It was the first nature reserve established in Sicily (Regional Law no. 98 of 1981), partly as a result of an environmental demonstration in 1980 that formed a human chain from Scopello to San Vito Lo Capo; it includes about 7 km of splendid, unspoilt coastline on the Gulf of Castellammare and a chain of mountains that forms a magnificent backdrop to the small coves and the striking cliffs over the sea. The most interesting peaks are Monte Scardina, Monte Passo del Lupo and Monte Speziale, which at 913 metres is the highest point of the reserve. The exposed rocks are limestone, dolomite and marl. The Reserve, covering 1,600 hectares, can be explored on foot along its paths; three routes best show the different sides of the Zingaro: the first runs entirely along the coast between the south-east entrance (Scopello side) and the north entrance (San Vito side); the second follows half of the first and then heads into the upper Zingaro before returning to the sea; the third, the most demanding, is practically a complete tour of the Reserve, covering both the coast and the whole upper part. Explored on foot, the Zingaro enchants with its rugged beauty and its intense colours in every season: the fragrant turquoise sea, the white coves, the ever-present green dwarf palms, the lush mastic and terebinth trees, the hardy wild olive and carob trees, the bright spring and autumn flowers in the pastures, the golden summer mantle of the mountain slopes, the harmonious shapes of the rural cottages. Indeed, the Zingaro is also, and above all, a landscape reserve, an ancient partnership between people and the land. The coast is like a seven-kilometre string of pearls: sheer cliffs, rugged headlands, magnificent coves, deep inlets, underwater caves and tunnels, low rocks, narrow little valleys and wonderful pebble and sand beaches reflected in an unspoilt sea of changing shades of blue, turquoise and azure. Also of interest is a limestone “pavement” (trottoir in French) made of the shells of vermetids (gastropod molluscs with tube-shaped shells), bivalve molluscs, calcareous algae and other organisms interwoven and fused together. Only a few examples exist in the Mediterranean, and it is an important example – like coral reefs – of rocks “bio-built” by living organisms. The Reserve, which continues the series of Mesozoic limestone reliefs of the Palermo area, not far from the interesting Monte Cofano rising alone to the west, has a marked variety of environments, some of which host plant communities of great naturalistic and sometimes scenic interest. The general climate is also important for the vegetation, with an average annual temperature of 19°C and rainfall of 645 mm. Even when it does not rain, beneficial banks of fog from the sea linger on the mountains, sustaining local humid microclimates. The Zingaro is a biological environment extremely rich in species: in just a few years of research about 700 species have been catalogued, at least twenty of which are endemic or rare, often extinct or seriously endangered elsewhere. Among the most widespread species, and the most important for the farming economy of the past, is certainly the manna ash, a tree used not only to extract manna but also for its wood, particularly suited to making farm tools.

“In the public garden near the harbour I spent some magnificent hours all by myself. It is the most wonderful place in the world.” Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, poet.

First a Greek and Roman city, then an Arab capital, later conquered by the Normans and the Swabians: this is Palermo, a place where Arab and Norman splendour lives alongside the Baroque and Art Nouveau taste of its monuments, palaces and theatres, as well as its gardens and markets. The influence of Palermo’s multi-ethnic past can be seen in the Cathedral, a majestic building begun in the 12th century and altered many times, enriched by an 18th-century dome and a medieval bell tower.
Built on an earlier basilica, turned into a mosque by the Arabs and then returned to Christian worship by the Normans, the cathedral is adorned with Gothic decorations and holds the relics of Saint Rosalia, the city’s patron saint. It also houses the tombs of emperors, among them Roger II and Frederick II. Nearby stands the Norman Palace, originally an Arab building and always the seat of power: it contains the Palatine Chapel, rich in Byzantine-influenced mosaics which, together with those of the church of Santa Maria dell’Ammiraglio (or Martorana), are true masterpieces of art. The elegant Martorana, with its tall arcaded bell tower, dates from the Norman period, while the monumental Fontana Pretoria in the nearby square of the same name is Baroque. The street from the cathedral to the Martorana passes through Piazza Vigliena, known as the “Quattro Canti”, a crossroads decorated with 17th-century statues and fountains. Piazza Pretoria is overlooked by the 17th-century Town Hall, with a splendid 16th-century fountain made up of no fewer than 644 marble groups. In this area the streets bear names in Italian, Arabic and Hebrew. From here you go down towards the sea through the Vucciria, the oldest and liveliest market in the city, to Piazza San Domenico, home to the church of the same name, one of the most interesting Baroque buildings in the city. Another Norman building is the deconsecrated church of San Giovanni degli Eremiti, with its oriental-style red domes, built on the foundations of an ancient mosque. In the old heart of the city stands the imposing 14th-century building known as the Steri (from hosterium, fortified palace), once a prison and a court, today the seat of the university rectorate. Nearby are the church of Santa Maria degli Angeli and Palazzo Abatellis, home to the Regional Gallery, with works of art and paintings from the Middle Ages to the 18th century. The more modern part of Palermo lies on the other side of the city. Past the neoclassical Teatro Massimo, the temple of opera, in Piazza Politeama you will see the city’s other theatre, the Teatro Politeama Garibaldi, built in the mid-19th century in Pompeian style. A local attraction is the traditional Teatro dei Pupi, the puppet theatre, whose heroes have always been Charlemagne and his paladins.
Along the tree-lined Via Libertà you enter the area where 19th-century and Art Nouveau architecture triumphs, with its splendid, lively grid of streets. The Botanical Garden, founded in 1789, is famous for its specimens from all over the world. Further from the centre are the Zisa (in the square of the same name) and the Cuba (in Corso Calatafimi), oriental-style buildings dating from the reign of William II.

Castellammare del Golfo builds its identity on the sea.

Born as a trading port for nearby Segesta, its waters reflect the watchtowers and the defensive bastions of the castle, and it is by the sea that life unfolds and summer evenings come alive.

The surrounding area still preserves timeless landscapes such as the hamlet of Scopello, perched on a rock overlooking the sea stacks and the old tonnara.

The territory of Castellammare includes the main entrance and part of the Zingaro Nature Reserve where, alongside unspoilt beaches, you will find remarkable endemic flora and fauna.

For caving enthusiasts, the caves of Monte Inici, with their very deep chasms, underground lakes and breathtaking views, are not to be missed.