Discovering Sicily: the Irminio river nature reserve
February 11, 2011
If you like nature, you should visit the Irminio river nature reserve, in Sicily.
To the many wonders that the province of Ragusa in Sicily, Italy includes, belongs also the Irminio river nature reserve. Sicily is well-known all over the world for its art and wonderful sea, and many people, in Italy and abroad as well, choose cities and seaside resorts like Marina di Ragusa to spend their summer holiday or some Italy weekend breaks.
However, apart from the sea, there is much more to discover in Sicily, and if you happen to go to Marina di Ragusa for your summer holidays you cannot miss the chance to visit the wonderful nature reserve of the Irminio River.
The reserve is situated in the territory of Ragusa and Scicli – a village in the province of Ragusa – and it is not far away from Marina di Ragusa. Thus you can sleep in a boutique hotel Ragusa or in Marina di Ragusa and then plan an excursion to the reserve. The reserve was instituted in 1985 and is situated near the mouth of the Irminio river, the longest river in the province of Ragusa. The reserve includes a coastal area on the Mediterranean sea which has both sandy coasts and cliffs overhanging the sea.
Both fauna and flora are very rich and interesting in the reserve: as far as vegetation is concerned, the Maquis shrubland is predominant, and there are many different types of species, like mastic, field eryngo, sea daffodil, salsola, European searocket, ephedra, juniper and many others. Along the river there are also tall trees like poplars, willows and Eucalyptus. On the cliffs you can find agaves, chamaerops and thymus.
As far as animals is concerned, the reserve is a rest area for the migratory birds that fly from Africa to North Europe and vice versa. The commonest species to be found in the reserve are black-winged stilt, kingfisher, coot, little egret, common buzzard, great cormorant, falcon and many more. In addition to birds, in the reserve you can also see foxes, rabbits and coypus.
A visit to this reserve will definitely add something more to your Mediterranean vacations!
