The Montemarcello-Magra reserve includes all the hills dividing waters of the Gulf of La Spezia from those of the Magra river. It’s a wide territory, rich in natural, historical and cultural value.

The high and indented coastline shows a few typical dark grey beaches and very high cliffs from whose summit you can have a breathtaking sight. The sea slopes of the hills show a garigue rich in thyme, helichrysum and rue, the Mediterranean maquis with myrtle, strawberry tree and lentisk, as well as high holm-oaks, butcher’s broom and wild sperrow-grass. There are also several pinewoods with Aleppo pine (Pinus halepensis) and oak-woods along with wide and ancient olive yards often waste.

Near the river deciduous oak-woods, thick turkey oaks, nut trees and yoke-elm, grow with wide pinewood of maritime pine and with an underwood very rich in braken, heather and ginistas.
The flora worthy of notice includes white cistus, snowdrop, cyclamen, dwarf iris and narcissus.

Even the fauna is very rich in several different species. Reptiles such as green lizard, gecko and slow-worm live together with mammals among which wild boars, badgers, foxes, weasels, beech martens and hedgehogs.
In addition, there is an incredible variety of birds both migratory and resident. Cormorants, seagulls, grey herons and ducks populate the coastal area, while nightingales, redbreasts and sparrows of different species along with predatory birds such as kestrela, buzzards and hawks live in the inland.

At night you can often see owls, barn owl and other night predatory birds.
Inside the reserve, there is the Montemarcello botanic garden at the top of the Mount Murlo at 365 meters above the sea level, in a panoramic position between the sea itself and the Apuane Alps.
This place can be reached with a 20 - 30 minute walk from various paths in the reserve and here there are the indications of plants existing in this area, through a guided pathway, In the Ethnoobotany section, it is explained how people of this region and with a particular culture made use of indigenous plants as medicinal products, foods or even magic ingredients.
In addition to walks as far as the Botanic Garden, the reserve offers several paths most of which reach very beautiful panoramic views or archaeological areas.