Plemmirio – Coast, Marine Reserve and Historical Traces

Plemmirio combines a coast shaped by wind and water with small coves, natural saltwater pools and a layered history. The marine reserve covers approximately 15 kilometres of coastline, with small sandy coves between rocky stretches of shore. For your travel planning, this creates a destination with different focal points: in the north, active cliffs and rocks define the shore, while the southern coast features natural saltwater pools as well as small pebble and sandy beaches.

Coast and Marine Reserve

The Plemmirio marine reserve is designated as a Particularly Sensitive Sea Area of Mediterranean Importance (ASPIM). It has also been included in the list of the Regional Activity Centre for Specially Protected Areas (CAR/ASP) of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). These designations are just as much a part of the destination's character as the visible differences between rocky stretches of coast, small sandy coves and the natural pools in the south.

Signposted access points in Plemmirio indicate paths to the sea; some of them are suitable for people with disabilities. Minareto di Punta Castelluccio has an accessible entrance. Access Point 27 in Plemmirio is considered a suitable place for snorkelling and diving. This makes it possible to take different forms of enjoying the sea into account when choosing individual coastal sections, without reducing the landscape to a single type of coast.

Underwater Diving Sites and Zone A

Plemmirio has ten entry points to its underwater diving sites. In Plemmirio's particularly protected and more strictly regulated Zone A, diving is possible with accredited dive centres. When diving in Plemmirio, you can observe barracudas, groupers, corvinas, nudibranchs and madrepores. The underwater world is therefore shaped not only by its access points and protection regulations, but also by a named variety of marine animals and organisms.

Archaeological and Historical Traces

Along the coast of Plemmirio are six Greek latomies, which bear witness to the former suburban district of Plemmyriom. Punta della Mola is also home to a Bronze Age necropolis with traces of an associated village. Grotta Pellegrina has been identified as a refuge of prehistoric humans. These sites represent different historical periods, without their significance being limited to a single era.

More recent history is also present in the landscape: at Punta della Mola and Capo Murro di Porco are extensive underground tunnel systems that were used as anti-aircraft positions during the Second World War. On Plemmirio's underwater trail, large square stone weights can be viewed. They were formerly used as weights for the nets of the nearby Terrauzza tuna fishery.

More Destinations to Consider in Sicily

If you would like to compare destinations beyond Plemmirio, you can also find San Corrado Di Fuori, Syracuse, Calabernardo, Granelli, Avola, Palazzolo Acreide, Melilli and Cassibile.

For the broader travel overview: Syracuse.