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The Saline di Trapani e Paceco are custodians of a great natural heritage of biodiversity. Within the brackish environment of the salt pans, animal and plant species find their temporary or permanent home. Migratory birds, in fact, arrive in these marine lagoons along the routes to the warm countries of the world, while the composition of the soil and water, saturated with salt, make life possible only for rare specimens of plants and microorganisms, found only in this territory in the whole world.
History and birth of the Trapani Salt Pans Nature Reserve
To preserve this exceptional natural heritage, the Trapani and Paceco Salt Pans Oriented Nature Reserve was established. The Trapani Salt Pans have been a protected area by the WWF since 1995, the year in which the Oriented Nature Reserve was established. This name indicates that within the protected area it is still possible to carry out human activities such as agriculture or fishing, as long as these interventions do not affect the naturalistic balance of the reserve.
An Oriented Nature Reserve differs from a Special or Integral Nature Reserve precisely because of the possibility that man has to intervene in the environment.
After all, the salt pans are an artificial wetland, artfully created by man for the activity of collecting sea salt. And it is precisely the intervention of man that has allowed the salt pans to appear on the western coast of Sicily and, over time, that these have become a precious ecosystem.
Despite the naturalistic, as well as economic, importance of the Trapani salt pans, before the establishment of the Reserve, the entire area had run the risk of disappearing. The protected area falls between Trapani and Paceco, and extends for 1000 hectares between the two municipalities of the western coast of Sicily. Between the 1960s and 1980s, the salt sector in Trapani suffered a serious crisis due first to floods that had damaged plants and machinery, and then to competition on the market with Asian products. Many producers were forced to abandon the salt pans, and some urban planning projects began to include new road connections between the municipalities in the area.
Thanks to the commitment and perseverance of a few producers (including the Culcasi family), the Trapani salt pans managed to recover extraction activities, restoring the abandoned lagoon ecosystem and not giving in to requests for subdivision of the area that would have led to the concreting of the properties.
It was precisely thanks to human activity that the salt pans began to be a naturalistic refuge for plants and animals again and, to permanently preserve their delicate balance, the Nature Reserve was established in 1995 with D.A. n. 257/44 of 11 May, entrusted to WWF Italy for management.
Animals of the Saline di Trapani Nature Reserve
The Trapani salt flats are a naturalistic site of international importance for their ornithological interest. In fact, they are home to many species of birds that find food and shelter here, also deciding to nest. Avocets, Black-winged Stilts, Little Terns, Kentish Plovers, Coots, Water Rails, Moorhens, Mallard Ducks, Shelducks, Little Larks, Herring Gulls are some of the 229 species recorded by the WWF in the reserve.
In addition to these specimens, there are migratory species, which use the wetlands of the salt flats as a stopover on their autumn and spring journeys to the warmer areas of the world. The most well-known of all is the pink flamingo, but there are also spoonbills, kingfishers, turnstones, black-winged stilts, great white herons, marsh harriers, waders and various species of anatidae that live in the salt marsh ecosystem.
The reason why these specimens choose the salt marshes as a stopover during migration is certainly to be found in the salt water of the basins. The muddy basins are home to particular fish and microorganisms (halophiles, with a characteristic reddish color due to the carotenoid content), which resist the high salt concentration and can only live here.
Migratory birds are fond of these species: small crustaceans, molluscs, annelids, larvae, insects, plant organisms and microorganisms. These same animals are responsible for the chromatic change of the basins, transforming the blue of the sea or the white of the salt into a romantic and inimitable pink-orange shade. Have you ever wondered why flamingos are pink? It is precisely their diet of molluscs and crustaceans that leads them to absorb the color of these little animals, transferring the pink shade to their feathers! Amazing, isn't it?
Trapani Salt Pans Nature Reserve: the flora to be preserved
Even the plant species that live in harmony with the salt environment have rare characteristics in the naturalistic panorama, given that this ecosystem is usually adverse to the growth of common Mediterranean vegetation.
On the banks of the pools and on the strips of salt land it is possible to find herbaceous species and small shrubs such as Salicornia (woody and branched and with inflorescences similar to small roses) and the Malta Mushroom, which in reality is not a mushroom but a rare parasitic and edible plant, present only in a few other areas of the Mediterranean. Among the plants of the reserve it is possible to spot the Limonium, the Wild Stock, the Steppic Esparto, the Beach Broom.
Among the most precious plant species of the Reserve we find the Maritime Calendula. Commonly called Maritime Flower, it is a plant that blooms all year round with intense yellow buds. The peculiarity of this plant is extreme as its presence in the world is limited to the coast of the Trapani area. New protection programs have involved the authorities to preserve this rare plant species, and with it protect the biodiversity of the salt pans.
Visiting the Trapani and Paceco Salt Pans Reserve: the Saline Culcasi tours
The Trapani Salt Pans Reserve is accessible all year round. Many visitors are attracted by the natural beauty that we have described here. But what are the best times of year to enjoy the panorama of the Trapani Salt Pans?
If your goal is to spot pink flamingos, spring and autumn are the ideal periods for this activity. Birdwatching in the reserve is very popular during the periods of migration of the flocks, precisely because during the migratory route the birds stop in the salt pans. If you want to experience the magic of the pink pools of the salt pans (just like in the Atelier Emé 2021 commercial), the summer period is the best, especially between July and September, during which the waters of the pools reach a very high concentration of salt.
During the period of September, you can also witness the salt harvest at the Culcasi Salt Pans. Just as it was once done, in this period the Salt Pan comes alive with the work of man and the salt workers collect the salt by hand from the pools. To better understand the salt extraction process, how the pools work and all the most interesting curiosities about life in the salt pans, we recommend you visit the Salt Museum and take a tour with the Culcasi family to fully immerse yourself in this world.
Finally, if you want to enjoy one of the most evocative sunsets in Trapani, visit the salt pans at sunset. Every day is a different magic. The fiery sky that reflects on the water of the pools... don't miss it!
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
How much does it cost to visit the Trapani salt pans?
The cost for a 75-minute guided tour of the Trapani salt pans is €12 per person
How to visit the Trapani salt pans?
To visit the Trapani salt pans you can book a 75-minute guided tour directly at the following link > click here
When are there flamingos in Trapani?
Flamingos are a suggestive and unique spectacle to admire inside the Trapani salt pans. Flamingos can be found from July to September.
