The Torre Guaceto Nature Reserve is only 10 km from the Masseria Baroni Nuovi country house. The reserve extends along the coast for about 8 km, from Punta Penna Grossa to Scogli di Apani, and takes its name from the 16th-century tower built to defend the stretch of coastline. The discovery of Bronze Age remains from a Neolithic village indicates that the area has been inhabited since ancient times.
The reserve is divided in two: a land reserve and a marine reserve. The land reserve includes three different natural environments: coast, Mediterranean scrub and wetland. Sea fennel, glasswort and sea lavender grow along the coast. In addition to the numerous crabs, other animals inhabiting this area include the Eurasian oystercatcher and the Kentish plover, which lays its eggs in the sand, camouflaging them with seashells. The Mediterranean scrub appears right behind the dunes and includes the mastic tree, asparagus, thyme and myrtle. If you’re lucky, you might see a badger, a rare sight nowadays. The wetland is mainly characterised by aquatic plants, including reeds. The saltmarsh morning glory, with its beautiful flowers, climbs up the stalks of reeds, using them for support. The fauna consists of birds for the most part. Some are stable residents of the area, like the bittern, while others only pass through the wetland during their migrations. The coot and the little grebe build floating nests and anchor them to the plants. The European pond turtle is also an inhabitant of this wetland.
The marine reserve is an ideal site if you like snorkelling, characterised first by a rocky coast offering a colourful display of algae, fish and crustaceans, followed by a meadow of posidonia oceanica, a plant that plays a significant role as a producer of oxygen, breathing life into the sea. The noble pen shell, the largest bivalve mollusc in the Mediterranean, is not an uncommon sight here. Past the seagrass meadow, there is a very important coralline habitat which is home to soft corals and sponges.
Although some zones of the Protected Marine Area are fully protected, such as the stretch of sea in front of the tower, swimming is allowed in most of the territory.
Guided tour of the visitor center at Gawsit: Aquariums Mediterranean archeology, animal tracks and burrows, films, reconstructions, history …
Ciclotrekking:Bicycle tour in the Riserva.Il pleasure of walking cycling is combined with the discovery of the landscapes of the Park. …
The Little Train of the Sea: Excursion train rides departing from the beach of Punta Penna Grossa and from the Area
Diving and Scuba Diving: The thrill of the first breath underwater, the first step towards the knowledge of marine creatures.
Seawatching: Diving into the blue of the Mediterranean as a short walk back to the water to collect impressions and emotions.
Trekking: Guided walk in the RiservA.Dal very informal tone, the route leads scented paths of Mediterranean …
Museum under the stars: An experience of observing the night skies, and a workshop for the construction of astronomical instruments scientifically valid with …
Technical Courses Sailing