Some of Umbria's best upland scenery is to be found in the mountains east and north of Gualdo on the border with Marche, much of it protected by the Parco Regionale del Monte Cucco. Where this area really scores is in its organized trails and backup for outdoor activities of every kind; if you want to don walking boots without too much fuss, this is one of the areas to do it – and access is easy, with buses from Gualdo to Valsorda and from Perugia, Gualdo, Gubbio and Assisi to Costacciaro.

The southernmost base for exploration of the park is the resort of VALSORDA (1000m), 8km northeast of Gualdo on the park's southern extremity. You can tackle the straightforward trek (1hr) up Serra Santa (1421m) on a track of motorway proportions carved out by pilgrims over the years. From the summit you could drop into the spectacular Valle del Fonno gorge and follow it down to Gualdo. Paths follow the main ridge from Valsorda north and south, and it's feasible to walk all the way to Nocera Umbra (6hr). Accommodation is thin on the ground, but there's a campsite, the Valsorda (075.913.261; June– Sept).

To get closer to the heart of the mountains head to the unpretentious and appealing COSTACCIARO, centre for all the park's outdoor pursuits and access point for the Grotta di Monte Cucco, at 922m the fifth-deepest cave system in the world. Above, the huge, bare-sloped Monte Cucco (1566m) is the main playground for walkers. The best place to go if you want to get seriously wet or muddy, or just tag along with a tour party, is the Centro Nazionale di Speleologia, Via Galeazzi 5 (off Corso Mazzini; & 075.917.0400 for details of tours; www.cens.it), one of the country's most energetic and organized outdoor centres; in the past the centro has also offered hostel accommodation, but call ahead for current status.

There are several places to stay in and around Costacciaro, the best of them being the two-star Monte Cucco da Tobia in the Val di Ranco (075.917.7194, www.albergomontecucco.it; under €50; Easter– Oct), a fabled mountaineers' and cavers' hangout (with an inexpensive restaurant). The nearest campsite is the Rio Verde (075.917.0138, wwww.campingrioverde.it; April– Sept) at Fornace, 3km north of Costacciaro. Freelance camping is prohibited within the parco regionale, but elsewhere you'll have few problems finding a discreet pitch for a tent.