Monte sant'Elia WWF oasis... Puglia, Italy

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The area is located in the province of Taranto, in the Municipality of Massafra. To reach the SS 100 from Bari, Mottola exit and continue towards nuts for 5.6 kilometers, up to a hairpin left shortly after, follow the signs to Martina Franca: after about 5 km on the right is the road City leading to the farm.
Has an area of 100 hectares.
The Oasis is owned by the Association WWF and it is during the day of the oasis that we decided to visit it. Services are entrusted to the Coop The Thread of Ariadne.
These mostly hilly relief (about 400 meters above sea level), nestled on the southern side of Eastern Murge which overlooks the Gulf of Taranto and the view reaches to the massif of Pollino.
It 'almost entirely covered by a strip forest (forest Caracciolo), which starts from Mottola and comes down to Martina Franca
The vegetation takes the classic appearance of the Mediterranean, and presents an exceptionally rich flora moving from scrubland to forest within a few steps. Numerosossisime are the orchids. In the bush are the mastic myrtle, phillyrea the alaterno, strawberry tree. They are often associated with hawthorn, blackthorn perastro and el'olivastro; between low shrubs are rosemary and thyme. In the forest Caracciolo predominantly oak forest, mainly oak and Lecci and some fragno and there are some Aleppo pines whose popularity is due to reforestation of past decenni.Nel undergrowth are cyclamen, violas, holly, ferns, ivy. In the field of game there are many birds of prey both in daylight and at night, the grass snake leopard, the green tree frog, the stone marten, the badger.
The oasis includes a farm consists of several residential areas, among them a complex of 17 trulli according to construction type can be dated 17th century. Behind the trulli are some "jazz", typical animal enclosures made of dry stone.
E 'possible to spend the night, by appointment only, and is available space for tents, you can also enjoy a fully equipped kitchen. There were also small tastings of local products, organic farming and Fair Trade.
Definitely a good day but to stress that the guided tour, lasting about 2 hours, was at times quite challenging!