scandola nature reserve

Thousands of protected animal species

Scandola covers 900 hectares of land and 1,000 hectares of sea, including the Girolata peninsula. It's a massif of porphyry (a purple-colored magmatic rock) with curiously shaped cliffs, forged by the wind and the movement of the water. Between the blue of the Mediterranean, the green of the vegetation and the intense red of the rock, we find an exceptional palette of colors, making the reserve a landscape of wonder. Safeguarding the environment is ensured by the reserve's remoteness from the city and a complete ban on fishing, diving and camping... The balance is maintained like nowhere else in the Mediterranean. Several thousand animal species have been recorded in Scandola. Inland, wild boar, reptiles, foxes, amphibians and bats (the "molosse", Europe's largest) share the territory. Golden eagles, peregrine falcons, gulls and many other birds nest on the cliffs. The marine life is equally captivating, with molluscs and 243 species of fish.

Exceptional vegetation

Despite a dry climate, the reserve's vegetation is dense. Most of Scandola is covered by scrubland, with lavender, heather, arbutus, myrtle and holm oak clinging to the cliffs. Among other species, mushrooms, ferns, pines and sarsaparilla make up the reserve's flora. On the marine side, 450 types of algae have been recorded.