Lagoon of Orbetello
An oasis of nature managed by WWF, where flamingos are abounding
The Orbetello Lagoon is one of the most unspoilt areas of nature in Tuscany and the habitat is unique in its kind.
Over 1,500 hectares of swampland make up the coastal lagoon, separated from the sea to the east and west by two strips of land, roughly 6 kilometres long (the sandy Tomboli della Giannella and della Feniglia) and is to the west of the Argentario promontory. A third strip of land extends into the center of the lagoon and this is where the town of Orbetello is located.
An artificial bridge (the Diga Leopoldiana) connects Orbetello to Monte Argentario and divides the lagoon into two parts, the Laguna di Ponente and Laguna di Levante (Western and Eastern Lagoon, respectively).
The lagoon is home to the Nature Reserve managed by WWF Italy, where many species of rare birds nest and pass through, including black-winged stilts, pink flamingos, great egrets and ospreys.
The waters in the lagoon are packed with precious varieties of fish, like sea bass, mullets and eels. Its plant life comprises coastal plants (maritime and stone pines) and sclerophyll vegetation, like Phoenician and prickly junipers, phillyrea, buckthorn, smilax, mastic shrubs, myrtle, holly oak, cork trees and downy oak.
Info: wwf.it
