The Liguria Alps Natural Park extends over a surface area of 60 square kilometers (about 23 square miles) at the back of the border ridge with the Maritime Alps, French Department, and it is in seven mountain municipalities within the Province of Imperia: Rocchetta Nervina, Pigna, Triora, Montegrosso Pian Latte, Rezzo, Mendatica and Cosio d’Arroscia.
The extraordinary proximity of the Alpine peaks, near or higher than 2000 meters (6562 feet) above sea level, to the Mediterranean has favored the development of microenvironments bountiful in very interesting flora species, in particular in the area around Mount Toraggio and Pietravecchia. The areas covered by woodlands from Pian Cavallo (larch, beech and Scots pine) to Rezzo (beech), the Gerbonte Forest (spruce, Scots pine, maple, larch and beech) and the Testa d’Alpe Forest (white spruce, mountain maple, Scots pine) represent a very valuable wood patrimony. The ridge of Mounts Saccarello, Frontè and Monega, characterized by prairies and grasslands, is still the home of centuries old activities involving sheep farming.
Sheep farming with the tradition of the transhumance of the herds, represents one of the main elements of communication between the various local mountainside Alpine communities in the Province of Imperia and of the Brigasc-Occitan valleys in French and Piedmontese territories. The richness of this culture is evidenced by the series of frescos by Canavesio, of the Alpine artists of the late 15th century and by the works of the stonemasons of Cenova di Rezzo.
All can enjoy the beauties of the park participating in the guided tours organized to sight the myriad of local fauna (birds of prey, red-billed choughs, chamois, woodchucks and roe deer) and admire the spectacular late spring-summer flowering; a must see is the flowering of the vastest rhododendron scrub in Europe, on the slopes of the Saccarello.