Riserva Naturale del Lago di Varano & Ofanto Coastline Day Trip
The coast immediately north of Trani transitions within 40 kilometres into a dramatically wilder landscape: the Ofanto river mouth nature reserve and the long undeveloped dune beaches around Margherita di Savoia offer a complete contrast to the urban harbour and are easily reached by car or bike for a half-day escape.
The Ofanto River Mouth
The Foce dell'Ofanto, where Puglia's longest river meets the Adriatic just south of Margherita di Savoia, is a protected wetland and Important Bird Area. In spring and autumn it hosts migrating flamingos, herons, and waders in numbers that feel incongruous this close to a busy coastal town. A flat, unpaved track runs along the south bank of the river to the sea — bring binoculars.
The beach at the river mouth is wide, wild, and free of sun-lounger concessions. The water is shallow and warm in summer, and the dunes behind the beach are stabilised by native maquis — juniper, lentisk, and sea lily — that perfume the air on hot afternoons.
Margherita di Savoia Salt Pans
Just north of the Ofanto mouth, the Saline di Margherita di Savoia are the largest salt pans in Europe, a 4,500-hectare mosaic of evaporation basins that turn extraordinary shades of pink, mauve, and copper depending on the season and the algae content. The flamingo colony here is one of the most accessible in Italy — you can watch hundreds of birds from the roadside pull-off on the SS159.
The salt produced here (Sale di Margherita di Savoia) is sold in local shops throughout Trani and makes an excellent, lightweight souvenir. The visitor centre at the salt pans (WWF-managed) offers guided walks from April to October.
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