Born on 14th December 2004, the Riserva Naurale Regionale Sentina (Sentina Regional Nature Reserve) is the smallest protected area of The Marche and yet it has a great environmental value (Council Resolution no.156).
It is included in a landscape of water and sand that stretches for about 180 hectares in the Municipality of San Benedetto del Tronto, between the town of Porto d'Ascoli to the north and the river Tronto to the south.
Its special natural structure forms a homogeneous system of terrestrial areas, also including rivers and lakes: a sweet landscape of water and sand that stretches along the coast for about 1.7 km.
Ancient remains dating back to the 1600 and 1860, however, recall the presence of a lake basin, which however, due to urbanization and to reclamation works, has gradually disappeared.
Nonetheless, various studies testify the extraordinary natural and biogeographical value of this area.
The Sentina consists of unique environments such as sand bars, wetlands behind the dunes, and brackish grasslands that are home to a rich and unique flora which has disappeared in most of the Adriatic coast devastated by anthropization.
Floristically, here can be found species that in the rest of The Marche are threatened with extinction, such as the Aster tripolium and the Ammophila arenaria or vulnerable ones such as the Crypsis aculeia, the Sueda maritima, the Eryngium maritimum and the Medicago marina.
The typical landscape is that of the coastal valley: land, river and lakes areas can be found. It can host 171 species of animals, such as migratory birds, mammals, reptiles, fish and amphibians.

This area is of remarkable importance for migratory birds, as it represents the only chance for a coastal stop between the delta wetlands of the Po river and the Gargano promontory.

Management Authority
Municipality of San Benedetto del Tronto
Viale De Gasperi, 124
63074 San Benedetto del Tronto (AP)
Tel. 0735 7941
www.comunesbt.it