Lake Ferraia is one of the few lakes in the province of Imperia, and it did not come into being on its own: the dam, ten metres high, was built in 1998 to irrigate the fields of Aquila d'Arroscia, Borghetto d'Arroscia and Ranzo. It lies at 780 metres, on the stream of the same name, among woods of birch and beech.
What to see
Below the dam there is a waterfall with a drop of up to twenty-five metres, which in summer runs dry: the water is collected into the reservoir's pipes and what you see is bare rock. Not far off opens the Arma do Cüppà, a cave thirty-two metres wide and thirteen high, where human and prehistoric animal remains have been found.
Visiting
The circuit is done on foot from the village and it is short. Anyone coming for the waterfall should reckon with the season: in spring, with the snowmelt, the drop is there; in August almost never. The lake is always there, and the vegetation around it keeps the spot cooler than the valley floor.
Our editors' tip
Go after rain rather than during a long spell of fine weather: it is the only way to see the full lake and a working waterfall at the same time.