The Coastal Dunes of Circeo

The Circeo coastal dunes extends itself along the coast, from the slopes of the promontory and for about 27 Km along the South Tyrhennean coast, from Paola’s Tower at the feet of the promontory of Mount Circeo northwards to Capo Portiere. This geological and vegetation habitat are delicate areas consisting in a continuous series of sandy dunes reaching a maximum width of 250 m. It is possible to distinguish a less protected sea-side

slope with a pioneer halophilic vegetation and an inner slope which is protected by the sea wind full of saltiness, which houses a greener high and low Mediterranean maquis. Small plants like the maritime chamomile, the sea-lily or the spear grass, which rarely attract the attention, are very important for the ecosystem of the dunes: they protect the ground from the erosion by the wind keeping hold of the sand with their roots and allowing to other larger and greener species, but less resistant, to survive here. During spring time, the dune covers up with the thousand of colors of these little blooming flowers and witness the spectacular arrival of huge flocks of birds at the end of their migration. These are ridge of dunes with miles and miles of beaches, often deserted, where the famous novelist Alberto Moravia liked to take long, peaceful walks.

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As one walks towards the inner and higher dunes right after the smaller shield plants, there are the bigger bushes of the snuggle juniper and other evergreen bushes, like the lentisk and the phyllerea, which are up to 2-3 metres high. Where the dunes get closer to the lakes, the natural environment changes: here the wind calms down, the ground, no longer exposed and eroded, is deeper and more fertile: here we find oaks, like the holm-oak and the

cork, next to small colonies of reintroduced pines of Aleppo pines and maritime pines, alongsice with eucalyptuses and cypresses. On the edge of the inner lagoons, the scenery becomes rich of alders, ash-trees, poplar trees and some willows. Here is where the world of the dunes end in an enchanted landscape wrapped by the dreaming and silent atmosphere of the lakes, quietly touched by a blow of breeze that surface the water and moves the trees’ leaves.

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