Burano

The Burano Lake Nature Reserve is located in the Municipality of Capalbio, between Ansedonia and Chiarone beach, in the Marina di Chiarone area. It’s part
of the Oases administered by the WWF.
It includes the lake and a stretch of coast in its natural state, characterized by dunes and Mediterranean scrub and dominated by a watchtower
coastal: the Buranaccio tower. The protected surface covers an area of 410 hectares, of which 140 are lakeside. The average depth of the lake is about one meter. This is the first protected area experiment initiated by the WWF, in 1980.

This area of the Maremma area has become the wintering and resting place for many species of migratory birds, as well as hosting numerous sedentary species throughout the year. For birdwatchers it represents, together with other Maremma reserves, such as the Oasis of the Orbetello Lagoon and the Diaccia Botrona Nature Reserve, in Castiglione della Pescaia, one of the places of greatest interest in Italy and also in Europe.

To visit the Oasis you can leave your car at the entrance, near the visitor center. The Butterfly Garden is also located here. You can reach the pier overlooking the lake on foot, via a path of a few hundred meters with no differences in level, which crosses the Mediterranean scrub. From that point, the tower overlooking both the lake and the sea is visible. The fortification was built around the middle of the 16th century. and was once part of the State of the Garrisons. Wanted by the King of Spain Philip II, the State of the Garrisons was a protectorate that included the villages of Orbetello, Porto Ercole, Porto Santo Stefano, Ansedonia and Talamone and which had the purpose of protecting the coastal villages from Turkish incursions.

The tower can only be visited on special occasions and if accompanied by one of the park guides. Apart from the path, which leads from the oasis office to the lake, and the butterfly garden, near the visitor centre, all the other areas of the oasis can only be visited during visits scheduled by the WWF, except for special occasions. such as photography courses and other events organized by the association.

Among the facilities of the oasis there are equipped nature trails that also allow disabled people to cross the Mediterranean scrub, for an itinerary of approximately one kilometre. There are also observatories and watchtowers, photography huts, an observatory for night-time viewing of mammals, a butterfly garden, various wildlife areas, a visitor center with projection room and a guesthouse with kitchen use.

In addition to a large number of birds, many other animals live in the reserve.
In fact, there are “…flamingos, wild geese, seagulls, sandwich terns, bitterns and gray herons. Numerous river nightingales, warblers, straw warblers, damselfish and marsh bunting live in the reed thicket. There are also different species of ducks such as tufted ducks and pochards. Among the birds of prey we find the marsh harrier, the osprey, the buzzard, the sparrowhawk, the kestrel, the spotted eagle and others. In the scrub and in the sandy clearings of the dune live deer, porcupines, badgers, wild rabbits, polecats, stone martens, foxes, weasels, hedgehogs, roe deer and wild boars. ”

Not only will the fauna amaze you, but also the variety of flora. The Mediterranean scrub characterizes the area between the beach and the lake: juniper bushes, myrtle, phillyrea, mastic and cork oak.
The marsh reed and the water lily surround the banks of the body of water. Among the dunes, closer to the beach, you will discover sea lilies, sea soldanelles and santolinas.

A visit to the oasis represents a good opportunity to unplug and rediscover yourself; thanks to a day spent among the animal observation huts, in the silence broken only by the noise of the wind and the calls of the birds and a walk along the beach, with the scent of the sea and the impressions that only it can give. These are the experiences that only those who have tried them and know how to appreciate them can truly define as unique.