Natural Reserve of Ciane and Saline of Syracuse

The reserve is located on the outskirts of the city of Syracuse and it is formed by the river Ciane and the humid area of salt flats, located near its outfall.

The river takes its name from the nymph Ciane (from the Greek cyanos meaning blue); the legend tells that when Ade kidnapped young Persephone, daughter of Zeus and Demeter of whom the God was in love, the nymph grabbed the coach in order to prevent the Ade’s escape. Then, the angry god beat her with his forked scepter transforming the nymph into a blue color spring. Even Anapo, the young shepherd in love with the nymph, who was present at the transformation of the beloved, was transformed into the homonymous stream that still joins the river Ciane before flowing into the Porto grande of Syracuse. So Anapo joins his beloved forever.

The peculiarity of the reserve is given by the richness of the flora present in it, among the various plants is worth mentioning the papyrus; the reserve, in fact, is the only site where the papyrus spontaneously grows.

Near the outfall are the saline (salterns) that, now abandoned, represent an important humid area for migratory birds’ rest.