1. THE NATIONAL PARK OF CIRCEO
The National Park of Circeo, established in
1934, is one of the oldest natural protected
areas in Italy. It is extends from Anzio to
Terracina.

2. HISTORY
The park was
established in 1934
by Benito Mussolini to
protect the Pontina
plain. It is the only
Italian and European
national park which
extends completely in
a flat and maritime
environment.
Apart from this, it is
also a natural
reserve of the
UNESCO since 1997.

3. THE TERRITORY
The Park consists of five fundamental
habitats:
-The forest
-The promontory
-The littoral dune
-The wet zones
-The island of Zannone

4. The Forest represents the most extensive
plain in Italy. It is a varied and rich
ecosystem covered with Mediterranean
macchia, pine trees but also turkey oak,
evergreen oak, laurel, cork and flowering
ash which can be seen as you walk or
cycle along the different footpaths. You
can admire different species of
The vegetation belonging to the different
climatic conditions.
Forest

5. The promontory
It is the highest part of Monte Circeo , 541
m, According to the Odyssey, on the Circeo
a witch called Circe lived and transformed
Ulysses and his companions into pigs.
From a distance the Circeo looks like a
sleeping woman which gave origin to the
legend of Circe.
The promontory of the Circeo is famous for
its numerous and beautiful caves and the
most famous is the Guattari Cave.

6. LITTORAL DUNE
In the park there is a long coast which consists of about 22 km. The
beach is formed of thin sand and is the ideal habitat for small plants
and numerous animal species. The environment is rather harsh because
of the high temperatures and the long droughts, the infertile land and
the strong winds make the survival of the vegetable species difficult to
adapt.

7. WET ZONES
There are four coastal lakes: Paola,
Caprolace, Monaci and Fogliano, that is
what remains of the old " pontine
marshlands", small basins of nipper
water and the ideal refuge for many
species of aquatic birds even because
the water is not very deep. On the
sides of the lakes there are different
types of flora like saltworths while
the other areas are used for fishing.

8. Zannone island
Zannone is a small island which
became part of the Park in 1979
and it is uninhabited and covered
with woods full of oaks and
evergreen oaks.