- Travel time: about 5 hours
- Return route length:10,5 km
- Overall gain/loss difference: 500 mt
- Degree of difficulty: TE (hiking only for differences in altitude)
- Period: all the year
- For those with dogs: pay attention to temporary colonies of processionary moths.
In the heart of San Giovanni Rotondo, continuing beyond the old sanctuary of San Pio da Pietrelcina starting from the convent of the Poor Clares, take the path to Mount Castellana which, at its highest point, exceeds 1.000 m. Its prominent position from which you can admire a spectacular panorama which ranges from the Gulf of Manfredonia, to the Daunia mountains, to the Maiella mountains, to Lake Varano and up to the Tremiti archipelago, makes this place an exemplary representative of the Gargano karst, with its sinkholes and chasms testifying to the importance of the erosive action of water on this territory. Along the way you will come across numerous species of rare Gargano orchids in spring and you will be able to observe splendid examples of trees such as turkey oaks, maples, hornbeams and many others. Historically these paths are also a splendid example of the presence of shepherds and even today you can see, at the end of the journey, the settlement of the ancient village of Castel Bisanum of the Bronze Age, of which the ruins are visible and from whose population the current medieval historic center was then born in the valley. Finally, the specimens of birds that can be found there are wonderful, including woodpeckers, buzzards, hoopoes and kestrels.
