The Forest

The Gargano National Park, with its 120,000 hectares of lagoons, mountains and sandy beeches, marine reserves, villages and forests, is one of Italy's most beautiful areas, its natural wealth being enhanced by centuries of history.

The Foresta Umbra (or Forest of Shadows) stretches right across the centre of the Gargano massif - 11,000 hectares of pines, oaks and beeches, hiding a rich variety of wildlife, roe deer and wild boar especially and is the last remnant of an ancient forest which once covered most of Puglia. The area was designated a national park in 1991 and there are various marked walks through the forest and a Centro di Visita in the middle which hands out advice and information.

If you are interested in mushrooms, you will be happy to know that several varieties of mushrooms grow in the area: the most common ones are the horse mushroom, the king bolete, the chanterelle, the honey mushroom, the milk mushroom, the russula mushroom.

Even if you are not a botanist or a birdwatcher, you may find yourself appreciating the amazing biodiversity of the forest which is a kind of biological island. There are more than 70 species of orchid to be found in the park.

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