Gaiola and rafting

As you enter luxuriant Stura Valley, through dense woods surrounded by the mountains of the Alpine range, you will start the uphill pedal from Roccasparvera towards Gaiola. The Stura valley has an important vocation for outdoor sports, including hiking, mountaineering and climbing, and Gaiola in particular is a reference point for rafting, canoeing and kayaking. This stretch of the River Stura is perfect for learning the rudiments of water sports, perhaps with a cooling ride down the river.

After the River Stura di Demonte, through tiny, rustic hamlets known as ‘tetti’ (roofs), you continue along Via dei Boschi to Borgo San Dalmazzo. From here you take via Rivetta, which runs alongside the Bealera Nuova canal and pick up Via Valdieri and then continue alongside River Gesso, climbing gently up to Valdieri, a charming town in the Maritime Alps Park.