The managers of the Marine Protected Area of Penisola del Sinis-Isola di Mal di Ventre (Italy) have participated in the test phase for a catalogue of ecotourism packages in Mediterranean protected areas, as part of the EU-funded Mediterranean Experience of Ecotourism (MEET) project.

For two and a half days (11-14 October 2014), a group of tourists tested the activities planned by the enthusiastic young team from the Cultour Cooperative in Cabras, who hoped to make environmental tourism in Sardinia a more exciting and sustainable alternative to the mass tourism along the Mediterranean coastline. The contrasting landscapes that unite the sea and land on the Sinis Peninsula fulfil this purpose by providing an intense experience of nature and culture.

The participants walked along the basalt cliffs and white beaches of glittering quartz exploring the many colours of the rocks shaped by water and wind, and they discovered the ruins of ancient Tharros, founded by the Phoenicians in the 8th century BC. They also biked around the inland lagoons and learnt about the art of processing and storing the top-quality mullet bottarga that has been made by the local communities since Roman times. To complete this pilot package, each day's excursion was rounded off with a culinary experience in local restaurants and cosy accommodation in a local B&B.

One element that made this protected area ecotourism package different was that the visitors gained key information about the importance of the coastal dune and lagoon ecosystems of this area. They were also able to visit the Marine Mammal Rescue Centre and discover the extraordinary care given to the sea turtles that arrive on shore sick or injured.

Other test packages will be run in pilot protected areas of the MEET Project in October and November in order to create the first MEET catalogue of ecotourism packages in Mediterranean protected areas.

The MEET project aims to improve the sustainability of tourism and rationalize its distribution in the Mediterranean region, and is a cross-border cooperation initiative funded by the European Neighbourhood Policy Instrument (ENPI Med). This strategic project involves eight Mediterranean countries: France, Greece, Italy, Jordan, Lebanon, Malta, Spain and Tunisia.

For further information please contact Carla Danelutti

Photo: Sinis Peninsula (Sardinia, Italy). © IUCN-Med