Area of intervention
The territory affected by the Flag coincides with the wide coastal strip of the southern area of Sicily (about 120 km) that goes from Campobello di Mazara to Porto Empedocle, including almost the entire coastal context of the Province of Agrigento on the west side and some areas of the province of Trapani.
Landing from the sea allows you to discover a diverse coast, sometimes flat and dotted with sandy dunes, sometimes jagged and of high environmental value. The seaside area of Lido Fiori and the Belice River Nature Reserve, located on the border between the municipalities of Castelvetrano and Menfi, which extends for about 130 hectares, overlook the sandy plateau.
Capo Granitola and neighboring dunes are part of a wider naturalistic area called Foce del Belice and dune system of Capo Granitola, with a total area of about 546 hectares, of which 241 are part of the protected area called the Belice River Mouth Oriented Nature Reserve .
Not least is the beach along the Platani River Reserve and Capo Bianco, consisting of a rocky promontory and long beaches. The promontory became the seat of Greek colonies, those of Heraclea Minoa, today an interesting archaeological park.
The coast of the Torre Salsa Oriented Nature Reserve, about six kilometers long, is characterized by stretches of high coast where blue clays emerge, calcareous stratifications with chalk banks, white marls eroded by the wind action that form overhanging cliffs and loose sand in the low stretches that make up the coastal dunes.
The wide and sandy beaches of Maragani, Capo S. Marco, Baia Renella, Foggia and Lido-Tonnara overlook the turquoise and crystalline sea of Sciacca, and to the west the beaches of Sovareto and San Giorgio Timpi Russi and Makauda. The beaches of Tonnara and Foggia have mainly sandy bottoms, while the coasts of San Marco, Renella and Maragani are rich in rocky and sandy coves, considered by divers and swimmers to be true paradises.
In Torretta Granitola, a hamlet of Campobello di Mazara, (also known as Granitola because in the vicinity there were once granite quarries that were used to build the temples of Selinunte) the remains of some columns of granite visible to the naked eye on days of calm sea from a boat or underwater. The area belongs to the maritime compartments of Mazara del Vallo, Sciacca and Porto Empedocle and the landing points are in Marina di Selinunte, Porto Palo, Sciacca and Porto Empedocle.
The entire coastal strip is characterized by delicate ecosystems where fishing (artisanal, industrial and sporting), tourism, boating and industrial activities coexist. Therefore, the entire coastal environment can represent an area in which to develop management models of the coastal strip with particular reference to the sustainable development of artisanal fishing.
