The Zingaro Reserve: a Sicilian treasure

The first time I visited the Zingaro Reserve was the beginning of June 2016.

I entered from the San Vito lo Capo side without knowing exactly what to expect.

The view left me breathless.

Turquoise sea, trails covered in lush vegetation hosting of the scent of so many flowers, and, at the end of the trail, the ancient tuna fishery overlooking the cove.

I was so impressed by the primordial beauty of the place that, full of excitement, I rashly decided that the day after I would have walked the whole trail that crosses the reserve from side to side. An itinerary of seven kilometers, well actually almost ten, if one accounts for the secondary trails that descend the ridge to reach the various coves.

Now, it is important to know that inside the reserve there are no refreshment points, neither drinking fountains. You have to bring with you everything you may need, you can take it from home or buy at the last kiosks located at the entrance, you decide.

The day after I left with three liters of cold water and a surprise lunch box in my backpack. “Surprise” because I had naively sent my then boyfriend to buy something from the local bakery. He wisely chose arancini with ragu, pizza with onions and pecorino cheese and cunzato bread with anchovies (if you don’t know what this is have a look here ).

It goes without saying that between the sun, the sea and the pecorino cheese, we soon ran out of water. The walk eventually became a survival march and we reached the other side just before the closing time looking like lobsters and on the verge of fainting. It took me two days to recover, yet it is one of the best memories of my entire life.

The Zingaro Reserve is not for everyone.

The visit can be tough, especially during the torrid summer of Sicily. As said before, it is not possible to find inside the reserve water or food, and being a natural protected area there are quite strict restrictions, for example you can’t bring sun beds or umbrellas and access with dogs is forbidden.

Trails can be challenging, you must wear very comfortable shoes. The height difference between the crest trail and the coves can be significant and the trail conditions are not always ideal (it can be decidedly bumpy in some sections!).

It is not unusual to meet people underestimating the situation. They are not difficult to spot. You will see them at the entrance trying to elude the security check to walk-in wearing slippers and you will find them again later along the road leaning against a boulder, red in the face and begging for water like wayfarers lost in the desert.

Precisely what makes the reserve complex, also makes it special.

An uncontaminated place in which to experience the Mediterranean sea in its purest, truest and wildest version.

The richness of natural and historical beauty preserved here is unbelievable.

The whole 4000 acre of the reserve host a large variety and abundance of endemic plants, some of which are extremely rare such as the Chamaerops Humilis, the dwarf palm which has become the symbol of the reserve. The highly varied ecological niches give a great diversity which is not easily found elsewhere. In the Zingaro Reserve more than thirty species of birds nest and mate. The reserve also incorporates the beautiful pebbled beaches and the clear blue adjacent sea.

As if that wasn't enough the area has also a rich archeological past, represented by the spectacular Grotta dell'Uzzo, one of the first prehistoric settlements in Sicily.

If we can enjoy such a natural wonder today, we have to thank the coordinate effort of the local communities, conservationists, journalists and many intellectuals that back in the late 70’s fought to make of this incredible area a natural protected reserve.

Were it not for the persistence of this group of Sicilians, then the Zingaro's untouched Mediterranean landscapes and habitats would not exist.

In 1976, in fact, the area was expected to be crossed by a coastal road to shorten the distance between Scopello and San Vito Lo Capo. The construction site was already active, however, following a number of initiatives that culminate in the great protest march of May 18th 1980, participated by more than three thousands of people that peacefully blocked the road, the area became in May 1981 the very first natural reserve of Sicily.

Unfortunately, over the years, there have been many fires set by criminal hands, the last on August 2020. The Zingaro reserve, however has always been able to rise from the ashes.

Once I was listening to the radio news when I hear that the reserve was burned down due to arson. I was hit by the fragility and precariousness of what is beautiful and public and on the uncertain future of our right to enjoy it.

I remember that the following year I returned worried about what I might find. Fortunately, that natural beauty was intact. A few less trees and some dwarf palms burnt and charred but still alive, demonstrating a resilience that goes beyond the stupidity of many humans incapable of understanding the true wealth that nature offers to us.

More info: Zingaro Reserve

Words: Claudia Ciorciolini

Pictures: Laura Fanfarillo