| Description: |
The small
island of Zannone could seem the less spectacular of the islands. However even
this island becomes a sort of delicious dish if the three main ingredients,
boat, sea and sun are mixed in the best moment and conditions. Lets begin from
the boat. It should preferably be a traditional fishing -boat, solid, secure,
but with a low edge to appreciate more the second element of the recipe: the
sea. It is better to find the sea when the mistral blows; this happens very
often in spring and summer in the Pontine islands . Third element: the sun of
the first hours of the morning should be bright to be able to see all the islands
of the archipelago and even Circeo on the mainland. These are the best conditions
to sail around Zannone with a small boat to pass between its rocks. From the
small island of Gavi at the northern end of the island of Ponza, the route brings
directly to " Il Varo" the only place to land on Zannone when the sea is quiet.
The Mediterranean scrub with its rosemary, heather, euphorbia, lentisk and phillyrea
covers the eroded vulcanic rocks from the south-west slope to the "Grotelle".
After the rock of the "Monaco" (the monk), and continuing to the "Punta Levante"
begin the geological jewels of Zannone. These are very ancient metamorphic rocks,
probably dated 300 million years ago, completely different, in their origin
and their history from the vulcanic rocks present on the island and the rest
of the archipelago. From the "Punta del Lauro" to "Capo negro", follow other
interesting points: the rich vegetation of ilex, laurel, heather and Ephedroides
broom, high rocky strata of lime-stone and outcropping dolomite, "Cala Marina"
and the small inlet called "Cieca dei Pesci", where in the past fishermen used
to assemble shoals of fish to be captured in a sort of tunny-massacre.
From "Capo Negro"to the "Faro" and further on, you can discover other sedimentary
rocks, grey lime-stones with sandstone on their top, loam rocks and other vegetation.
In the northen slope of Zannone in fact, remains the most appreciable evidence
of the ancient vegetation of the archipelago, in other places destroyed by centuries
of cutting down and more recently by fires.
The ilex, some of them very old, with arbutus, wild-olive and alaterni, form
a thick an impenetrable interlacement, a high "forteto" - in this way is called
the most thick and luxuriant Mediterranean scrub - destined thanks to the protection
assured from "Parco nazionale del Circeo" , to became maybe a real evergreen
forest. The short tour of the island, concludes itself coming back to the "Varo".
Zannone has no appreciable shelter and who navigates, if the weather is not
beautiful, must dock in Ponza, in the harbour or in a roadstead.
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