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Torre Guaceto is a Nature Reserve north of the city of Brindisi; its name comes from the XVI century watchtower (“Torre”) that overlooks the area facing the sea.
It is an important place of naturalistic interest, not only at the regional level, stretching over some 2.743 acres and covering 5 miles of the Adriatic coastline. It is also an important Marine Reserve. The 5 islets parallel to the shore are also part of this area.

With the typical land and marine features, it is definitely one of its kind in Italy.
In the 1970s, a special Consortium was born, actively involving the Italian WWF Italy and the municipalities of Brindisi and Carovigno: it was aimed at protecting this priceless part of the national natural heritage.

Needless to say, the entire area is made of different ecosystems, set between the Marine Reserve and the Wetland. The latter features the Mediterranean scrub, a marshy environment, and some beaches. The vegetation includes several Mediterranean species, sea holly ( Eryngium maritimum), maritime euphorbia (Euphorbia paralias), and searocket (Cakile) along the edge of the shores – not to mention weed species capable of anchoring their rhizomes to the sand, and wondrous lavender cotton ( Santolina chamaecyparissus).

The activities

sports enthusiasts love this reserve which offers many recreational activities, as well as excursions with 2-hour walks along several suggested paths; visitors can also enjoy the reserve by bicycle. Seawatching activities are available as well, but exclusively during the summer.
Reservation is required for any of the abovementioned activities, while bike rental service is available for all visitors.
Finally, throughout the year, environmental education activities and workshop are offered to the schools.

Unfortunately, in September 2018 a vandal irreversibly damaged the wonderful fossil dunes of Punta Penna, with graffiti that time will not be able to erase.
Those dunes formed between 100.000 and 6.000 years ago are priceless evidence of the sea level and coastline changes that have occurred over the centuries.

This post is also available in: Italiano (Italian)