Zingaro Natural Reserve - Riserva Naturale dello Zingaro

story of my journey....

Along the coast from San Vito Lo Capo to Castellammare del Golfo is situated the “Zingaro Nature Reserve”, one of the most famous in Italy. For those who love the sea and nature should visit it.

The first beach you find when entering from the north side is the largest on the reserve and also the most frequented in summer: the Tonnarella dell'Uzzo.
Continuing you will find the less crowded bays: Cala Torre dell'Uzzo, Cala Marinella, Cala Beretta, Cala della Disa, Cala del Varo, reachable by sea, and Cala della Capreria.

photo made by author

Telling the beauty of the Zingaro Nature Reserve is not easy.
Small bays paved with white pebbles, a sea that during the day is tinged with unexpected and stunning tones of green and blue, sharp rocks that separate the different beaches, Mediterranean scrub that seems to dive into the sea and ancient farmhouses built on the rock. A mix of nature and discreet presence of man.

photo made by author

The vegetation is an explosion of colors especially in spring; the olive trees, the almond trees, the carob trees mingle with the luxuriant expanses of dwarf palms and the numerous and elegant orchids, while the ash trees and cork trees alternate with euphorbia and lentisk.

photo made by author

The dwarf palm, present throughout the area, is the undisputed symbol of the Zingaro Reserve; with its leaves, the peasants created everyday objects, many of which are now kept in the small Reserve Museums.
The reserve is visited only on foot, nothing should disturb the forty species of birds that nest here, including the Bonelli's Eagle, the Buzzard, the Kite, the Kestrel and the endemic fauna.

photo made by author

The Riserva dello Zingaro was established in 1981 by the Sicilian Region. It?s perfectly accessible to all, there are three classic routes: the first runs along the coast from one limit to the other of the reserve, it's the busiest and also the least demanding, the second, a little more tiring, proceeds in a zig zag on the territory, crossing the coast and the peaks, while the third is reserved for the more athletic, and practically crosses the whole Zingaro from top to bottom.
Along the paths you can rest or even stay overnight in the Refuges, asking permission in advance from the Reserve. The categorical imperative is: do not dirty, do not pollute, respect the sea, the earth and the sky.

Within the area of the Zingaro oriented Reserve there are 5 small Museums:
the Naturalistic Museum

the Museum of Manna

the weaving museum

the Museum of Peasant Civilization

the Maritime Activities Museum, the first entering from the North entrance.