A short drive south east of Noto, the extensive Vendicari Nature Reserve attracts sun worshippers as well as ornithologists. From the rough and ready car park, which costs a few euros and has showers, it is about a quarter of mile walk along a boardwalk, which passes through the shrubbery, the bird watching huts and the reservoirs to a narrow strip of sand hugging an arc of coastline. Unfortunately, the very shallow waterfront can be clogged with seaweed and the sand strewn with lumpy vegetation, so the beach isn't that comfortable. To find plenty of space for your towels, you might have to walk down to the rope cordoning off the southern section of the beach. Still, Vendicari is good for small kids - once you get through the seaweed, the water can be very clear and shallow. Moreover, the surrounding watery wilderness and the stark ruin of an eighteenth century fishery, with pillars and chimney still standing, provide a picturesque backdrop. 7/10
 |
The ruins of an eighteenth century fishery in the Vendicari Nature Reserve
|
