Flowers of Italy's Gargano Peninsula

Tour Code: ITA02

An 8-day holiday of gentle botanical walks in search of the unique flora – especially the profusion of orchid species – of the Gargano Peninsula.

8 days from
£1,995 (Inc flights)
Land only price from
£1,795
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Highlights

Summary

Summary

On this 2-centre holiday, we’ll take gentle botanical walks in search of the rich flora, especially the wide variety of orchids, to be found on the Gargano Peninsula. First, we will explore from Monte Sant’Angelo, an attractive medieval town clinging to a limestone escarpment, its surrounding terraces awash with colourful displays of rockroses, asphodels and orchids. Then we’ll explore from Peschici, a charming old fishing village that spills down the cliffs into the sea. From our hotel that overlooks the harbour, we will focus on the interesting botany of the peninsula’s north coast.

  • Visit the orchid capital of Europe
  • Enjoy breathtaking displays of orchids and other spring flowers
  • Expect to find around 40 of the Gargano’s 69 orchid species
  • Enjoy beautiful scenery and excellent local food and wine
  • Learn from our expert botanical tour leaders

Grading

Day walks only.

The Gargano Peninsula is a sparsely populated promontory jutting into the Adriatic Sea just above the ‘boot’ of Italy. It is an area of enormous botanical interest, yet, until recently, it has remained relatively unknown. A region of rolling limestone hills and tiny, arid fields, its landscape is punctuated by small medieval towns and scarred by the erosion that has created numerous caves, dolines, swallow holes, deep gorges and rock bridges. Along the northern side of the peninsula, Aleppo Pines and the elegant spires of Italian Cypress line the white cliffs which plunge to the wine-dark Adriatic Sea.

The fact that the peninsula was once an island, making it geographically isolated, and the lack of intensive farming must account for its exceptionally rich plant-life. Over 2,000 plant species have been recorded here, including 69 species of orchids (the greatest concentration of different orchid species in Europe). It was for this reason that the Gargano Peninsula, just 65 kilometres long and 45 kilometres wide, and reaching a maximum height of 1,065 metres at Mount Calvo, was declared a national park. It is also, of course, the reason behind this exciting Naturetrek tour, on which we hope to see over 40 of these orchids, together with a number of bulbous plants and a high proportion of the endemic plant species.

This will not be a strenuous tour. We will be far too busy looking at plants to walk fast! It is, however, a 2-centre holiday, starting at Monte Sant’Angelo, an attractive, clustered medieval town situated 800 metres up on a limestone escarpment overlooking the south coast. We will take some time to wander its winding streets and to visit its famous shrine of St. Michele Archangelo. Our hotel, situated on the edge of the town, enjoys wonderful views of the Gulf of Manfredonia, and only a short walk away is an ancient chapel surrounded by flowerladen terraces — a favourite pre-breakfast walk of many clients.

We will not move far on our first day, for we will spend the time exploring the rocky terraces close to our hotel, wandering amongst colourful rockroses, asphodels and large patches of pink Butterfly Orchids. We will also see the endemic pale Goldendrop (Onosma lucana) and encounter our first Bee Orchids, Ophrys promontorii, O. passionis var garganica, O. apulica, O. bertolonii, and possibly O. bertoloniformis, together with the more familiar Burnt-tip, Green-winged and Milky Orchids. On another day we will explore the Bosco Quarto, walking through an area of Oak and Hornbeam woods and small rocky fields. On the way, we will stop to see a mass of Iris pseudopumila, Narcissus poeticus, the Pheasant’s Eye Daffodil, and carpets of the lovely Anemone apennina, while during our walk we will see Dactylorhiza romana, the Roman Orchid, as well as large patches of the beautiful blue Iris lutescens, growing in the open fields.

Another expedition takes us to Monte Sacro. We picnic below the mountain in flower-filled fields, with yet more orchids: Orchis intacta, the Dense-flowered Orchid, and Ophrys biscutella among them. At the top of Monte Sacro there are interesting ruins of the old abbey of St. Maria. Walking up through Quercus ilex we come across Ornithogalum montanum and, in open places, Orchis quadripunctata and O. pauciflora.

