The "Natural Reserve at Genuardo Monte and Santa Maria del Bosco", covers an area of 2,658 hectares, and includes the province of Agrigento, the town of Sambuca of Sicily and the district of Monti Sicani.
Within the protected area there are different environments: Monte Genuardo, the area of Santa Maria del Bosco and Pomo Bosco, but the whole area, from the geological point of view, is affected by slow and massive landslides that, joined with the action of surface erosion of the rocks, has led to the formation of huge rocky and disjointed blocks, the largest of which is found the Punic settlement of Adranone.
It acts as a natural border of the province; forested areas are characterized by valuable artificial plants, such as oak, pine, cypress, eucalyptus, and oak; while the undergrowth is full of brambles, peony and butcher's broom.
With regard to fauna, the reserve has a kind of great natural value, a jewel of biodiversity: several examples of sorbi trees, peony, maples. Significant is the presence of the lodolaio, a rare species of hawk. 38 to 48 cm long, with a proportionally shorter tail than other hawks. It lives in open areas close to forests and lays its eggs in old crows nests. He preys on birds and large insects and looks a lot like the pellegrine falcon, which is distinguished by its livery.
The Reserve offers hiking trails to admire the wealth of flora and fauna and the landscapes: following a path between Mediterranean shrubbery, forests of oak, mixed with flowering ash and maples, after wide plateaus, you reach the top of M . Genuardo (1175 m above sea level). In conditions of good visibility, from the top you can see a unique panorama that sweeps from the south coast to Etna up to the mountains of the Zingaro and the surrounding countries.
The management of the reserve is entrusted to the Company of the Regional State Forests.
Reachability:
The reserve can be reached from Palermo or from Sciacca: take the SS 624 (Palermo-Sciacca) and exit at Sambuca di Sicilia (viaduct n. 25), then proceed on the SP 70 in the direction of Sambuca di Sicilia . After the town, continue on the SP 69 towards Adragna.
