The Umbra Forest extends over a surface of over 10 thousand hectares and, although the name may appear to refer to the Umbria region, the Forest is actually a completely Pugliese patrimony!
Its name comes from its many dark and shadowy areas, due to the extremely dense millenary vegetation which hardly lets sun rays through at all, thus creating a perfect natural habitat for a multitude of animal and vegetable species.
A protected area within the Gargano National Park, the Forest extends up to an altitude of 830 meters and descends into large beech woods 270 meters below the level of the sea, thanks to particular climatic conditions which make it a unique environment in the world.
The undergrowth of the Umbra Forest is the ideal habitat for numerous varieties of orchids, a phenomenon which attracts tourists from all around the globe, as do the Forest’s anemones, violets and cyclamens.
The karst nature of this area located on Italy’s spur has led to the formation of a series of landslides and slopes covered by rich vegetation: these natural formations are known as Dolines. Among these, we must mention the Dolina Pozzatina, considered one of the most important karstification phenomena of Europe with its 600-meter diameter and depth of 100 meters,
Visiting the Umbra Forest is certainly a unique and suggestive experience: nature lovers will certainly enjoy the many naturalistic paths, 14 of which were developed by the State Forestry Department. These paths, which you can walk or ride your bicycle on, lead to many discoveries, including various centuries-old turkey oaks, dispersed over the park’s territory.
