Nests of Tartarughe Marine in Agrigento

Posted by audreytaylor on October 10th, 2013

The Province of Agrigento is renowned all over the world for the excellent vino produced in its wineries; here, tradition and technology combine in order to produce wine of superior quality that will spoil the taste buds of wine enthusiasts. This province on the south coast of Sicily is also famous for the caretta caretta tartarughe marine that have their nests here; in case you want to see this protected species of turtles and spend a couple of days in a magical place, you should plan a holiday in Agrigento.

Wine of premium quality has a unique colour, smell and taste. In Sicily, tradition is never ignored when producing vino; grapes are harvested in a specific period of the year and it is extremely important not to pick them until they are ripe. If the grapes are picked too early, the varietal flavour of the wine may not be strong enough. It is recommended to taste the grapes and to imagine what the wine will taste like before harvesting them. The vino is collected in temperature controlled silos and the specialists analyze a series of parameters, including temperature, acidity and content of sulphites on a periodical basis, so as to ensure that the produced wine will observe the strictest quality standards.

There are numerous wineries in Sicily and all of them are part of the local heritage. Actually, it would not be wrong to state that the wineries are one of the main attractions of this beautiful Italian region. The beautiful beaches in Agrigento are another place worth seeing; it should be mentioned that the province of Agrigento is also famous for its efforts to conserve the tartarughe marine. Local authorities do everything in their power to conserve these endangered animals and have initiated an awareness campaign at the level of the entire region; they have also set up a rescue centre and a laboratory for the tartarughe marine.

At the same time, the authorities in Agrigento have tried to change fishermen’s perceptions and to determine them to change the fishing gear they use so as to reduce by-catches. Further to their actions, they have managed to save a significant number of loggerhead turtles that were returned to the sea. However, the number of loggerhead turtles that are threatened by mortality and that are caught in the fishing gear continues to be alarmingly high. Fishermen who catch the loggerhead turtles unintentionally are recommended to release them back into the sea in the best possible conditions.

Tourists who want to taste a wine with a unique flavour and see how it is produced or who want to sunbathe on a beach that is constantly spoiled by the rays of the sun are invited to come to Agrigento; they will definitely like this special place where tradition and innovation coexist in perfect harmony and where there are so many interesting places to see.

Famous for the nests of tartarughe marine and for the numerous varieties of excellent vino, the Province of Agrigento is an ideal holiday destination. We invite you to visit Agrigento and to get to know it just the way it is, with everything it has to offer; we guarantee that you will be pleasantly impressed!