The beaches of the Vendicari Oriented Reserve: the Citadel

Cittadella dei Maccari beach is the last of the five beaches in the Vendicari Reserve, the one that marks its southern boundary. It extends for a very long stretch of the shoreline characterized by soft golden-yellow sand. The rather shallow and clear seabed, gently sloping towards the open sea, makes the stretch of sea in front of it take on a Caribbean emerald-green color that makes this beach recognized as one of the most fascinating in South-Eastern Sicily. The stretch of sandy shoreline leading to the Tonnara di Vendicari is forbidden for bathing because turtles of the Caretta Caretta species have been depositing their eggs there for years.

If you access from the ‘southern entrance of the Vendicari Reserve you can easily reach the beach by following the paths appropriately made by the employees of the Regional Department of Forestry The beach owes its name to the archaeological remains of a Byzantine center of the 6th century AD. called precisely Cittadella Maccari. For the tourist who chooses this beach, therefore, a must is certainly a visit to the necropolis and the Trigona, one of the so-called “cube” present in Sicily, that is, small churches of Byzantine architecture. In the area there is also an ancient Palmento for wine production, no longer active today, but properly restored, often hosts interesting naturalistic and cultural reviews.

As a beach in the Vendicari Reserve, the beach of Cittadella Maccari also retains its unspoiled naturalistic appearance and charm, and is devoid of bathing establishments and equipped areas. However, adjacent to the beach, just outside the Reserve is a bathing establishment, “Terrazza Vendicari,” which offers all the necessary bathing services, including bars and catering.