Gargano Promontory Map

The Gargano is an imposing promontory located in the province of Foggia; it essentially corresponds to a mountain massif called the "spur of Italy" that extends for 70 km into the Adriatic Sea, giving rise to the Gulf of Manfredonia. To the east, it stretches to the so-called Gargano Head, while to the west, it merges with the Tavoliere delle Puglie, covering a total area of approximately 2000 square kilometers. The Gargano National Park is included within its territory

The Gargano, the only entirely Apulian mountain, was originally an island, later joined to the mainland by a progressive accumulation of alluvial deposits; the low and sandy northern coastal strip hosts the coastal lake of Varano with the adjoining lake of Lesina. The massif, essentially composed of limestone rocks, culminating at 1055 m of Monte Calvo (the name of this mountain is significant, with its bare and rocky slopes), has a striking karst morphology, whose most interesting aspects are the numerous caves, inhabited since prehistoric times. In some of them, as well as in rock shelters, artifacts dating back to the Paleolithic have been found; there are also tombs from the Iron Age

Regarding the underground geological formation, the most important site is the Grava di Campolato, where the underground waters from the surrounding mountains and hills collect. It is therefore presumed that there is a dense network of caves traversed by small underground rivers

The Gargano is also famous for its trabucchi, fishing constructions, built entirely of wood and operated by complex winch systems.
 

The innermost area of the region, covered by dense forests including the Umbra Forest, is sparsely populated; inhabitants tend to gather in coastal centers or at the foot of the mountains, also due to the development of seaside tourism, which has complemented traditional fishing and, above all, agricultural activities. A panoramic road winds along almost the entire perimeter of the Gargano, touching many of the main centers, such as San Nicandro Garganico, Carpino, Rodi Garganico, Peschici, Vieste, Mattinata and Manfredonia. Among the inland localities are Monte Sant'Angelo, San Giovanni Rotondo, and San Marco in Lamis: all centers with very frequented sanctuaries that attest to how the Gargano has always been, since medieval times, a place of great religious fervor

The Gargano is not only sea but also culture and traditions that materialize in evocative events among which we remember: the "Daunian Carnival" of Manfredonia with its famous parades of floats and groups; in July the "Vieste Film Fest"; in the first decade of August the Carpino Folk Festival attracts thousands of tourists every year in search of their memories; after August 15th "Sounds in the Quarry" in Apricena, jazz in the suggestive stone quarries

The Gargano National Park

The Gargano National Park is a unique world, very particular both for its vegetation and fauna, but above all for the millennial culture that humans have brought from all parts of the Mediterranean and gradually transformed

It is the realm of biodiversity

Within a few kilometers, a series of fantastic ecosystems can be found. One passes from the wetlands of Manfredonia and Lesina to the Umbra Forest, from orchids to Aleppo pine forests, from the sea to lagoons, from steppe pastures to the Tremiti islands

Even though the Gargano represents only 0.7% of the national territory, it holds 40% of the entire Italian flora and 70% of nesting birds in our country

Roe deer, fallow deer, and mouflons inhabit the Umbra Forest, a pristine stretch of nature with over 11 thousand hectares of woodland, the green lung of the park

The Gargano National Park, established in 1991, is headquartered in Monte Sant'Angelo and is one of the largest parks in Italy with 120 thousand hectares of surface area and 18 municipalities

Karst Phenomena

The most characteristic and predominant phenomenon in the Gargano National Park is karst, due to the erosive action of groundwater. The Gargano, in fact, has a type of calcareous soil predisposed to the formation of such a phenomenon. Over the millennia, tunnels, caverns, sinkholes, caves, and springs have been generated

Among the most suggestive caves, we highlight that of San Michele in Monte Sant'Angelo and the Paglicci cave in Rignano Garganico. From a speleological point of view, the Montenero cave in San Marco in Lamis, the Pian della Macina cave in Sannicandro Garganico, the Occhiopinto - Scaloria complex in Manfredonia, the Grava di Campolato between San Giovanni Rotondo and Monte Sant'Angelo, and the Zazzano cave, which represents the deepest explored cave in Puglia, are worth admiring

 The Coast and its Caves

The coastal caves represent one of the most significant and at the same time emblematic aspects of the morphology of the Gargano coast, both for their hydro-karst composition and for their inexpressible charm. The development of the internal galleries within the caves is extremely varied: straight or zigzagging sections are found that sometimes extend for lengths of 10 to 50 meters. Cataloging them all would be impossible, as the karst nature of the Gargano means that the mountain is fragmented even within tiny and hidden coves. However, it is possible to list the most important and visitable caves from Vieste to Mattinata: Arch of San Felice, Smugglers' Cave, Small Bell Cave, Hot Cave, Collapsed Cave, Cave of the Two Eyes, Tomato Cave, Arch of Portogreco, Marble Cave, Siren's Cave, Cave of the Two Rooms, Cave of Dreams, Embroidered Arch, Palette Cave, Bell Cave, Great Snake Cave, Emerald Cave, Round Cave, Window Cave