The Po Delta in Emilia-Romagna
Lagoons, flamingos and eels
Where the Po, the longest river in Italy, flows into the Adriatic, it forms an immense delta of branches, lagoons, marshes, reed beds, dunes and pine forests, one of the largest wetlands in Europe. The southern part, in the provinces of Ferrara and Ravenna, is protected by the Parco del Delta del Po dell'Emilia-Romagna, which together with the Venetian part is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, and is part of the UNESCO site of Ferrara and its Delta. Its heart is the Valli di Comacchio, a vast system of brackish lagoons covering over 10,000 hectares, separated from the sea by narrow strips of land.
The delta is a paradise for birds, with over 300 species recorded: herons, egrets, cormorants, avocets, black-winged stilts, terns and, above all, the pink flamingos, which have been nesting here since the 2000s in thousands of pairs, creating a spectacular pink stain on the water. From Stazione Foce, near Comacchio, boat trips cross the lagoons, passing the old "casoni", the fishermen's houses on the water, and the "lavorieri", the traditional traps for catching eels. The park can also be explored on foot, by bike along the embankments, or on horseback, and has birdwatching huts in many points, such as the salt pans of Comacchio and the oasis of Punte Alberete near Ravenna. The pine forests of San Vitale and Classe, near Ravenna, were praised by Dante and Byron.
Tip: the best months for flamingos are spring and early summer; bring binoculars and mosquito repellent in summer.
Where it is
More things to see in Emilia-Romagna
Where to stay near Comacchio
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