A surprise lake

A surprise lake

Thursday 05 May 2022

Perhaps not everyone knows that in Puglia there is a great variety of naturalistic landscapes to discover and fall in love with, which are not always part of the most popular tourist circuits but which are no less interesting to visit. Those who know our region, for example, would never expect to go on a hike on the shores of a lake. Instead, it is precisely on a lake that we want to take you to discover a truly unique landscape.

We are located on the Monti Dauni, a short distance from the village of Biccari, on the shores of the small but precious natural lake called Lake Pescara, about 900 meters above sea level.

To get there, you walk along an ancient road that from Biccari climbs up to Monte Cornacchia, the highest in Puglia and therefore also called the "Roof of Puglie". It is an ancient street known and used by the Greeks and later by the Normans. At a certain point the road stops and it is already possible to glimpse a shimmering mirror of water, Lake Pescara. The lake is mentioned for the first time in a papal bull of Pope Innocent III dating back to 1212 but in reality it was already known by the Japigi and the Daunis and by Hannibal who camped right on its banks with the army. Later the Normans also stopped on its banks to water their horses and to control their domains from above.

It is a small natural lake basin that extends for about three hectares, with a maximum depth of four meters. Its waters are fed by springs under the lake and by streams that arise after the rains and the melting of the snow. The lake probably owes its name to a transcription error on toponymy maps: the locals, in fact, used to call the lake “Peschiera”, probably alluding to its abundance of fish.


The flora and fauna that live around and within this lake make it a unique and rare biotype of immense value. Here you can spot many species of birds, from larks, hoopoes, small and large hawks to barn owls, tawny owls and the kite

Also noteworthy is the presence of mammals: foxes, weasels, hares, wild boars, badgers, stone martens, hedgehogs. Some specimens of Apennine wolf were also sighted.

An excursion around Lake Pescara therefore allows for a real immersive experience in a still wild and unspoiled nature, ideal for trekking lovers or for those who simply want to admire a slightly unusual but fascinating Apulian landscape.

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