RISERVA NATURALE ORIENTATA

 

Where the mosaic of the vine and olive cultivations are interrupted, the green of the scrub, the garigue and the evergreen broad-leaves prevail. The natural vegetation covers, for about 1,300 hectares, Montagna Grande, Mount Gibele, the south-east slopes of Kuddia Attalora, to then descend towards the sea and therefore towards the Serra di Ghirlanda. The wood is made up of the maritime pine (Pinus marittima), the holm oak (Quercus ilex) and artificial plantings of examples of aleppo pine which live alongside the shrubs of the scrub like erica (Erica multiflora), myrtle (Myrtus communis), rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis), and thyme (Thymus vulgaris) on the coast near to the sea. Among the medicinal plants which grow naturally, chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile) and the dandelion (Taraxacum officinalis) are to be found. The island is rich in migratory birds which recognise it as a stopping off point between Africa and Europe. A sight to admire in spring is when large flocks arrive from the sea, carried by the winds and the currents.