Italy’s largest lagoon is offshore from Trapani, running down to Marsala, on Sicily’s west coast.
”White gold” – salt – has been commercially produced here for literally thousands of years.
As well as its salt-extraction pans, the lagoon has open waters; shallow, flat, and reliably windy, they have become Europe’s premier destination for exponents of a sport/activity that only began in the last quarter of the 20th century.
The lagoon is also a globally significant waterbird refuge; a substantial chunk of it is RAMSAR- listed, and protected by the WWF since 1996.
The featured image is copyright Doug Spencer, taken at 10.53 am on 25 September 2023.
In the foreground you can see salt-production pans.
Behind them, closer to the city of Trapani, kitesurfers/kiteboarders are enjoying the open waters, with a medieval fort/observation tower behind them.
This is a fascinating area, which will be further explored in future, multi-image posts.