We will spend the latter part of our holiday based at Peschici, on the Gargano’s north coast. During our drive across the peninsula we will enjoy a picnic in the Foresta Umbra. This is a good place to walk and see Narcissus poeticus, the Pheasant’s Eye Daffodil, and blue patches of the lovely Anemone apennina. We will spend some time exploring the forest, a vast woodland reserve of Beech, Holm and Turkey Oak, Hornbeam and Italian Maple set in the heart of the peninsula. Peschici is a small and charming fishing village that spills down the cliffs into the sea. In summer this is a busy seaside resort but during our visits we will almost have it to ourselves. Our hotel looks out over the harbour, with steps winding up behind us to the old town.

From here we will spend a full day in exploration of the north coast. We will make many botanical stops but our site of key focus is Bosco di Spinapulci, a rocky hillside with many familiar Mediterranean plants, including Cyclamen repandum and some interesting orchids, including Serapias cordigera, Ophrys parvimaculata, and the Fragrant Bug Orchid, Orchis fragrans. During the last part of the day we may take the opportunity to explore the Gargano’s largest dolina, its limestone content assuring us of interesting flowers.

By the end of our holiday we will have had some wonderful experiences in a relatively unknown area, and enjoyed the genuine friendliness of the local people, the beautiful scenery, excellent local food (including some superb fish!) and wines and, we hope, will have returned with a lengthy and highly interesting plant list.

DETAILED INFORMATION
Itinerary

Outline Itinerary

Day 1
Fly Bari and transfer to Monte Sant' Angelo
Day 2/5
A daily programme of gentle botanical walks from our base in Monte Sant' Angelo
Day 6
Transfer to Peschici
Day 7
Botanical walks from Peschici
Day 8
Fly London
cloud_downloadDownload Full Itinerary
What's Included

What's Included?

  • Flights
  • Accommodation: Two comfortable and friendly family-run hotels, both with private facilities.
  • Food:

    All food included in the price.

Reviews
Dates & Prices

Dates & Prices

2025

Departures Availability Cost
Thu 10th Apr – Thu 17th Apr FULL £2,195
Flights:
Most Naturetrek tours include flight costs ex-UK. If flights are not included, we indicate that here.
Flights are included in the tour cost
Land only cost:
The "Land Only" cost is the tour price you will pay if you choose to arrange your own flights/transport.
£1,795
Room sharing options:
If a customer on this departure has already expressed an interest in sharing a room it will be flagged here. We will identify if there are sharing options for male, female or both.
Female sharing available
Single Room Supplement:
Single Room Supplement.
£295
Tour Leader:
Please note that, whilst we assign leaders to particular tours well in advance, we reserve the right to make changes if necessary
Andrew Cleave
AJCPeschici01.jpg

Tour Leader: Andrew Cleave

Having taken early retirement from his job teaching and running an Environmental Education Centre a few years ago, Andrew is now able to concentrate on writing, photography, lecturing and tour leading. His published works, numbering over 30 titles so far, cover a range of natural history and environmental subjects, and include field guides to Trees, Wild Flowers, Seashore Life and Birds, Biology Revision Guides and numerous articles in magazines and journals. Andrew is a frequent lecturer to National Trust and RSPB groups, and has also run courses on dormouse conservation and ecology. He is a committee member of the Lundy Field Society and is presently involved with a survey of the island's flora. He has travelled extensively, especially in Europe, and led tours for Naturetrek in various parts of the Mediterranean region and Galapagos. Andrew was appointed MBE in 1995 for services to Environmental Education.

Tue 22nd Apr – Tue 29th Apr SPACES £1,995
Book Tour Show Details
Flights:
Most Naturetrek tours include flight costs ex-UK. If flights are not included, we indicate that here.
Flights are included in the tour cost
Land only cost:
The "Land Only" cost is the tour price you will pay if you choose to arrange your own flights/transport.
£1,795
Room sharing options:
If a customer on this departure has already expressed an interest in sharing a room it will be flagged here. We will identify if there are sharing options for male, female or both.
Female sharing available
Single Room Supplement:
Single Room Supplement.
£295

