Stagnone Reserve
The Oriented Natural Reserve of the Stagnone in Marsala occupies part of the western Sicilian coast and includes four splendid islands: Isola Grande, Schola, Santa Maria and Mozia, also known as the island of San Pantaleo.
La reserve protects the Stagnone lagoon, a body of water bordered by the open sea by the Isola Grande. Inside the reserve there are the Marsala salt pans, still in activity that give the waters a pinkish color, the ancient Spanish mills with their red roof, some of which are still functioning which help to pump the water out of the evaporation tanks. and to grind the salt, and the pink flamingos that rise in flight.
The islands of the Stagnone represent the heart of the nature reserve.
The island of Mozia contains one of the most important archaeological sites in Sicily.
The Grande island, also known as Lunga Island, is a long strip of land that forms the Stagnone lagoon. In the beginning it was formed by two rocky islets that joined together to form the long island. Inside the island there are the geometric tanks of the now disused salt pans, as well as Mediterranean scrub bushes, bamboo reeds and small groves of maritime pines. Very impressive is the white Borea beach, also known as Traiti, which is located on the north coast of the island. It is possible to reach the island by sea or by crossing the northern mouth of the Stagnone di Marsala on foot, where the depth of the water fluctuates from a few to about sixty centimeters, which connects the beach of San Teodoro di Marsala with the island. Great.
The island of Schola so called because in ancient times it was the seat of a school of rhetoric where, it is said, Cicero taught.
The island of Santa Maria , not open to visitors because it is private.
Stagnone has a rare and precious brackish ecosystem. The barrier constituted by the Great Island prevents the fresh water of the sea from entering; the result is an increase in the temperature and salinity of the water and a lowering of oxygen levels. The strongly brackish environment is the kingdom of the Chenopodiacee: along the banks of the salt flats and in the temporary brackish marshes this family of seagrass plants displays its richness of halophytic species belonging to numerous genera. There is a notable presence within the boundaries of the Reserve of various rare plant species, including those most vulnerable to the risk of extinction. The ornithofauna and in particular the migratory one are also varied. Finally, the posidonia meadows that surround a large part of the lagoon bottoms are splendid, whose warm and shallow waters constitute the ideal habitat for a very rich fish fauna.
In the coastal area there are several schools of water sports activities such as windsurfing , kitesurfing, canoeing and sailing. Fishing tourism is also practiced in the waters of the Stagnone.
