{"id":1508,"date":"2026-11-04T11:23:42","date_gmt":"2026-11-04T11:23:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ebas.it\/?page_id=1508"},"modified":"2026-11-04T11:23:43","modified_gmt":"2026-11-04T11:23:43","slug":"lakes-basilicata","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.ebas.it\/en\/lakes-basilicata\/","title":{"rendered":"The lakes of Basilicata: a guide to the most beautiful"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Basilicata is a land of mountains and rivers, and among its valleys lie very different lakes: the volcanic lakes<\/strong> of Monticchio in the craters of the Vulture, Italy’s southernmost glacial lake<\/strong> on the Sirino, small mountain lakes, protected wetlands where thousands of birds stop over and the great reservoirs<\/strong> of Pertusillo and Monte Cotugno, which carry Lucanian water as far as Puglia. This guide covers the region’s most beautiful lakes, what to do around each one and a few itinerary ideas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The volcanic lakes: Monticchio<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In the north of the region, on Monte Vulture, two lakes fill the vents of an ancient volcano: Lago Grande<\/strong> (about 38 hectares) and Lago Piccolo<\/strong> (about 16 hectares), at about 650 metres and more than 35 metres deep. They are separated by a thin strip of land and have different colours, light green the small one and olive green the large one. They are surrounded by beech, chestnut and Turkey oak woods: since 1971 Lago Piccolo has been a regional nature reserve, created to protect a very rare moth, Brahmaea europaea<\/em>, discovered here in 1963.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the shore of Lago Piccolo, clinging to the rock, stands the abbey of San Michele<\/strong>: founded in the 8th century around the Angel’s Cave, home to Basilian and then Benedictine monks, it keeps 11th-century frescoes. Mineral waters known all over Italy spring at Monticchio Bagni. Around the lakes you can walk in the woods, hire boats and pedalos, and there are picnic areas and restaurants. See the Monticchio Lakes<\/a> page for details.<\/p>\n\n\n