A summer by the river

PIACENZA - Crystal clear waters, pristine vegetation, waterfalls and white beaches: many waterways offer access to swim and relax in the sun. They are a low cost alternative to coastal beaches but require greater attention due to the presence of currents and cobbled and often slippery surfaces. What the rivers' beaches offer, however, are unique landscape views to be discovered and photographed. Here are 8 bathing places along the rivers from north to south of Italy, destinations loved by those who practice canyoing and trekking but also by those looking for coolness and a little adventure.

Val di Mello. It is a beautiful valley in the province of Sondrio recognized in 2009 as a natural reserve and full of ponds, streams and streams where you can cool off in the summer. The Lombard valley, which can be reached by walking along a network of paths and ancient mule tracks among ancient firs and beeches, is a suggestive and fairytale place: you can reach San Martino, a hamlet of Val Masino by car, and walk up to the stream Mello and the Rasega refuge. During the walk, simple and suitable for everyone, you will pass through enchanting places such as the Bidet della Contessa lake, a crystalline green water that invites you to dive but whose temperature is always too low for swimming. Continuing we arrive at the fast flowing stream touching the Ca 'dei Scuma farmhouse and many other small huts surrounded by greenery, up to the Rasega refuge, the end of the excursion and where the stream opens to beaches, refreshing pools and a waterfall immersed in the wood.

Emerald pools. They are located in Tramonti di Sopra along the Meduna river that flows in the Friulian Dolomites Park, in the province of Pordenone and owe their name to the wonderful green color of their waters. They arise in an enchanting and unique place to swim, immersed in the natural beauty of the Dolomites. They can be reached by following a path for a few kilometers that starts from Tramonti di Sopra and enters the park to the stretch of the river where the water collects in deep pools, whose white rocks are transformed into perfect platforms for diving.

The white beach of the Chiesetta di Brugnello , in Val Trebbia, is a white beach bathed by emerald waters along the Trebbia river, south of Piacenza. The beach, dominated by a medieval church, is located in a curve drawn by the river that creeps into the first stretches of the Apennines, forming splendid landscapes. It is easy to reach it: from Piacenza take the state road towards Genova; after Marsaglia follow the course of the river up to the height of the village of Brugnello. Actually, along the Trebbia river, a tributary of the Po that flows in the province of Piacenza, there are several other places to stop for a swim, even if the wider beaches are located in the lower part of the river.

In the surroundings of Camaiore, in the province of Lucca, the valley of the Candalla stream is ideal for a swim among waterfalls, natural pools and lush vegetation. The karst terrain of the Apuan Alps creates, in fact, sudden waterfalls and deep pools of water, caves and lakes, all ideal places to bathe. The valley can be reached from Camaiore through the village of Greppolungo, following the signs for the Osteria di Candalla. Here you park your car and on foot follow the road that leads to a 19th century ironworks which still preserves the mills with blades, canals and iron sculptures; from here you get to the first pool, the deepest and used to make spectacular dives, and after crossing the bridge continue to the first crossroads on the right, where the ruins of an old mill cross and beautiful pools of water suitable for everyone, with waterfalls, small canyons and rich vegetation. Above hangs the wall of Candalla, used for climbing.

Mercatello sul Metauro is an ideal place to take a dip in the most unspoiled nature of the province of Pesaro-Urbino, in the Marche region. The place to swim is the Sasso waterfall, in a small and clear river that pours from a high cliff, a few kilometers from the medieval village of Mercatello, inserted in the association of the "most beautiful villages in Italy". Around the waterfall the rocks and trees of a forest create the perfect place for a day of swimming and picnics.

A few kilometers from Narni, in Umbria, within a narrow valley, the Nera River creates a natural swimming pool with beautiful turquoise and emerald shades: these are the Moli di Narni , a perfect place to cool off during the sultry summer days. The water is clear and allows you to glimpse the rocks, while around the shore there is a dense wild vegetation, not far from the Nera gorges. The place, not easily accessible because it is not signposted, is located along the Narni-Nera Montoro-Orte road, a few hundred meters from the hamlet of Stifone. You can get there by car and leave it along a path and then go down on foot or by mountain bike following a route towards the "Strada dello Stabilimento".

Rio Pitrisconi in Sardinia is accessible only to those who practice cayoning and canyoning or to the most intrepid hikers who manage to dive into its cold waters. The river, which flows between the towns of San Teodoro and Padru in the rocky heart of Gallura, has eroded the pink granite creating spectacular gorges, waterfalls and natural pools, not easy to reach except by following a 300-meter path equipped with a wetsuit, helmet and harness. The effort, however, is rewarded by the beauty of the river, the gorge and the emerald-colored swimming pool.

The Capelli di Venere waterfall is located in Casaletto Spartano in Cilento, a unique setting among waterfalls covered with green and fairytale mosses. The waterfall is actually a set of thin jets of water that arise from the Bussentino stream, a tributary of the Bussento river, and form natural pools in which it is also possible to bathe and get massaged by the jet. It is a small corner of paradise and well-being in the Capello equipped area, created in the midst of nature and a dense undergrowth; it can be reached by taking the highway that from Padula-Buonabitacolo reaches Caselle in Pittari; from here, take the state road to Casaletto Spartano and follow the signs for the waterfall.