The Celestial Mountains to the Altai
Dalyan
Wildlife at Leisure
Tours that take the strain out of enjoying Europe’s flora and fauna! Based in just two good quality hotels, these tours have direct flights, and these at kind times of day! And most importantly field trips will be kept to a maximum of six or so hours giving you plenty of time to relax before and after.
The Gargano’s tranquil limestone hills rise to over three thousand feet and manage to pack an unbelievable flora into an area only fifty miles across. From the beautiful cool green beech and oak forests and limestone karst moonscapes of the higher reaches the hills plunge towards a deep blue Adriatic where the local inhabitants cling to the cliff-tops in stunning jumbled white-walled towns.
No less than 72 orchid species have been recorded and we should see over 48 during our stay. The sheer abundance of Pink Butterfly Orchids and Green-winged Orchids is a revelation and amongst these we can find swarms of the Gargano’s speciality – Bee Orchids. Many are found only in this region – Ophrys apulica, Ophrys archipelagi, Ophrys parvimaculata, Ophrys promontorii and the abundant and aptly-named Ophrys garganica. There’s Serapias apulica, improbably decorating a motorway verge, and Serapias laxiflora, also Ophrys virescens, rare Ophrys sipontensis, Ophrys funerea and the lovely Spectacle Ophrys. In Southern Murgia we shall find the local endemics Ophrys tarentina and Ophrys celiensis. But orchids are only part of the show. Swathes of Anemones, Cyclamens, Violas and Narcissus poeticus decorate the woodland floor. Woodpeckers, Hawfinches and Flycatchers inhabit their newly leafy boughs. Swallowtails and Southern Festoons sail across fields adorned with superb shows of Irises and Wild Tulips.
At reed-rimmed coastal wetlands are Spoonbills, Glossy Ibis, Bearded Tits, Greater Flamingos and colonies of pink-washed Slender-billed Gulls. We’ll find the huge blooms of Paeonia mascula and gorgeous Paeonia peregrina, endemic Campanula garganica, half a dozen Star-of-Bethlehem’s, Tulipa sylvestris, and amongst several irises are fine groups of Iris pseudopumila, Iris lutescens and the endemic Iris bicapitata. Rare Arum apulum inhabits the lovely Itria Valley. We have chosen very peaceful hotels so that you can enjoy the wonderful fauna, flora and scenery of the Gargano right up to your hotel balcony!
An extension takes us to Molise is one of the smallest and off the beaten track regions in Italy, where a popular recurring joke is that “Molise doesn’t exist”. While very small, Molise is an area of green, rolling hills that rises from the Adriatic up to the impressive 2000+ metre peaks and ridges of the Matese Mountains bordering Campania. Fabulous high-altitude grasslands are covered with millions of yellow or purple-blue Viola eugeniae, Anacamptis morio, Orchis pauciflora, Bellevalia romana and Spring Gentians. Extensive Beechwoods are full of Dactylorhiza sambucina and Dactylorhiza romana, Anemone apennina, Corydalis cava, Cyclamen repandum and Scilla bifolia… and being a limestone massif there’s plenty of orchids including rarities such as Oprhys minipassionis.
Halfway between the shores of the Ionian and Tyrrhenian Seas, and far from the tourist crowds of other Italian regions, the Pollino Massif straddles the borders of Calabria and Basilicata. Italy’s largest national park is a well-kept secret and the focus for the last week of our holiday. Its landscapes are breathtaking, and its traditions have been kept alive for centuries by local communities. These remarkable landscapes result from a combination of the most tectonically active zone in the central Mediterranean, and a geology dominated by Mesozoic–Cenozoic limestone sequences, with well-preserved ophiolite suites — fragments of the Tethys Oceanic lithosphere. The region also contains ancient beech forests, such as those of Cozzo Ferriero and Pollinello. These forests are among the last undisturbed ecosystems of their kind in Europe.
