The Orfento Valley hike (Valle dell’Orfento) and Ponte Del Vallone are great starting points for exploring the Majella National Park and admiring the wildlife of Abruzzo. You won’t see the whole park — it covers nearly 100 square miles of mountains and canyons — but you’ll see two of its absolutely beautiful corners. What’s great about Majella is the choice: paths of various lengths for experienced and less experienced hikers, shady forest trails, river walks, open mountain paths, meadows full of flowers… It’s Italian wilderness at its best.
And that’s what I love about Abruzzo. And also, that with so much choice, you can decide whether you want to get a tan hiking in the sun, or maybe soak your feet in the river. Personally, I prefer shade in summer, which is why we chose this trail, running through the forest.
Starting Point: Visitor Center in Caramanico Terme
We picked out the Ponte Del’Vallone and Valle Del’ Orfento paths.The trail begins near the Caramanico tourist center in La Valle dell’Orfento (I’ve written more about it here ). We registered at the center, where I asked 100 questions about bears, making sure we won’t encounter one. Just next to the centre, there are two trails to choose from: left to Sentiero Delle Scallele (about 20 min), or right to Valle Del’Orfento (Valley Orfento). The left path was definitely too short, so we went right. And it was a very good choice.
We headed to the B2 trail leading to Ponte Del’Vallone and entered the forest.
After a short walk through the green and rugged landscape, the path led us into the mountains. The view was incredible. For me, the mountains in Abruzzo are what mountains should be: rocky and green enough to be simply beautiful.
Feasting your eyes on the landscape, breathing in the fresh mountain air, and stopping occasionally for photos, we continued on and reached another wood.
The trail passed through it, so we simply continued on. I enjoyed this sunless path and the silence, occasionally interrupted by birds. But of course, I check from time to time to see if there’s a bear lurking behind the bushes.. Somehow, I didn’t believe the woman at the visitor center’s assurances that there were no bears on the trail. What if one had got lost?
As we continued on, we heard the rush of the river, so we knew we were close to the wooden bridge that ended this part of the trail.
Lunch at the Wooden Bridge
We stopped there for lunch. Sitting on the riverbank, admiring the picturesque bridge perched on a large boulder, gazing at the rushing water, I felt myself shedding the stress that had been my companion lately. It was one of those moments when you don’t think or worry about anything, simply enjoying nature and the refreshing mountainous air. And even the appearance of a wild bear wouldn’t disturb my peace, unless it stole my sandwich.
It would have been nice to take a bath or simply soak my feet, but such things are forbidden. And because I didn’t want to kill tiny inhabitants of the river, I decided to respect the ban.
The bridge is where you can make decisions about what to do. You can go back to the B2 or cross the bridge, and there are signs for other paths. Before you make up your mind, though, cross the bridge, and you will see a cute little waterfall. From the bridge, you can see how to get to the waterfall, so you can decide if you want to jump between the rocks.
Choosing the Next Path: Ponte di Ceramico
We decided to do the path do Ponte di Caramanico, which runs along the river through the forest. The walk is easy and more or less 1.30 min long, but because there are so many beautiful spots, it took to us much longer. We simply stopped from time to time to take pictures.
The Orfento River is the only river in Majella Park that is full of water year-round.
Thousands of years of water flowing between rocks have carved a canyon in the valley, which is where the S-trail leads. In my opinion, the river canyon is one of the most beautiful places in Abruzzo, although I haven’t seen everything in the region yet. If I had a better knowledge of flora, I would certainly have enjoyed trying to distinguish the numerous and varied species of plants that grow there.
The Magic of the Orfento Valley
Plunging into the Orfento Valley, we saw small wooden bridges crossing the river, roaring mini-waterfalls, and incredibly lush greenery. There were tiny flowers and plants with enormous leaves! The latter could easily serve as shelter in case of rain. Lianas hung from the trees – I imagined mini-monkeys jumping on them. The river valley is absolutely magical, so I wouldn’t be surprised if there were pocket animals, tiny colourful houses, and maybe even dwarves.
The lush greenery, besides being a feast for the eyes, also provides excellent protection from the sun. There are some spots along the trail where the sun is a bit stronger, but the entire riverside walk is beautifully shaded, and we enjoyed the sounds of the flowing river. I imagine such a shady canyon could be humid, but we didn’t experience that.
A Gorge of Moss, Waterfalls, and Sunlight
Crossing the last wooden bridge, I accidentally turned my head toward it, and just behind me, I saw something extraordinary. There was a high gorge wall covered in moss and small plants. A small stream of water gurgled down the mountain, creating mini waterfalls that flowed into the river. The sun shone through the treetops, illuminating the wall, giving the greenery an intense colour. Drops falling from the stream shimmered in the sunlight. I stood for several minutes, gazing in pure awe at this artwork of nature.
Unfortunately, my photos don’t capture the beauty of this place, but you can still see something there.
Then, all we had to do was climb the long stairs to the Ponte di Caramanico, which ended the path. To get to the center of Caramanico Terme, you can take a minibus (cost 2 euros), but you can also walk, what we did. With a head full of green and rushing water we walked sticking to the main road and in more or less 25 min we got were in the town.
Practical Tips for Hiking the Orfento Valley
- wear trekking shoes
- The trail, in my opinion, is generally easy, but there are some slippery/more demanding point
- The stairs to the last bridge are long, so it’s a good idea to take walking sticks
- Take water, I can’t remember any fountain on the track
- There are many places where you can have lunch
- In the summer, wear sunscreen
- Don’t be afraid of bears – there really are none