2026

Departures Availability Cost
Thu 9th Apr – Thu 16th Apr SPACES £1,995
Book Tour Show Details
Flights:
Most Naturetrek tours include flight costs ex-UK. If flights are not included, we indicate that here.
Flights are included in the tour cost
Land only cost:
The "Land Only" cost is the tour price you will pay if you choose to arrange your own flights/transport.
£1,795
Single Room Supplement:
Single Room Supplement.
£295 
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Botanical Tours – See Wild Flowers with our Expert Botanical Guides


There are few more pleasing sights in the natural world than a meadow filled with wildflowers. Seeing plants in their native habitat is always exciting and our flower tours offer you an incredible choice, from dazzling tropical blooms and the thrill of finding elusive orchids or delicate alpines, to seeing island endemics or British flora. Our tours range from week-long holidays focusing on the ‘Alpine flowers of the Swiss Alps’, the ‘Italian Dolomites’ and the ‘Alpine Flowers of Slovenia’s Julian Alps’, to orchid-hunting on Italy’s Gargano Peninsula and searching for the Autumn Plants of Greece’s Peloponnese. We also visit more remote areas of the world in search of plant-life, from the Tien Shan Mountains of Kazakhstan where we look for wild tulips, to the rainforests and spiny deserts of Madagascar where over 80% of the flora is endemic.  


Many of us want to know more about the plants we see around us. Whether inspired by an appreciation of the aesthetic appeal of flowers, or a more focused desire to identify individual species, everyone with an interest in botany will derive pleasure from joining one of Naturetrek’s flower tours.


Why choose Naturetrek’s botanical holidays?


    

  • All our botanical holidays are led by expert botanist guides
    • 

  • All levels of interest and expertise are catered for, from hobby gardeners and complete beginners to keen botanists who wish to explore a new area with the help of a knowledgeable leader
    • 

  • We keep the overall focus on flora, though expert guidance is also given on other wildlife
    • 



What can I expect on a typical Naturetrek botanical holiday?


    

  • Travel with a group of like-minded people
    • 

  • Stay at a comfortable hotel or lodge, close to an area of outstanding botanical interest
    • 

  • Enjoy a series of leisurely day excursions with ample time to appreciate the local flora
    • 



In addition to our dedicated flower tours, we also offer holidays with a wider theme to encompass birds, butterflies and other aspects of natural history as well as the flora. Our spring tours to 'Crete' and ‘The Island of Cyprus’ are both timed to allow us to enjoy the botanical highlights as well as the spring bird migration, whilst ‘Croatia and Slovenia – Spring in Istria’ also allows time to enjoy a little of the local culture. ‘Romania – the Wildlife of Transylvania’ combines an appreciation of the flora of the Carpathian Mountains with birding, butterflying and a trip to look for Brown Bears from a purpose built hide, and our holidays in both the ‘French Pyrenees’ and the ‘Spanish Pyrenees’ combine birds, butterflies and botany throughout the week.  




Our specialist recommends...






"I'd recommend 'Wengen – Alpine Flowers of the Swiss Alps', 'Crete' and 'The French Pyrenees', which all offer some fascinating European botany, along with plenty of wider natural history and some stunning scenery. If you’re keen to travel a little further afield, I’d suggest joining us in South Africa for our 'Wild Flowers of the Cape & Namaqualand' tour” 

David Tattersfield - Tour Leader




All Botany Tours

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Prefer to Travel in a Private Group?

For any interested natural history club or society, we can arrange for a private departure of this tour.

Enquire
Why Naturetrek?

Why Naturetrek?

At Naturetrek we craft expertly-guided group and tailor-made wildlife holidays and cruises to all seven continents. On one of our holidays, you can be assured that our passionate team will enable you to experience and enjoy the best of the world's wildlife and natural spectacles in as comfortable and rewarding a manner as possible, caring as best we can for the environment in the process. We are proud to provide:

  • The widest choice of wildlife holidays worldwide
  • Tours managed and led by naturalists, for naturalists
  • Outstanding value and exceptional customer service

Furthermore, as a Naturetrek client, our office team are always to on hand to help you – so if you have any queries about your holiday, whether before or after you have booked, we will be delighted to answer them on the phone. Please just give our team a call!