A natural paradise between land and sea

ADLER Spa Resort SICILIA enjoys a privileged location, right next to the western limit of the reserve. On the one hand, this ensures that the stunning natural setting and quietness that surround the resort will remain untouched; on the other hand, such a location makes the resort a perfect starting point for exploring Torre Salsa’s magnificent landscape and invaluable natural heritage.
Vast expanses of golden sand, wind-sculpted dunes, shimmering marl rock faces and steep cliffs plunging into the sea set the perfect stage for long walks and indulgent dips into crystalline waters.

But there is more to this paradise than the song of the waves and unspoilt coastline.

As soon as you step into the inland area, which is shaped by natural terraces, you find yourself immersed in a fascinating mosaic of ever-changing landscapes. From the colors and scents of the Mediterranean macchia, the scenery shifts to lush pine groves, while the farmland with its eco-friendly cultivation gives way to the wild mountainous areas of Mt. Stella, which marks the reserve’s eastern boundary and offers a breath-taking view.
These landscapes are not only beautiful, but also home to precious ecosystems, with an incredible variety of mostly endemic botanical species including a wild orchid colony of over 20 different species, as well as rare specimens of Phoenician juniper, dwarf palm and sea lily – which finds here, in one of Sicily’s last intact dunescapes, its ideal environment. No less varied is the fauna that thrives here. It is not uncommon for walkers to come across porcupines, foxes, green lizards and colourful butterflies. Peregrine falcons and sea gulls are often spotted soaring up in the blue sky. The Torre Salsa oasis also includes a vast wetland area called Pantano, where numerous water birds rest and nest, including little egrets, buzzards, marsh owls and majestic herons.

The most iconic animal in the Torre Salsa Nature Reserve, however, is undoubtedly the loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta). This turtle of rare beauty spends most of her life in the water but returns to her native beach to lay eggs and give birth to a new generation. A fragment of pure magic that is renewed every year in September, under the watchful eye of the WWF volunteers who have committed themselves to monitoring and protecting these precious animals for years. After the turtle has laid her eggs in the sand, the area is fenced off and guarded until the little turtles hatch and start their race towards the sea.