Gargano: forest, cliffs and sea stacks
The spur of Italy’s boot: an archangel’s cave sanctuary, white sea stacks, Vieste’s monolith and an ancient beech forest.
- Distance
- 87 km (54 mi)
- Driving
- 1 h 12 min
- Suggested days
- 3
- Stops
- 6
- Countries
- Italy
- Updated
- September 12, 2026
At a glance: 3-day road trip of about 87 km (54 mi) with 6 stops, from Manfredonia to Foresta Umbra. About 1 h 12 min of driving in total.
Route description
From Manfredonia and its Swabian castle, climb the hairpins to Monte Sant’Angelo, whose cave sanctuary has drawn pilgrims for fifteen centuries. The whitewashed Junno quarter below it is a maze of stepped lanes.
Return towards the coast at Mattinata and follow the SS89 and the coast road north-east. This stretch runs high above the sea past the stacks of the Baia delle Zagare and the arch of Architiello di San Felice, with many bends and few safe places to stop.
Vieste sits on a rock above wide beaches, with the Pizzomunno monolith at its foot; boat trips from the port visit the sea caves along the cliffs. The road continues to Peschici, perched on a cliff above its bay.
Cut back inland through Vico del Gargano to the Foresta Umbra, where tall beeches shade picnic spots and marked trails. The Gargano gets very busy in August; May, June and September are far quieter and still warm enough to swim.
Stop-by-stop itinerary
In driving order. Distances are estimates between consecutive stops.
- 1Start
Manfredonia
Italy - 212 km
Sanctuary of St Michael
HistoryMonte Sant’Angelo, ItalyAn ancient pilgrimage cave dedicated to the Archangel Michael, reached down a long stairway, in a UNESCO-listed town high above Manfredonia.
- 319 km
Baia delle Zagare
NatureMattinata, ItalyTwo white sea stacks off a cove below the cliffs of the Gargano. The best views are from the coast road and from boat trips out of Vieste or Mattinata.
- 419 km
Pizzomunno
NatureVieste, ItalyA 25 m limestone monolith standing on the beach just south of Vieste’s old town, the subject of a local love legend. Boat trips to the sea caves start from the harbour nearby.
- 519 km
Peschici
Italy - 618 km
Foresta Umbra
NatureVico del Gargano, ItalyAn old beech forest in the middle of the Gargano, part of a UNESCO series of European beech woods. Picnic areas and marked trails start at the visitor centre on the road across.
