Saline di Margherita di Savoia
An hour's drive northwest of Foggia along the Adriatic coast, the Saline di Margherita di Savoia are the largest salt pans in Europe — a vast, otherworldly landscape of shallow lagoons that turn flamingo-pink at sunrise and deep violet at dusk, depending on the season and the algae blooming in the brine. This is one of the most photogenic natural spectacles in southern Italy, and almost nobody out
The Pink Lagoons and Their Wildlife
The salt pans stretch for nearly 4,000 hectares along the coast and support a remarkable ecosystem. Greater flamingos — a population of several hundred birds — wade through the shallow brine year-round, joined in spring and autumn by migrating avocets, stilts, and spoonbills. The sight of flamingos against the flat Adriatic horizon, with the Gargano promontory rising in the distance, is genuinely surreal.
The colour of the water shifts from pale rose to deep magenta depending on the concentration of Dunaliella salina algae — the same organism responsible for the famous pink lakes of Australia. The most intense colours appear in late summer when salinity is at its peak.
Salt, Spas, and How to Visit
The town of Margherita di Savoia has built a small spa industry around the therapeutic black mud extracted from the lagoon floor, and the Terme di Margherita di Savoia offers mud treatments and brine baths that locals swear by for joint pain and skin conditions. It's an unusual and very Italian afternoon activity.
The best way to explore the salt pans is on foot or by bicycle along the coastal path that runs between the lagoons and the Adriatic beach. The WWF manages a nature reserve within the pans and organises guided birdwatching walks — book ahead via their regional office in Foggia.
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