Parco del Conero Hikers' paradise
57 km from Camping Fano
A majestic promontory, this protected natural park thanks to its paths open to horseback rides and mountain bikes is a tourist paradise. Lovers of archeology can admire the old cave digged by slaves inside the mountain and still preserving Greek engravings.
Monte Conero is the highest promontory above sea level of the Adriatic coast, 572 m above sea level. From the sea it offers a majestic picture with high cliffs and breathtaking sceneries. Thanks to the typical mountain activity of free climbing widely practiced along its slopes Conero is considered a mountain. This rocky peak is an extension of the Apennin mountains reaching the sea and disrupting the homogenuity of the Adriatic coast line. On it northern slope sits Ancona and on the southern slopes sit the towns of Sirolo and Numana, among the most beautiful seaside resorts of the coast.
The Conero promontory has been declared by the region Protected Natural Park, and it is the only limestone rocky coast section from Trieste to Gargano. Its beaches can be reached through steep pathways divided by coastal sections of rocks reaching the limpid waters dotted of lines of white rocks.
Despite its name deriving from “corbezzolo”, the most common tree of this area is an evergreen oak with oval leaves. Nature is here actually quite diversified. There are over 1500 types of Mediterranean plants among which sea pines, citrons, cypresses and brooms and a whole series of small animals like the badger, the stone marten, the weasel, the peregrine falcon, the kingfisher and many others.
Nature, history and archeology
This protected natural park, a real paradise for all nature lovers is covered by a web of pathways of great beauty especially during springtime blossoming. The itineraries are open both to horseback and mountain bike riders and thanks to direction signs and tourist maps are easily accessible. Enthusiasts of archeology and museums can follow the theme itineraries documenting the most historically relevant excavations among which it is worth mentioning the Antiquarium Statale in Numana displaying the remains of one of the most important Piceno necropolis in the Pine Trees Area. One astonishing place is the old cave digged by slaves inside the mountain and still preserving Greek engravings, possible instructions left here by the workers, and also some writings by the partisans who found here refuge from the Nazi and Fascist persecutors.
Typical products
Rich of flavors and colours, this region is known also for the spiced aroma of its wines, the intense and full-bodied taste of its extra-virgin olive oil, and the sweetly caramelized aroma of its Melata honey. The wine “Rosso Conero”, made mainly from Montepulciano grapes carries the flavour of the sweetest red fruits, blackberries and cherries and reaches its fullest splendor if aged for a couple of years. The honey of Melata, a quite unique product, isn’t very sweet and has a fruity flavor.
