Nature Reserve of Foce del Fiume Belice and Dune Limitrofe offers a unique natural environment characterized by many dunes which remind a landscapes of North Africa.
The Nature Reserve of Foce del Fiume Belice and Dune Limitrofe is a protected natural area of Sicily, created in 1984. The landscape is characterised by many dunes drawn by the wind which remind a landscapes of North Africa. It is located between Marinella di Selinunte and the promontory of Porto Palo and includes the last part of the river Belice and the neighbouring coastal dune formations. This natural landscape defined almost all the Mediterranean coast of Sicily so it has been always considered one of the most beautiful landscapes of the island.
The reserve includes different environments such as the dunes, the mouth of the river with the typical marsh vegetation and, in the inner part, the Mediterranean evergreen spot. Inside the reserve of Belice runs one of the most important rivers of the province, the Belice river (the name derives from the arab word Belich), which is the largest one of the three rivers that flow through the territory of Selinunte. Once, the Belice river was navigable for a long stretch so it became the most important communication routes between the main land and the coast. It acquired a massive importance that is demonstrated by a series of settlements found across the territory dating back to prehistory until the early Middle Ages.