Southern Apennines

The southern Apennines rise between Basilicata and Calabria, forming a mountainous backbone at the narrow end of the Italian peninsula. The Pollino massif contains the highest peaks of both regions, above the valleys leading towards the Tyrrhenian and Ionian seas. Farther south the highlands of Sila and Aspromonte continue the mountain country. Forested slopes, steep valleys and high ridges separate the coastal plains and shape the routes between them.