Santa Ninfa: integral reserve

Between ups and downs, the signs of the passing of time…

Tall, white rocks marked by perpendicular grooves emerge among the green valley adorned with the usual cultures of this corner of Sicily: these are the karren, furrows shaped by the slow action of rain.

And then again a karst and chalk landscape, irregular and sculpted by time, made up of dolines and blind valleys: it is the pre-preserve area, extending for about 150 hectares, that spreads around the Biviere stream, that small watercourse that starts from the top of the plateau, 663 meters above sea level, and descends into the valley to then suddenly disappear into nothingness, leaving us only the possibility of following it, if we wish, where the sun no longer reaches, in the meandering hollows and tunnels of theSanta Ninfa Cave.

The latter represents the Reserve area proper: a cavity extended horizontally for about 1400 m and divided between an upper zone, now dry, and a lower zone where water still plays the leading role.
Like skilled and patient carvers, time and nature have taken their course and have been able to draw splendid mineral encrustations of many colors.

The halls and walls of the cave proudly display curtains, stalactites, elegantly elongating mineral inflorescences, and what are called “cave pearls,” small spheres of rare and beautiful calcite.
Suspended in limbo, the water droplets are there motionless, forever fixed in that moment of indecision between the possibility of dispersing anonymously on the ground or turning into immortal sculptures.

The Reserve falls within the municipalities of Santa Ninfa and Gibellina and consists of a plateau of chalky nature that is characterized by the presence of numerous underground cavities, among which the cave of Santa Ninfa stands out for its high speleological and geomorphological interest.

Mount Finestrelle, on the slopes of which the Biviere springs, is home to an early Christian necropolis, dating back to the time when the Elymians lived in the area.
On the southern slope are a series of rock-cut tombs that have precisely the shape of many “little windows.”

The visits
You can visit the reserve all year round, on any day you wish.
Legambiente organizes free guided tours through the entire reserve area with prior reservation.
At the edge of the reserve, you will also find the Agroforestry Museum that celebrates ancient farming culture and the Finestrelle Forest, the area equipped for your recreation.

Getting there

From the A/29 Palermo-Mazara del Vallo highway, exit at the junction for Salemi and take State Highway 188 in the direction of Santa Ninfa.

FLORA & FAUNA.

Flora
In the valley, the cave’s feeding basin, traces of Mediterranean scrub survive: you can smell the scents of Shrubby Thyme and Laurel, enjoy the colors of Wild Orchids and the lush bushes of theEuphorbia arborea. Beautiful are the colorful expanses: the white clusters of the Hairy Garlic, the blue petals of the Field Damsel, and the yellow petals of the Greater Bunch together with the Purple Cicerchia, which from March begins to show the beautiful violet of its flowers with purple-red banner.

The arid nature of the soil, combined with the action of chalk, hinders the growth of vegetation in no small measure. However, some species have overcome the harsh natural selection and live on the chalks: Tineo Cabbage, a rock plant endemic to the island, Chalk Borraccina and Whitish Borraccina, small perennial succulents, Linajola, a perennial plant with yellow flowers.

Fauna
The value of the Santa Ninfa Cave, already great because of the very conformation and constitution of its structure, is increased even more by the cave fauna that has settled there, thus managing to live in very humid and lightless environments.
Recently, a species of arthropod new to science was discovered inside the cave: the millipede Choneiulus faunaeuropae.

In the Biviere valley, the Hedgehog and Porcupine, Rabbit, Weasel and Fox live. There are also numerous specimens of Buzzard, a medium-sized bird of prey with broad wings; Kestrel, the bird of prey that swings in flight; Nightingale; and Jay, easily recognized by the blue-white spots on its wings. In summer, the small and colorful Gruccioni stop here to give birth to their young.
Of great interest, among the amphibians, is the presence of the Discoglosso, a now rare species found only in the western Mediterranean.