Camping in Gargano

Situated in a remote location in the east of Apulia, the Gargano peninsula with the national park of the same name offers the best opportunities for a leisure-oriented holiday. Spectacular rock and mountain landscapes await travellers, which are best explored by hiking and climbing. Below the cliffs, picturesque beaches and bays with the azure Adriatic Sea await bathing fans.

Special features of camping in Gargano

The Gargano National Park is one of the most popular destinations for holidaymakers who want to spend their time in Italy hiking and relaxing on secluded beaches. The latter, some of the most beautiful in the Apulian region of Foggia, offer visitors a romantically tranquil ambience with excellent opportunities to stay overnight in a motorhome.

The campsites of Gargano enchant with fantastic views over the Adriatic Sea, the proximity to sandy beaches and sometimes views from the cliffs over the region. Examples such as Camping Capo Vieste, Camping Baia dei Lombardi or Camping Spiaggia Lunga show just how versatile the facilities can be. Beautiful pitches with plenty of privacy and electricity, hot showers, countless sports activities and a mini-market are available at almost all campsites. Bungalows or modern mobile homes can also be booked for overnight stays.

Campsites in Gargano

There is a huge selection of campsites in the region. Especially in the summer months, most campsites are very popular and their facilities are sure to impress guests.

Camping Capo Vieste

Camping Capo Vieste, with its own sandy beach and pitches in the shade of pine trees, is one of the most rewarding destinations for campers. With its bungalows and mobile homes, the holiday village also attracts guests without a vehicle to the region. They particularly appreciate the sports activities such as tennis, beach volleyball, windsurfing courses and boat hire. Modern sanitary facilities with hot showers are a matter of course at the Capo Vieste campsite, which has good ratings on Pincamp.

Camping Baia dei Lombardi

The tranquil Baia dei Lombardi campsite is nestled in a marvellous hilly landscape. The mixture of parcelled pitches with electricity, bungalows and mobile homes is very popular with campers. The beach and the campsite offer a wide range of leisure activities that are sure to keep you entertained. A small mini-market provides supplies at Camping Baia dei Lombardi.

How to get there

For the journey to Gargano, holidaymakers with a motorhome first travel to Austria. Via Innsbruck you reach the Brenner motorway, for which a vignette is required. This can be purchased at the sales points just over the border. An alternative route is via Switzerland, which is particularly practical for travellers from Baden-Württemberg. Travelling via Graubünden and Ticino, you can reach the Italian region of Lombardy and make a stopover in the fashion capital of Milan. Here you can also learn about the history of the Renaissance Sforza dynasty.

From northern Italy, the journey continues to Bologna. From Bologna, the A14 motorway leads to the Adriatic coast and passes the seaside paradises of Rimini, Ancona and Termoli, among others.

Destinations in Gargano

The many seaside resorts on the coast of the Adriatic Sea are particularly inviting for camping in Gargano. There are also many destinations in the mountains for hikes and excursions.

Vieste

The seaside resort of Vieste is best known for its clean, blue-flagged beaches. The clear water is ideal for taking your first steps in diving and watching the dazzling schools of fish in the Adriatic Sea. Corrosion has created several bizarre rock formations along the shore, such as rock arches and sea caves. Vieste's architectural sights include the castle and the Romanesque basilica with its baroque bell tower from the 18th century.

Peschici

Peschici is located on the coast and in the centre of the Gargano National Park. When camping here, holidaymakers can relax on beautiful beaches and enjoy various water sports. The local providers on site take visitors sailing, surfing and kitesurfing. The pine forests in the hinterland are well worth a visit.

Mattinata

Mattinata is one of the most famous seaside resorts in Foggia. The mix of white beaches, chalk cliffs and mighty mountain landscapes is particularly impressive. Excursions to the surrounding sea caves, which can be visited by boat, are particularly popular. Nearby is the necropolis of Monte Saraceno, which was built by the ancient Daunian people.

Top 5 sights

• Monte Gargano: The monastery in the municipality of Monte Sant'Angelo is one of the oldest places of worship of Christianity in Western Europe.
• Monte Saraceno: The necropolis dates back to ancient times and contains around 500 tombs of the Daunian people.
• Vieste Lighthouse: Located on the Isola Santa Eufemia off the coast of Vieste, this is one of the most famous lighthouses in Foggia.
• Faraglioni: The spectacular rock formations tower over the bay of Zagare near Mattinata.
• Lesina: The ninth largest lake in Italy has a high salt content and is one of the most popular excursion destinations around the municipality of the same name.

Excursions and activities

Many travellers are drawn to the Adriatic coast on the Gargano peninsula, where seaside resorts invite you to relax, swim and enjoy various water sports. In the hinterland, the varied mountain landscapes are ideal for hiking tours.

Bathing fun

Holidaymakers will find a whole range of seaside resorts with high-quality campsites along the coast. These are just a few steps away from the beach and guarantee pure refreshment in sunny weather. Sunbeds and parasols can be used for a fee.

Dive into the crystal-clear water

In the harbours of Gargano, experienced skippers with a sailing licence can hire a boat and explore the coast on their own. Alternatively, courses and guided trips are an option. Kitesurfing and surfing trips on the waters of the Adriatic are also recommended. The crystal-clear water is also perfect for diving.

Hiking up to Monte Calvo

The mountain landscapes and rugged cliffs of the Gargano National Park promise exciting hiking trips. Here, travellers can stroll through picturesque pine groves and enjoy the fantastic views over the Adriatic Sea. One of the highest points on the peninsula is the 1,065 metre-high Monte Calvo.

events

March - April

• Easter: Easter is celebrated extensively in Italy. Especially in the villages and harbour towns, you can watch the magnificent processions to the local churches on Good Friday. On Easter Sunday, families usually get together for a big feast.
• St Primiano: A large celebration with a sailing regatta is dedicated to the early Christian bishop of Carthage in Gargano.

July

• St. Nazario: In honour of the martyr Nazarius, a procession is organised to the pilgrimage church of the same name on Monte Gargano on 28 July.

August

• St. Rocco: From 15 to 17 August, visitors to Gargano can attend the St. Rocco festival. The saint of the Catholic Church is honoured with a festival lasting several days, the programme of which includes concerts and hearty, regional food.

October

• Running week: October is all about running. Various competitions have been organised since 2014, including short and long distance races. Highlights include the 10-kilometre races and the half marathon. Athletes and leisure fans can take part in the cross-country run along the regional hiking trails

Gastronomy

The mild, sunny climate in Gargano is perfect for growing fruit and vegetables. Tomatoes, olives, almonds and citrus fruits grow on the peninsula. The produce can be ordered in any good tavern in the form of salads and desserts, for example. Pickled tomatoes with feta cheese and olive oil are popular, for example.

A classic of Italian cuisine is, of course, pasta. Due to the proximity to the sea, spaghetti, farfalle and the like are often prepared with fish and other seafood in Gargano. The fresh catches from the Adriatic are also often fried crispy in olive oil or grilled. You should also try the wafer-thin pizza from the stone oven.

Best time to visit

Those travelling to Gargano for a swim usually opt for the summer days. As early as May, the outside temperatures rise to 18 degrees Celsius and the water is around 17 degrees Celsius. From June to September, the temperatures in the Adriatic are between 21 and 24 degrees Celsius.

The average maximum temperatures in the air are similarly high. During the day, the thermometer can even show significantly higher temperatures. Outside the high season, October is still suitable for spending time on the beach at 19 degrees Celsius. Water sports enthusiasts get their money's worth on the coasts of Gargano from April to October.