PalermoByHeart

PalermoByHeart

Isola delle Femmine

Photo: Ziegler175, CC BY-SA 3.0

A coastal town in the province of Palermo, facing a rocky islet (about 600 m offshore) that hosts a nature reserve. The surrounding sea is part of the Capo Gallo - Isola delle Femmine Marine Protected Area. You do not simply go onto the islet: you admire it from the shore; visits are guided only and by booking (see "When to go").

What to see

  • Riserva Naturale Isola delle Femmine: An islet of about 15 hectares, a geosite of Mesozoic limestone with dwarf palm and lentisk scrub; established in 1997 and managed by LIPU.
  • Avifauna: Over fifty bird species visit the island; several hundred pairs of yellow-legged gull nest there.
  • Itinerari archeologici sommersi: Two underwater archaeological routes by the Soprintendenza del Mare (east to 26 m, west to 18 m) with anchors, amphorae and a Renaissance cannon.
  • Area Marina Protetta Capo Gallo - Isola delle Femmine: Protected area established in 2002, about 2,173 hectares, with Posidonia meadows.

Getting there

Better by car

For this place a car is the better choice (editors' note). The City of Palermo's railway link project page lists an existing Isola delle Femmine station on the line toward Carini; timetables and frequencies not verified on Trenitalia/RFI.

By car

From Palermo westward along the coast toward Capaci and the airport (route and duration not verified on an official source).

Not verified.

When to go

The island reserve is closed to the public from 1 March to 30 June for nesting; according to LIPU it is open daily July to September and Monday to Friday October to February, with guided visits by booking. Bad weather can prevent landing.

Tips

  • Book your reserve visit: LIPU, tel. +39 091 8616167, riserva.isolafemmine@lipu.it.
  • Diving requires centres authorised by the Soprintendenza del Mare and the Harbour Master: level 1 certification for the west site, level 2 for the east site.

Where a detail could not be found on an official source we do not include it: always check times and fares on the official site before you go.

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