The Conero Park...

is a place where the landscape is shaped by nature and agricultural activities surrounded by a promontory that dives into the blue of the Adriatic Sea.
What is so special about this strip of coastline just 20 km long and the territory behind it?
Monte Conero, together with Monte San Bartolo (also in the Marches but in the north of Pesaro), is the only promontory on the Adriatic coast, which is low and sandy, from Gargano to Trieste. Monte Conero has the highest maritime cliffs of the eastern Adriatic coast, more than 500 meters overlooking the sea!

The Conero Regional Park...

was established in 1987.
Since then, human activities are particularly contained there in order to preserve this trove of biodiversity. Today, many species bloom here, from the arboreal ones such as cedars, holm oaks and pines to the herbaceous ones like strawberry trees, (kòmaros in Greek, this plant probably gave origin to the name Conero), euphorbias and the wild crithmum maritimum (in this area it also cultivated and appreciated to cook). The fauna of the park is particularly rich, from birds of prey to migrant birds, that nest here in the warmer months of the year. There are other birds that live around the small retrodunal salted ponds of Portonovo and many species of mammals such us roe deers, boars, etc… Recently the wolf appeared on the Monte Conero, too!
Last but not least there’s the marine fauna, whose greatest symbols are the Portonovo wild mussels (Slow Food Presidium).

But it was not always so

The Conero area and the Monte itself have been inhabited since the prehistory, as testified by some cave paintings discovered on the summit rocks.
Numana, at the southern slope of Conero, was a crucial Picenian center.
Even in Roman times the territory was inhabited and exploited as the calcareous quarry and the ruins of an aqueduct prove.
During the Middle Ages, monks of different orders built churches and monasteries in many parts of the mountain.
This strong anthropization and the bond between Conero and its inhabitants have kept a balance that was sustainable until the XIX century.

After that, the exploitation of the soil almost led to a complete deforestation to obtain wood and fields, open-air quarries and projects that nowadays look unreasonable because of the defacing effect that provoked to the view and the environment: the realization of funicular railways and cable cars to enter the beaches and a huge hotel that took the place of the wood and the field in the Poggio area.
Thanks to an important reforestation work started in the 1930s, to the establishment of the Park and to the development of biological and eco-friendly agriculture, there is a new balance between the land and human activities and today we can enjoy its beauty: breath-taking views, unique and exciting landscapes.
Next step? The marine protected area! Still waiting in the wings…

Today the Conero represents a cohesion of geological history and human civilization, a set of different landscapes in one frame, from the sea to the mountain, from the streams to the retrodunal salted ponds, a safe of biodiversity, a perfect example of Mediterranean agriculture with its cultivation of grapevine, olive tree and cereals and its livestock of bovine and ovine grazing.
You can visit these places all year around and it’s always fulfilling, even at wintertime when the sea has a special charm and you can hike on Monte Conero and enjoy wonderful views.
To fully enjoy the sea, it is better to arrive in late spring until the end of June or in late summer until the end of September when the Conero is not very crowded.

Rely on us...

to receive a tailored travel consultation or take part in one of our group trips, you won’t regret it!

Do you want to take a dive into this special scenario? Contact us to plan your stay with Rurally to discover this territory from the most authentic side.

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