The protected marine area of Plemmirio is a vast area located along the eastern coast of the “Maddalena Peninsula”, which stretches a few kilometers south of the city of Syracuse, from Punta della Mola to Punta Milocca, passing through Capo Murro di Porco. The Peninsula is located immediately south of the Porto Grande of the city, characterized by a coastal development of about 10 km. The whole area is the result of numerous tectonic activities that have occurred over the years and which have caused isolation and lifting of the crust block known as “Horst”: today a plateau about 50 meters high above sea level.
The protected marine area of Plemmirio is mainly composed of calcareous soils with white-cream calcarenites in the highest part of the peninsula and on the eastern coast, while in the lower part there are more Pleistocene calcarenites rich in tanatocenosis with Pectinidae and Brachiopods. Throughout the area there are numerous underground routes not yet dated. Inside the famous Grotta Pellegrina, whose formation is due to the circulation of groundwater, it is possible to observe constructions of stalactites and stalagmites. The Plemmirio is characterized by original morphological elements visible in the esplanades bathed by marine sprays: these are the so-called “traps of abrasion”, mainly present in Murro di Porco, where the breaking of the waves generates water sprays of several meters in height, really fascinating to see.
Flora, fauna and crystalline sea
For all the peculiarities related to the flora, the fauna and the crystalline sea, the marine protected area of Plemmirio has obtained the prestigious award “Oscar Ecoturismo 2017”, promoted and assigned by Federparchi and Legambiente. National and regional parks and marine protected areas that have distinguished themselves by their own interventions or by associations and individuals operating in the Park and aimed at improving the eco-compatibility of the tourist offer.
Fishing in the area is strictly monitored. The sea is characterized by very deep waters already a short distance from the water’s edge. The submarine show makes the area a frequent destination for numerous tourist dives of the most important diving center in Syracuse. It is possible, as in the case of the famous “beach of Pillirina”, to meet small lines of fine sand bathed in crystalline water. To explore the marvelous wonders of Plemmirio it is possible to visit the diving centers that organize guided tours, or go on excursions along the coast to admire the “sidewalks to vermetids”, or practice seawatching dedicated to children and the disabled.
Capo Murro di Porco , where the famous lighthouse of Plemmirio is located in Syracuse, due to the particularity of its seabed is an exceptional place for the observation of large pelagic fish such as tuna, amberjack, sharks and mammals marine like dolphins and sometimes whales and sperm whales. The protected marine area of Plemmirio is a real paradise on earth, a world heritage site.
