A few days ago, my family and I organized a day of adventure, nature and animals and so we headed towards the Chinunno forest, near the great forest of Mercadante. After about an hour's drive, we reached the place, only after having crossed a few curves, a stretch of battered road and finally the last stretch of dirt road. Once at the parking lot, after having collected all the necessary equipment, we headed into the woods.
embers for roasting meat
Near the forest there is a large farmhouse that also deals with the management of the entrances to the forest and its cleaning. Conceived as an ideal place for the little ones, the welcome area is full of various games for younger children, such as slides and various merry-go-rounds, or paths in the trees for the older ones. Nice to see the kids having fun while they undertake to overcome the various obstacle courses, obviously equipped with all possible safety tools.
There is a large picnic area where you can book your table and eat and rest, the shade of the trees are an excellent umbrella against the sun's rays and an average temperature of about 30 degrees. Also for the little ones there is the mini quad area, on which it is possible to ride alone or in the company of a parent and there is a guided path through the trees. For adults, on the other hand, it is possible to rent real quads and discover the nature that is in the surroundings, following the indicated path up to the exploration of the prehistoric cave, a place where some fossils and dinosaur footprints are preserved. The territory of the Murgia is in fact rich in fossils dating back to the time of the dinosaurs and the nearby city of Altamura is home to one of the largest outdoor dinosaur museums. A place to visit in the future!
It is also possible to make routes on foot, depending on the length and ease of the route. There are a total of 3 routes to discover and the longest covers a distance of 10 km. There are other activities that you can discover such as archery, climbing and horse riding. For those who want to let the children play and do not intend to bring food from home, it is possible to have lunch and dinner at the farmhouse restaurant, upon reservation or order a take-away menu, including 1 first course, 1 second with fruit side dish. and water at the price of 12 euros. The second option is the one we have chosen, withdrawing the menu directly from a dedicated gazebo near the accommodation, served in a polystyrene container to facilitate transport for customers.
The farm is really very large and well cared for but what I fell in love with is the landscape behind it, an expanse of cultivated land used for the production of vegetables and animal husbandry, from which the ingredients used in the cuisine of the restaurant. Huge tractors moved to work the land and a coming and going of trucks carrying crates of fruit and vegetables.
A really nice place to spend a pleasant day, my son had a lot of fun and collapsed from exhaustion only when we got into the car for the return home.