The San Giovanni di Sinis site protects the coastal stretch around the village of the same name and the Tharros archaeological area, at the southern end of the Sinis Peninsula. It includes marine environments, the rocky shore and the dune systems behind it, in ecological continuity with the Marine Protected Area.
Site data
- Natura 2000 code: ITB032239
- Designation: Special Area of Conservation (SAC)
- Biogeographical region: Mediterranean
- Reference directive: Habitats 92/43/EEC
- Territorial managing body: Municipality of Cabras
Habitats of Community interest
The site includes marine and coastal habitats listed in the Habitats Directive, two of which are priority (marked with an asterisk):
- 1120* Posidonia oceanica beds (priority habitat)
- 1170 Reefs
- 1210 Annual vegetation of drift lines
- 1240 Vegetated sea cliffs of the Mediterranean coasts with endemic Limonium spp.
- 2110 Embryonic shifting dunes
- 2120 Shifting dunes along the shoreline with Ammophila arenaria
- 2210 Crucianellion maritimae fixed beach dunes
- 2250* Coastal dunes with Juniperus spp. — priority habitat
Key species
- Kentish plover (Charadrius alexandrinus), breeding on the sandy shores
- European shag (Gulosus aristotelis desmarestii)
- Ferruginous limpet (Patella ferruginea), on the intertidal rocky shores
- Loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta), passing through the surrounding waters
Its proximity to the Tharros archaeological area makes the site an example of close integration between natural and cultural heritage, with conservation needs concerning both.
For official up-to-date data and the full Natura 2000 Standard Data Form, see the Natura 2000 Network Viewer (opens in a new window).