Contrada Scaleri nature reserve

Those who want to live in contact with nature and spend a few hours away from the chaos of the city will find in the Contrada Scaleri Nature Reserve an enchanting place, to be discovered in its thousand facets. Here's everything you need to know about this enchanting place and how to get there.

The history of the Contrada Scaleri nature reserve

The Contrada Scaleri nature reserve is located less than 3 km from the town of Santa Caterina Villarmosa and covers the slope of the hill that slopes down to the valley, where the small Vaccarizzo torrent .
Its establishment is quite recent given that with decree number 587/44 of 1997 this protected area was established at the behest of the local councilorship and entrusted to the management of the Regional Province of Caltanissetta, now transformed into the Free Municipal Consortium of Caltanissetta. The objective is to protect above all the very small karst forms found in this locality and which are predominantly alabaster chalks or of a detrital type.
The surface area occupied by the reserve is all in all limited as it includes less than 12 hectares which are divided into two zones, A and B, the first considered reserve while the second pre-reserve. Obviously to benefit from this protection, then, were consequently all the forms of fauna and flora present in the area which today give life to a protected area little known but which has very little to envy to those most visited. The great interest that this area arouses from a geological point of view makes it a unique area of ​​its kind in all of Sicily.

What there is to see in the Contrada Scaleri Nature Reserve

One of the particularly interesting reasons why this area is so loved by geologists is the presence of the so-called carts which are micro-forms of karst origin that have a thousand-year history behind them. Their formation is linked to the presence of numerous evaporite rocks which, combined with a generally arid climate, has led to a perfect morphological conservation of these realities.

In addition to this, however, the area is a small natural oasis that is worth more than a superficial visit. On its external surface, in fact, a typical vegetation grows Mediterranean scrub and in particular of the Sicilian reality. In fact, you can admire wild olive trees, pear trees but also almond trees, wild oats and fennel. In this complex natural habitat, the Anacamptys pyramidalis orchid has also found a way to adapt and thrive, which is a very rare type of flower and which seems to thrive only in the Contrada Scaleri Nature Reserve.

Finally, in these areas the wild caper also grows in the wild, particularly appreciated for its intense flavor and unmistakable smell, perfect for culinary preparations typical of the Sicilian tradition.

What activities can be done near the Reserve

A visit to the nature reserve can be the right opportunity to discover many other beauties that are found in the same area and that are worthy of a visit. In the immediate vicinity is located for example the locality of Santa Caterina Villarmosa which is a village dating back to around 1300, born out of the will of the local baron to have a place where not only the peasants could live but also his small court.
A visit to the village cannot forget to touch the Mother Church of the Immaculate Conception which dates back to 1700, whose external facade is entirely covered by the white marble of Syracuse.
Archeology lovers, however, will have to find time to reach out Cozzo Excavation , a historical excavation in which the signs of the Phoenician presence are visible, well before the arrival of the Romans on the island. Finally, another locality to mark in the notebook is that of Lake Soprano, also known by the name of Lake Cuba , because its landscapes are very reminiscent of those of the Caribbean island. Here it will be possible to observe species such as the wild fox, the weasel, the dwarf bat, the Apennine hare and the wild mouse in their natural environment.

How to get to the Contrada Scaleri nature reserve

To reach the Reserve it is necessary to arrive at the locality of Santa Caterina Villarmosa, which is right at the entrance to the protected area.
There are many ways to reach this place but certainly the most convenient one is with the auto , through the state road that goes from Caltanissetta to Agrigento.
Alternatively, again from Caltanissetta, it is possible to take thebus numbers which in Agrigento stops right in Santa Caterina: it costs 2 euros and takes about 40 minutes to cover the journey.
La railway station the closest, however, is that of Villarosa which can be reached by regional trains. The route up to the Contrada Scaleri nature reserve can then be covered with the use of local public transport.