In order to understand what makes the Gargano one of the areas with the highest level of biodiversity in Europe, we need to go back in time. About 160 million years ago the Gargano was an island, parted form the “Italian Boot.” Only later, because of many geologic and environmental phenomena, the promontory unified to the mainland, by creating the unmistakable "spur".
This isle origin, however, changed the natural evolution of this land, and is visible in an environment that is distinguished by the existence of different habitats. The Foresta Umbra, green heart of the Gargano, is a typical expression of this: a centuries-old beech forest that is considered to be “hollowed" because it is at a lower level if compared with the canonical 800 meters, thanks to the generous rainfall.
In the forest it is possible to observe also the gigantism phenomena on both arboreal and shrub species, signs of the natural phenomenon called "plant macro-somatism", originated by the ancient isolation of the Promontory. In order to safeguard this "biologic island" together with its wide environmental variety, it has been instituted the Gargano National Park.
In this same precious area of Apulia you can observe the gorgeous mountains reliefs of the Gargano Promontory, the two coastal lakes Lesina and Varano, the wonderful Natural Orchids, the interesting archeological sites of the Gargano, the indented shoreline, rich of sea caves, the Natural Marine Reserve of the archipelago of Tremiti Islands. A mosaic of habitat, assembled in a unique land to discover.
