Natural Reserve of Zingaro

Describing these seven miles of uncontaminated coastline is impossible: the small bays paved with pebbly cobblestones that the undertow rolls into a sea that paints all the green tones must be seen to be appreciated: The pointed rocks that separate these coves, sometimes high on transparent water, sometimes slightly drizzling, with rabbits emerging here and there suddenly, and suddenly disappearing into the bushes; The farmhouses built on the rocks that overlook the swamp. Those who want to immerse themselves in a timeless nature, where past and present blend, must visit the Zingaro Reserve.

It takes all day to see; If you prefer you can visit it by boat but by foot is all another story! As for the sea the only prohibition is to approach the coast no closer than 300 meters.

Zingaro Reserve: flora and fauna

The Zingaro Reserve is only visited on foot, nothing must disturb the forty species of birds that nest here (among them the Bonelli Eagle, the Buzzard, the Kite, the Kestrel) and the endemic fauna. Many plants that grow here are rare and characteristic of the area; the trees that live on the slopes of the hills that fall in the reserve are carob trees, olive trees, ash trees, some cork trees; the most ugrave plants; frequent euphorbia and slow. The Palma Nana is the symbol of this Nature Reserve, the first kind in Sicily.

The Zingaro Reserve is famous for its deep blue sea, its silent coves and protected by sheer rocks where the hawk vaults in search of prey, for its clear waters and rich in fish and underwater caves. But it’s not just that.
In the Zingaro Reserve there are several peaks, which reach an axial height of about a thousand meters, and if near the coast have remained the evidence of life eight thousand years ago - the Uzzo cave - Inside there are still visible remains of a much more recent peasant civilization, which deserves to be remembered. In the Zingaro Reserve there are still some olive groves, almond trees, and even a part of land dedicated to arable land, located around Borgo Cosenza, about seven hundred meters above sea level; a part of these crops is still active, another part is private and is cultivated by the owners. In both cases, however, traditional cultivation and harvesting methods are applied.
Why this area is called "gypsy" is not known; of nomads who lived here there is no news in historical sources, which instead indicate the presence of a colony of Lombards in the thirteenth century.

The only advice?
Bring water at will, hat and small beach umbrellas: the temperature is high, the path is challenging in many places. There are about ten coves where you can swim and underwater caves.

Naturalistic Museum within the Zingaro Reserve

At the Nature Museum of the reserve have been recently placed panels on the theme "Etnobotanica dello Zingaro" with which are highlighted, through photographic images, wild plants used in folk medicine according to the local tradition of rural communities in the territory of RNO dello Zingaro.

The photographs are accompanied by texts taken from the volume "Il popolamento della Riserva Naturale Orientata dello Zingaro"already published by the same company with the scientific coordination of the Department of Botanical Sciences of the University of Palermo.

The medicinal plants that characterize much of this territory are simple creatures that contain virtues and secrets not visible at the mere glance, but that the most attentive can open a world from which, once entered, it is difficult to escape.

A world that, beyond a computer of health, represents the manifestation of perfect forms that only nature is able to offer us.
It is the ideal place for a holiday of discovery of magical places.