The Regional Nature Reserve of the Valli Cupe was established by the Calabria Region with Law no. 41 of 21 December 2016. It is situated in the presila catanzaro, in the municipalities of Sersale and Zagarise and, thanks to the particular exposure and proximity of the sea, it encloses in a relatively limited space the three phytoclimatic belts of the Calabrian Apennines (Lauretum, with the hot and cold subzones, Castanetum and Fagetum), and an autochthonous and variegated flora, with rare species such as the Felcetta lanosa, the Pteride di Creta and the Felce regale, a plant of ancient origin and of great botanical value.
The whole area is characterized by the presence of particularly suggestive canyons and gorges; by spectacular waterfalls, up to 100 meters high, where it is possible to live the experience of a bath in clear and uncontaminated waters; and by numerous monumental plants, defined "Giants" for their considerable size and age, such as the Great Holm Oak which is presumably more than 800 years old.
Interesting is the Ethnobotanical Garden, with about 300 plant samples and a small collection of rare specimens, such as the Bulbotic Fern, a real living fossil.
In the territory that gravitates around the Reserve there are some sites of historical-mythological and cultural importance, including the remains of Barbaro, a lost city with the typical appearance of fortified citadels, built on a hill between the river Uria and Fosso Catoie.
