The Vendicari nature reserve is located south of Syracuse, between Noto and Pachino villages. Is one of the best place in Sicily for bird-watching fans, but there's also more to see. Inside the reserve you can find:

• Wonderful beaches (the best is "Calamosche")
• Byzantine catacombs of the fifth century AD
• An old "Tonnara" and a Norman tower
• Archaeological excavations of the ancient Greek city of Eloro

There are 4 entrances to the nature reserve, choose the one that better fit your needs according to your interests:

• Main entrance (not free, tickets 3 euros each): for bird-watching fans, the old "tonnara" and the Vendicari beach
• Entrance "Calamosche": for the beach
• Entrance "Eloro": for the archaeological excavations and the beach
• Entrance "Cittadella": for bird-watching fans, Byzantine catacombs and the beach

Path description - Main entrance

During spring season, this entrance is opened from 7am to 7pm. Leave the car in the parking (fee: from 10am to 4pm, cars and motorbike 3 euros, caravan 6 euros) and enter the reserve.

You'll walk on a wooden walkways; there are a few bird-watching points. We get to the beach and keep walking on the left towards the old "tonnara" (an old building on the shore used for tuna fishing). During the path, we spot some flamingos and then cross the fork leading to Calamosche beach and to the Eloro. We just walked a bit around the "tonnara", the old fishermans housers and the norman tower before we come back, toward the old church and the Byzantine catacombs.

We take some pictures of the birds from the observation points but we have to stop in front of the point where the sea is linked to one of the bogs: is not possible to go further, so we did not reach the catacombs. Next time, we'll enter from the Cittadella entrance.

Overall, we walked for about 7 km.