Sila National Park Authority manages some of the most charming and wild areas of the Region with large and wonderful forests covering gentle plateaus, with exciting landscapes stretching out towards Pollino, Aspromonte, Etna, the sunny side of the Ionian Sea and the Tyrrhenian Sea on which, with the clean air, you will be amazed in observing the imposing presence of Eolie.
There are several rural and tourist villages, and the artistic and cultural heritage is very rich. The highest mountains are Mt. Botte Donato (1,928m), in Sila Grande, and Mt. Gariglione (1,764m) in Sila Piccola; there are several torrential rivers, with clear and fresh waters, and artificial lakes used for various purposes. The wildlife, resident and migratory, is rich and varied.
Sila National Park is a wonderful place to discover, rich in charming itineraries and exciting landscapes.
Enchanted mountains and valleys, wonderful plants and a great variety of animals form a biodiversity heritage which deserves to be loved and above all protected.
The Sila National Park is an especially mountainous park, where the woods occupy 81% of the total area, while the pastures affect 4% of the total area. It is characterized by the massive presence of beech (35% of the forest area) which mainly affects the higher areas and the pine forests (43% of the woods) in vast flat areas or on slight slopes that characterize the plateau.
The animal biodiversity of the territory of the Park includes 175 species of autochthonous vertebrates, divided as follows: Mammals 65; Birds 80 (only considering breeding); Amphibians 12; Reptiles 16; Fish 2; not counting the alien entities and the occasional or erratic appearances.
Invertebrate fauna is obviously much more numerous, estimated at about 4,500-5,000 species, including the 14 endemic species of Calabria.