The “Punta Aderci” Regional Nature Reserve protects the most beautiful and interesting stretch of coastline in Abruzzo: a succession of sandy and pebbly beaches, high cliffs and rocky shores, agricultural landscapes, and Mediterranean scrub, with green and blue tones of a stretch of the Adriatic that is easy to be amazed by.
The Reserve extends from Punta Penna beach, adjacent to the Port of Vasto, to the mouth of the Sinello River. The promontory of Punta Aderci characterizes the entire area, embracing the park and the underlying marine waters, offering a 360° view of the whole Reserve, with the red of the sunset in the evening drawing the profiles of the mountains of the three national parks: Majella, Gran Sasso-Laga, and the Sibillini Mountains. The landscape is quite varied, with flat areas cut by cliffs near the coastline, slopes descending to the sea, dune systems, wetlands such as the “laghetto” (small lake) of Mottagrossa, and the floodplain of the Sinello River. Along the sandy or rocky beaches, communities of salt-resistant plants grow, adapted to heat and wind, in a sequence that, from the shore to the inland, sees pioneer plants such as sea couch grass, followed by species of the mobile dune and finally the fixed dune species, leading to the appearance of shrubs and Mediterranean scrub. Between the dune ridges, water, thanks to the presence of clay, stagnates, favoring the establishment of reed beds.
The dunes and the river environment are ideal for natural observation and birdwatching. Many species of birds, such as herons, grebes, terns, cormorants, the marsh harrier, and the little ringed plover, which is prominently featured in the Reserve’s logo, winter and stop here. In the cultivated plateaus inland, we find the crested lark, the red-backed shrike, the small warbler, and raptors such as the lesser kestrel, kestrel, and buzzard. Punta Aderci is a reserve to be discovered at the slow pace of our feet, by mountain bike along the old railway track, by canoe, or simply enjoying the tranquility of the pebble beaches of Libertini and the small beach of Punta Aderci, where dolphins of the genus Stenella can be easily spotted offshore. In some cavities, it is possible to admire Halymenia floresia, considered the most beautiful red algae in the Mediterranean.
Link: http://www.puntaderci.it
