What to see and what to do in Lesina, the small town with the volcanic heart

Lesina is located on the coastal barrier that separates the lake of the same name from the Adriatic Sea, in an area inhabited since Neolithic times. Founded by Dalmatian fishermen, the country welcomed the refugees from Lucera and the fugitives of the Tremiti Islands. Earthquakes, floods and malaria led to the final transfer of the residential nucleus on the south-western shore of the lagoon.

Fishing and tourism are the main resources in Lesina; less relevant, even if present, is the stone mining industry, once a rather important source of income of the city. The eastern part of the lake is “nature reserve for animal repopulation”.

Five minute-drive away is Marina di Lesina, lively seaside resort animated by campgrounds, vacation villages and water parks for leisure and summer vacations.

Why come to Lesina? To visit the Abbey of Santa Maria di Ripalta near the river Fortore, a pilgrimage site and a place of worship, among the oldest of Gargano, and to admire the impressive “Black Stones” complex of volcanic rocks dating back to the Triassic.