What to see in the Gargano, Puglia national park, itinerary including the main places of interest, with information on the characteristics of the area, flora and fauna.
Tourist information
The Gargano is a promontory of northern Puglia in the province of Foggia, stretches out into the Adriatic Sea, forming the Gulf of Manfredonia to the south.
This part of the Apulia region located in the north-east is also classified as the spur of Italy.
The promontory, formed by limestone rocks, culminates with the 1056 meters of Monte Calvo and is joined to the continent by a low plain formed by a progressive accumulation of alluvial deposits.
The northern coastal strip includes the two lagoons of Lesina and Varano.
The geological nature of the Gargano manifests itself with interesting karst phenomena, in fact on its territory there are numerous caves, some of which are prehistoric sites of great archaeological interest, such as the Paglicci cave in Rignano Garganico.
The Gargano National Park was officially established in 1991, it is one of the largest protected areas in Italy, with a territorial extension of 118,000 hectares.
Also part of it are the Tremiti islands, immersed in the Adriatic Sea about twenty kilometers from the coast, which make up the marine reserve.
What see
The protected area of the Gargano national park has a great variety of environments including flood plains, dense forests in mountainous areas, open spaces with cliffs overlooking the sea, inlets and ravines, which are the result of the geological isolation created in remote times.
Along the coast there are characteristic villages, including Rodi Garganico, Peschici, Vieste, Mattinata, while in the hinterland there are the spirituality centers of San Marco in Lamis, Monte Sant’Angelo and San Giovanni Rotondo.
As far as flora is concerned, we can say that within the park there are various landscapes that include more than two thousand botanical species, extensive forests especially of beeches, karst plateaus, large coastal lakes.
Recommended readings- Trani (Puglia): what to see
- Puglia: Sunday day trips
- Manfredonia (Puglia): what to see
- Vieste (Puglia): what to see
- Altamura (Puglia): what to see
The fauna is also very varied with almost two hundred species of birds including the common buzzard, the kestrel, the sparrow hawk, the peregrine falcon, the eagle owl, the common owl, the barn owl, the tawny owl and the scops owl.
