Among the Nera gorges, near Stifone, a small village of about 40 inhabitants in the municipality of Narni, there is a deep turquoise corner of paradise, the ancient port, where the Romans built their river ships.

From the village, after admiring the mills and ancient wash houses, still fed by spring water, you can take a small country road downhill. You arrive at the river and there you can witness an aquatic spectacle: the transparent waters allow you to see the ancient remains of a Roman shipyard.

Descending to the valley, you arrive at the natural pools of Le Mole di Narni, a beautiful stretch of water, to be admired for its clarity, an ideal refuge on sultry days, after trekking or cycling. It is important to remember, however, that they are not suitable for bathing, since the nearby Recentino hydroelectric power station discharges the water received from the Nera river there, with the opening of the dam's bulkheads.

At Scheggino, in the heart of the Valnerina, just outside the Valcasana gate, we find a natural garden rich in spring water and aquatic vegetation. This is the Fonti di Valcasana park, an ideal place to relax, thanks to a long tree-lined avenue, where the waters flow quietly in the channel called 'fiumarella'.

In the park there is also a small artificial lake used for sports fishing and an exhibition space open for exhibitions and cultural events. From the springs, water sports enthusiasts can head for nearby Ceselli, one of the canyoning destinations in the Nera Valley.

''I have only just seen them and I regret that I did so too late''. So wrote Pliny the Younger to a friend, speaking of the Fonti del Clitunno, a natural oasis that has always inspired painters and poets, in the municipality of Campello sul Clitunno. Access is gained by paying a small fee.

In the oasis, the underground springs of the Clitunno create an enchanting small lake with very clear waters with emerald reflections, surrounded by weeping willows, poplars and populated by swans and other aquatic birds. Just 1 km from the springs, you can also admire one of the seven jewels of Lombard art, a Unesco heritage site: the Tempietto del Clitunno.