Fiumara di Melito

The site includes the terminal stretch of the Fiumara Melito riverbed; in this section, the riverbed reaches a maximum width of about 500 meters and it becomes almost 1 km ,considering the floodplains which are stabilized by vegetation and protected by artificial embankments. These areas are extensively affected by landslides, sometimes reaching significant dimensions, such as in Contrada Lacco, below Punta Colonne. It represents a typical environment of the Ionian-Calabrian riverbed with halophilic vegetation, riparian vegetation, thermomediterranean shrublands and grasslands with grasses and annual plants. The beach near the river mouth represents a potentially suitable site for the nesting of the loggerhead sea turtle and it is included in the most important Italian nesting area for the same species.