We’ve teamed up with local orchid expert Antonio de Marco so that you can be sure of seeing not only the remarkable diversity of species found within Pollino’s ecosystems, but also the local rarities too! The hills surrounding Cassano are super-rich in bee orchids. Among the many beauties are Ophrys apulica, Ophrys bertolonii, Ophrys incubacea, Ophrys lucana, Ophrys lutea, Ophrys neglecta and Ophrys tarentina. There’s also lots of Pink Butterfly Orchids, various Tongue Orchids and Naked Man Orchid. Around the Cerchiara di Calabria we can find two superb peonies Paeonia peregrina & Paeonia mascula as well as Lizard Orchid, Mirror Orchid, Provence Orchid, Orchis ovalis andOrchis quadripuctata. Near Campotenese are delights such as Ophrys biscutella, Orchis colemanii, two-tone yellow Orchis pauciflora and elegant Lady Orchid. Golden Eagles, Egyptian Vulture, Griffon Vulture, and both Red and Black Kites ply their trades in the air above the Colle Marcione where amongst a suite of orchids are Frog Orchid, Elder-flowered Orchid, local Ophrys pinguis, and the simply stunning Ophrys lacaitae. Hybrids are frequent in the area and Antonio will delight in discussing the complicated parentage of some the stranger ones you’ll see. Some of the most beautiful combinations are Orchis ustulata x tridentata, the yellow and pink combination exhibited by Orchis quadripunctata x pauciflora, and Orchis purpurea x simia. There are abundant examples of bee orchid promiscuity, among them are Ophrys neglecta x bombyliflora and Oprhys neglecta x bertoloni.
Though the orchids may take the plaudits there are plenty of other noteworthy plants we’ll encounter during the trip such as lovely blue Anemonoides apennina, the purple-black Aquilegia atrata and the delicate beauty that is Campanula pollinensis. Under open stands of the rare Bosnian Pine we can find Helleborus foetidus, Hepatica nobilis and pink tufts of Plocama calabrica. We’ll encounter the local endemic Acer lobelia and more widespread Acer opalus as well as Ajuga tenorei, Erica multiflora and the lovely little Viola aethnensis messanensis.
Dates and Prices
20th April - 8th May 2027 (19 days)
Please note; prices will be confirmed by the end of August
Flowers, especially orchids. Also Birds, Butterflies, Reptiles and Landscapes. Archaeological and Cultural Sites.
Stefano Doglio , Sarah Green , Antonio de Marco
One leader for a group of up to 6, two leaders up to the maximum group size of 12.One leader for a group of up to 6, two leaders up to the maximum group size of 12. Stefano will lead throughout, aided in The Gargano by Sarah and in the Pollino National Park by Antonio de Marco.
All flights. All transport, accommodation and meals in Italy. Services of your leaders. Please note: items of a personal nature including travel insurance, drinks and tips, are not included. Flower and bird checklists are available.
We start at the Hotel Poggio Degli Ulivi situated on a hill just west of Rodi Garganico and with wonderful views out over the Adriatic. We’ve three nights to enjoy the restaurant which serves great local cuisine, the swimming pool (if it’s warm enough!) and the bright modern air-conditioned rooms. Later we’ll move south to the Gran Paradiso Hotel Spa, in delightful San Giovanni Rotondo. This very comfortable hotel has a fine restaurant and some nice orchid-filled terraces outside. Both are quality four-star hotels. In the Matese area we stay at the Agriturismo Le Due Arcate. The rooms are straightforward but comfortable and they serve truly excellent cuisine. Moving to the Pollino National Park we stay the entire last week in the La Locanda del Parco. This gorgeous agriturismo is located on the edge of the National Park that we’ll spend the days exploring, and in the picture-postcard medieval village of Morano Calabro. The Locanda’s rooms are bright and colourful and set amid a small farm. There’s a swimming pool and an excellent restaurant that focuses on local agri-gastronomic traditions that remain strong. The hotel prides itself on using local produce with almost zero food miles. All rooms on this tour have en suite rooms.
Relaxed and easy. Always at a slow pace, ideally suited to photographers. Much the time will be spent in fields and terraces on limestone where the ground may be a little rough.
UK flights are direct from London Gatwick to Bari, returning direct from Naples. Add-ons are available from various UK airports*. Other indirect routes from regional UK Airports* are available.
*These routes may incur a supplement.
Rather variable. Mostly warm and sunny, especially in the last week, but sometimes cooler with showers or even occasional rainy days.
Contact us to check if there is availability for the number of places you require. Click on the ‘Book this Tour’ button on this page to be taken to the online booking form or contact us and we will send one to you which you can complete and send back to us. You will receive confirmation of your place, and then a detailed information pack will be dispatched to you about twelve weeks before departure. This will contain up-to-date health information.
