LAKE LESINA
This saltwater lake stretches along the north coast of Gargano at sea level. It is long and narrow (22 km by 1.8 km) and has a surface area of 51.5 sq km. A spit of land lies between it and the sea, and it is connected to the sea by three canals – the Schiappara, the Sant’Andrea and the Acquarotta. The area is good for eel fishing. Half buried and buried huts containing stone and pottery objects from the Stone Age have been found along its banks, as well as important relics of the Bronze and Iron Ages. The town of Lesina in the province of Foggia overlooks the lake from a little peninsula on the south shore.
LAKE VARANO
This is the biggest lake in southern Italy, with a surface area of 60.5 sq km. It lies on the south coast of Gargano in the province of Foggia. It is quadrilateral in shape and has a maximum depth of six metres. A line of sand dunes, called the “Isola”, separates it from the sea, with which it is linked by two canals, the Foce di Varano and the Foce di Capoiale. Rodi Garganico is a tourist and seaside resort and citrus fruit centre situated 12 km away on a promontory on the north coast of Gargano. The interior of the area is thickly covered with woods while the coast has lush vegetation, bays, caves and beaches.
