Ofena Guide

Ofena is a small town in the province of L'Aquila, in the Abruzzo region of Italy, and it sits inside the Gran Sasso e Monti della Laga National Park. In Abruzzese the name is Ofenë. The town lies about 29.5 km east-southeast of L'Aquila.

The old centre is all narrow streets and steep slopes, with arches and arcades running through the large houses. Stand under the right arch and it frames Capestrano, the neighbouring comune, leaning against its mountainside. You will feel the climb in your legs before you enjoy the view, so give yourself time.

Outside the centre the landscape does the talking. Contrada delle Fonnere is the spot where people stop on the road to photograph Ofena from a distance. Around the town lie two abandoned villages: Pagliare di Ofena, just west of the SS602 with views of Capestrano, and Borgo San Silvestro to the east, a bit remote.

The strangest sight is underwater. A third abandoned village has lain beneath Lago di Capodacqua since 1965, and you can dive in the lake to see its old buildings, with submerged windmills as part of the scene. Diving is listed among the top things not to miss around Ofena.

Water also shapes the nearby Tirino valley. The river is fed by three main springs, Capo d'Acqua, Presciano and the lake below Capestrano, and it supports dense aquatic vegetation, brown trout and the protected white-clawed crayfish. You can explore it on a guided canoe trip from San Martino, or on foot and by bike along its willowed banks.

Above all of this stands the national park, established in 1991 and covering 2,014 square kilometres. Corno Grande is the tallest peak of the Gran Sasso, and the Calderone beneath it counts as Europe's southernmost glacier. The park offers hiking, horse riding, mountain biking, canoeing, bird watching and skiing along a circuit of roughly 300 km of trails, which you can walk alone or with mountain guides. Abruzzo chamois, Apennine wolves, Marsican brown bears and golden eagles all live there.