reserve of Valdieri and Entracque. The Savoys frequented these valleys for decades, leaving behind a heritage made of hunting lodges, a dense network of mule trails and, above all, the reintroduction of the ibex, brought from the Gran Paradiso, which contributed decisively to the biodiversity that defines the park today. The area was later protected in 1980 as the Argentera Natural Park and took on its current name in 1995.
The park extends through the upper Valle Gesso, the Valle Gesso della Valletta and the Valletta and Reduc valleys in the Valle Stura di Demonte, embracing the municipalities of Aisone, Entracque, Roaschia, Valdieri and Vernante, all in the province of Cuneo. Within its boundaries lie numerous summits above 3,000 meters, the highest being Monte Argentera at 3,297 meters. On the opposite side of the ridge, along a shared border of 35 kilometers, lies the French Parc National du Mercantour: the two parks have been twinned since 1987 and together form a protected area of over 100,000 hectares, one of the largest in Europe.
To reach it from Cuneo, take the SS 20 up to Borgo San Dalmazzo, from where you head up the valleys toward the park’s main visitor centers: Entracque, Terme di Valdieri and Vernante. Coming from Genoa or Liguria, you can follow the SS 28 from Imperia, over the Colle di Nava. From Turin, the drive to Entracque takes about an hour and a half.
What to do in summer in the Maritime Alps Natural Park
Summer turns the Maritime Alps Park into a natural stage of rare beauty: the high-altitude pastures come alive with vivid blooms that dot the bright green of the meadows, while the park’s several glacial lakes create a striking contrast with their turquoise, crystal-clear waters.
The warm season is, moreover, when the chamois, the park’s most widespread species with a population of over 4,000 individuals, roam freely along the grassy slopes, often at elevations accessible to casual hikers. The ibex, which the Savoys helped reintroduce and which today counts about 500 individuals in the protected area, is easier to spot higher up, along gullies and rocky crests. Deer, roe deer and, in forested areas, some traces of the wolf — which returned to these valleys in the late nineties — are also part of the scenery.
The main activity is naturally trekking: with 400 kilometers of marked trails, eleven alpine huts, six mountain refuges and eleven bivouacs, the park offers routes for all levels of fitness. You often walk along paths with a long historical background: there are ancient mule tracks once used by the royal hunting parties and even older salt routes, linking the Piedmontese slopes to the Nice coast, dedicated to the trade of essential goods. There are also fortified mountain roads dating to World War I and World War II. All of this is set in an environment where dense coniferous forests alternate with wide meadows or rugged scree.
The mountain bike is another solid option in summer, especially on the dirt roads that run through the valley floors and climb toward the refuges. Sport climbing finds its natural stage around the Argentera massif, where the rock faces offer routes of all difficulties.
Three excursions not to miss in the Maritime Alps Park
As mentioned, trekking is the main summer activity among the Maritime Alps. The Park offers a wide variety of hikes suitable for all levels and for all preferences, from weekend walkers to the more skilled and prepared hikers.
From Terme di Valdieri to Pian del Valasco
An easy excursion suitable for every leg, a classic for everyone that blends the ease of a walk with the immediate charm of the Maritime Alps Park. The route spans seven and a half kilometers with a vertical gain of about 400 meters.
You start from the parking area near the Terme di Valdieri church, follow the path that skirts the Valasco River, climbing the valley floor among larches and rhododendrons, and reach Rifugio Valasco at over 1,700 meters, housed in the historic Royal Hunting House of the Savoys, recently restored.
The route is suitable for families with children and for those without particular alpine training, and it traverses the old military road built in the 1930s, now a dirt road that in a few switchbacks allows you to rise in altitude with a splendid natural frame to admire throughout the journey.
The Fremamorta Lakes
One of the park’s emblematic viewpoints, reachable from Terme di Valdieri through a moderately difficult itinerary: the four Laghi di Fremamorta, whose clear and pristine waters mirror the walls of Argentera. They sit on the eponymous high plateau at over 2,600 meters, in a unique natural setting, surrounded by a crown of spectacular peaks.
The route traverses very different environments, from forests and glacial moraines to green high-altitude meadows. It reaches Rifugio Emilio Questa at 2,386 meters, then extends to the basin of the Fremamorta lakes, arrayed in a chain within a basin where, in summer, the silver viola—an endemic small flower that characterizes the landscape—blooms.
It is a hike that requires good physical conditioning and proper gear, but it pays off with breathtaking panoramas and excellent opportunities for wildlife sightings.
From Sant’Anna di Valdieri to Rifugio Livio Bianco
Departing from Sant’Anna di Valdieri, this route climbs the wild Meris valley, following a steep historic mule track, up to Rifugio Livio Bianco, perched on the shores of Lago Sottano della Sella at the foot of Monte Matto.
It is a corner of the park frequented mainly by regular hikers, far from the more trodden paths, with a solitary and stark atmosphere that is its main charm. Larches and rhododendrons define the landscape at the end of a steep ascent, best suited for the more trained. From the 1,100 meters of Sant’Anna, you climb to 1,910 meters at the refuge. It takes about 3 hours to complete the ascent.
For the more adventurous, the refuge serves as a launching point for ascents to some of the park’s highest peaks, such as Monte Matto, at 3,097 meters, Rocca di Valmiana (3,006) or Rocca della Paur (2,972).
