In environmental sciences, protected natural areas are natural areas, established through specific laws at national or regional level by public institutions or private individuals, such as research institutes or charities, with the function of preserving the environmental balance of a specific place, increasing its or maintaining its integrity and biodiversity.

 

The formation of a coastal cordon, which occurred due to the sea currents and winds that transported the debris from the rivers that have their mouths in the middle Adriatic, closed this marine inlet, thus giving rise to the "lake" of Varano.

The protected natural areas of Puglia extend in total for 245,154.33 hectares[1], of which 75.8% is represented by national parks (Gargano national park and Alta Murgia national park) and 8.3% from natural areas and marine nature reserves.

The provinces with the highest percentage of territory subject to protection are that of Foggia (51.5%) and Bari (27.7%)

To organize tourist presences and scientific research, the Park Authority has established a series of visitor centers and equipped paths, partially accessible also to disabled people.

The Gargano national park is a national park established by law n. 394 of 6 December 1991. The territory (118,144 ha) is located in Puglia and precisely in the extreme north-eastern part, often defined as the "Spur of Italy", entirely in the Province of Foggia, with the Park Authority located in Monte Sant'Angelo.