Gargano (Photo from Wikipedia)

Circeo National Park

75 miles south of Rome is a marvelous seaside location extraordinary for its simplicity and richness. Legend says that it was the home of Circe, the mythical witch who enchanted Ulysses in The Odyssey. The national park of Circeo takes its name from Mount Circeo, a long and almost flat mountain that resembles a sleeping woman, said to be the actual body of Circe who died and grew into the mountain. The shape is also bizarre because it is a stand-alone promontory of 541 meters in the middle of a very flat area; another details which promotes the story of Circe. Legendary tales aside, the park was established in 1934 and it extends from Anzio (the famous city used by the allies during World War II) to Terracina, a small town of immense historical value and home of the Temple of Jupiter. The forest makes up one portion of the park, 3,300 hectares, the largest non-mountainous forest in the country. An interesting discovery was made in 1939 when in the local cave of Guattari the skull of a Neanderthal man was found, revealing that this site and other nearby caves were dwellings for the Neanderthals. It is also worth mentioning the sand dunes, known as the Dunes of Sabaudia. Right across from Terracina we can spot the Pontine Islands and among them Zannone, which was annexed to the park in 1979. It is very worthwhile to take the ferry from Terracina and then rent a boat and sail to these islands.

National Park in italy

Gargano National Park

Going further south to Apulia we can visit the national park of Gargano. This is one of the larger protected areas in Italy, and it includes the Tremiti islands. One very interesting site in this park is the Dolina Pozzantina, a karst depression (a geological phenomenon) with a diameter of 500 meters (the biggest in all of Europe) and among 4000 dolline present in the park. The park is also home to 128 marine caves. This makes Gargano very unusual as all of the water supply comes from underground and there are no surface rivers. Though there are no rivers, there are two beautiful lagoons,  Lake Lesina and Lake Varano. This rich underground water source and very particular climatic conditions have enouraged the growth of the Forresta Umbra, which holds a total 2,200 different plants, making up 35% of the entire Italian flora. But, it also created wetlands, not very commonly seen in Italy. In terms of wild animals, it is particularly important to mention that there are approximately 170 different species of birds here. It is possible to visit the park with guided tours, and several itineraries have been designed to tailor the visits according to particular interests of the visitors.

Maiella National Park.

As we go north from Gargano and reenter the Abruzzi region, we find the National park of Maiella, which is the third park of the region. Established in 1991, it basically surrounds the massif of Maiella whose highest peak is Mount Amaro, 2,793 meters tall. There are 2,100 plants and 150 species of animals, representing pretty much one third of the entire Italian flora. The park also features several museums that can be visited all year long, which provide an understanding of the natural evolution of the area; the botanical gardens within the park contain hundreds of different types of flowers and plants. In the park however, besides the natural elements, it is possible to find some typical products of the local economy handmade by local artisans. There is a strong tradition of metal molding, as well as ceramics, along with the particular arts of tailoring, wood and stonework. There is really a bit of everything, proving the many capabilities of the "Abruzzesi." Last but not least we should mention the food, as the area has great cheeses, olive oil, and mushrooms that are second to none.

Vesuvius National Park.

To conclude our long journey through the Italian national parks, we would like to take you to Vesuvius National Park, just outside of Naples, where Mount Vesuvius lies. It is the second largest volcano in Europe and is technically still active. There are 900 different species of flora, while the fauna includes over 100 kinds of birds. This park is unique not only for its volcanic nature but also because it's basically the only one of its size and magnitude in Continental Europe. The surrounding panorama is unique and takes in the Gulf of Naples, creating a postcard image that is one of the most famous in the world.

Take some time and travel to one of Italy's lovely national parks. It will be well worth your time.