National Park Of Gargano

The National Park of Gargano covers an area of more than one hundred and twenty thousand hectares

The park includes extensive forests with plants of many different species and valleys covered in woods, which run straight into the sea.

In addition, one can find the beautiful lagoons of Lesina and Varano, the numerous caves all along the picturesque coastline, and, least but not last, the spectacular Tremiti Islands.

The National Park of Gargano alone comprises about 35% of all the flora present in Italy.

Among the over 2,000 species of plants that populate the park, there is a particular type of pine, the so called Pino d 'Aleppo, which can be seen only in Gargano, since it has found only here the necessary climate conditions to grow. In fact, the frequent showers and the mild temperatures give rise to a unique microclimate, not to be found in any other area of the Italian peninsula.

In the areas where the vegetation is more scarce, you can bump into beautiful wild orchids. Among the many wild plants, you will also find some rare species of olive, apple and pear trees, all surrounded by the typical shrubs of the Mediterranean vegetation: hawthorn, juniper, thyme.

Another unique specie that grows here is the carob, to which the local population refer to as the tree of the devil.

Among the many different woods of the park, you should make sure to visit at least the one of Mount Sant 'Angelo, of Mount Sacro (especially in the morning) and of Spina Pulci (between Sanniccardo Garganico and Cagnano Varano).

As for the fauna, you can come into many species of birds of prey such as the peregrine falcon, the buzzard, the kestrel, the sparrow and the marsh hawk. Beautiful examples of red herons and cinerini can also be found in the damp areas.

In pastures and steppes you can bump into a characteristic type of chicken which is called gallina prataiola, of which there are only a few exemplars left.

Among the mammals that live in the park there is one in particular which is typical of the region: the italic roe.

Others include the deer, the lark, wild cats and boars.

Since 1989, the park was extended to the Tremiti islands, which became a wonderful Marine Reserve.

The Tremiti islands, which include San Domino, San Nicola, Capraia, Crepaccio and Pianosa, were called in the ancient times Diomedee islands. In fact these are the islands which, according to one of Homer’s poems, gave repair to Diomede, a friend of' greek hero Ulysses, and where he also found his death.

For more information on the Gargano National Park and the Marine Reserve of Tremiti islands, visit www.parcogargano.itn Latin world, dedicated to this cult.