Natural Park of Monte Orlando (Parco regionale di Monte Orlando) description and photos - Italy: Gaeta (Topic)

Natural Park of Monte Orlando (Parco regionale di Monte Orlando) description and photos - Italy: Gaeta. Detailed information about the attraction. Description, photographs and a map showing the nearest significant objects. The title in English is Parco regionale di Monte Orlando.

Photo and description

The Natural Park of Monte Orlando is spread over an area of 89 hectares in the city of Gaeta on the shores of the Gulf of Gaeta. It consists of a land area of 59 hectares and a 30 hectare sea area under the patronage of the international environmental organization WWF. Cape Monte Orlando itself is a natural continuation of the Aurunci mountain system and is part of the Riviera di Ulisse Regional Park, along with the protected areas of Gianola, Monte Scauri and Sperlonga.

Rocky Cape Monte Orlando is 171 meters above sea level. Except for its southern part, it is uninhabited and forested. It is connected to the mainland by means of a narrow hilly isthmus, on which on one side are located the outskirts of Gaeta and civil and military ports, and on the other side is Serapo beach.

The terrestrial part of the park is formed by limestone rocks, which are from 25 to 190 million years old. There are also steep cliffs - cliffs, geological faults, red soils and grottoes, among which the Turkish Grotto deserves special attention. As for the water area of the park, the average depth of its waters is 30-40 meters. Among the marine flora, it is worth paying attention to a special type of algae, which serves as an ecological indicator of the purity of the sea - for the existence of this algae, sunlight is needed, which can penetrate into the thickness of only crystal clear waters.

Since the 16th century, Monte Orlando has been included in the fortress of Gaeta, and in 1986 a natural park was created. On its territory, at the highest point, there is a monument of ancient Roman architecture - the mausoleum of Lucius Planck. Among other sights, it is worth noting two small churches - one is made in the Romanesque style, and the second was built in the 20th century. Here you can also admire a kind of natural monument - Montana Spaccata, which is a canyon overhanging the Tyrrhenian Sea.

The vegetation of the park is represented by classic Mediterranean shrubs, and among the wild inhabitants it is worth noting hedgehogs, green-yellow snakes, peregrine falcons, cormorants, golden bee-eaters and other birds.

Tourists are attracted to Monte Orlando Park by the opportunity to ride bicycles and walk along the numerous hiking trails from which a majestic view opens up.

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Topic: Natural Park of Monte Orlando (Parco regionale di Monte Orlando) description and photos - Italy: Gaeta.