Riserva naturale guidata Cascate del Verde, Natural waterfalls with protected ecosystems in Borrello, Italy

Riserva naturale guidata Cascate del Verde is a protected nature reserve featuring waterfalls that descend in three stages over a substantial height. The reserve covers about 287 hectares and is fed by the Rio Verde river, which powers these impressive cascades.

The reserve was established in 2001 by regional law 72 of 19 December 2001, covering about 287 hectares in the municipality of Borrello, province of Chieti. It is also a WWF Oasis. A historical record from 1845, when zoologist Achille Costa received the skin of a female lynx caught in Borrello, documents the area's earlier wildlife.

The reserve takes its name from the Rio Verde, a tributary of the Sangro whose springs lie in Abruzzo near the Molise border. Its waters feed the falls and support a river crab and one of the region's largest populations of freshwater crayfish. In 1845 the zoologist Achille Costa reported receiving the skin of a female lynx caught at Borrello.

The reserve lies in the municipality of Borrello, in the province of Chieti, and the falls sit at about 800 m above sea level. The Rio Verde, a tributary of the Sangro, drops over three separate jumps on a rock wall of calcarenites and marls resting on clay. About 7 km away stands the Abetina di Rosello reserve, home to the C.I.S.D.A.M. centre.

The waterfalls here rank among Italy's tallest natural falls and are known for their constant water flow. This steady stream makes them an impressive sight even during drier months.