Flowers of Italy's Gargano Peninsula Naturetrek Tour Report 25 April - 2 May 2016 Convolvulus althaeoidess Scenic views A reflection of Peschici Ophrys parviflora Report and images by Andrew Cleave Naturetrek Mingledown Barn Wolf's Lane Chawton Alton Hampshire GU34 3HJ UK T: +44 (0)1962 733051 E:
[email protected] W: www.naturetrek.co.uk Tour Report Flowers of Italy's Gargano Peninsula Tour participants: Andrew Cleave & Luca Boscain (leaders) with 11 Naturetrek clients Summary Our week-long exploration of the “Orchid Capital of Europe” followed the well-established pattern set in previous years, visiting many of the top botanical sites of the Gargano Peninsula, plus many more of the less well-known spots discovered on our earlier trips which are rarely visited by other groups. We had a week of mostly pleasant sunny weather with only one or two spells of rain, but this did not stop us from visiting any of the important habitats. We started on the flat coastal area north of Bari, visiting some salt pans and a deserted beach where we had some excellent birdwatching and found a few unusual coastal plants, and then headed into the hills for the rest of our stay. Our base in the historic hill-top town of Monte Sant’Angelo enabled us to reach some superb orchid habitats, and we also had time to check out the grassy slopes behind the hotel, and explore the town itself, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The latter part of the week was spent in the charming seaside town of Peschici, in the family-run Hotel Elisa located on the harbour.