Description of the attraction
The small island of Gallinara, with an area of only 11 hectares, is located off the coast of the Ligurian Riviera between the cities of Alassio and Albenga and today it is a nature reserve famous for its unique Mediterranean flora and ecosystems. By the way, the Albenga Museum displays finds from ancient Roman ships discovered just off the coast of Gallinara.
The name of the island comes from the Italian word "galline", which is called wild chickens - in the era of ancient Rome, they were found here in abundance. Once upon a time, monks of the powerful Benedictine order lived on Gallinar, from which the ruins of an ancient monastery have survived to this day. In the 11th century, this monastery was one of the largest and richest in the entire Riviera and stretched its influence as far as the territory of France. But in the 13-15th centuries it lost its significance, and in the middle of the 19th century, after the last monks left the island, it was sold into private hands. In addition to the monastery, today on the island you can see a round tower of the 16th century, built to protect against raids of Saracen pirates, and a small neo-Gothic church.
Gallinara's nature is amazing. Herring gulls nest on the territory of this beautiful island, which, thanks to the protected status of the reserve, can breed chicks here in peace and quiet. It is on Gallinar that one of the largest colonies of these birds in the northern Tyrrhenian Sea is located. In addition to seagulls, the reserve is famous for its flora, which contains the rarest species of Mediterranean plants. And also rare reptiles live here.
Gallinara is of particular interest to divers: in the coastal waters you can find sea daisies - yellow sponges of incredible size. The island has two dive sites, Christ the Tempter, also known as Punta Falconara, and Punta Shushau, where diving is only possible with experienced guides due to the abundance of WWII unexploded bombs and shipwrecks.
