Riserva naturale Foce del Fiume Platani, Nature reserve at Platani River mouth in Cattolica Eraclea and Ribera, Italy.

The Riserva naturale Foce del Fiume Platani covers about 206 hectares where the Platani river meets the sea, in the territories of Ribera and Cattolica Eraclea. A long sandbank of pale sediment links a spit to a broader tongue of sand, separating open blue water from calmer water behind it. Low green and brown vegetation lines the shore, and the reserve borders the Capo Bianco promontory, site of the Greek city of Eraclea Minoa.

The regional government of Sicily designated this as a protected area in 1984 to safeguard bird populations and restore local Mediterranean plant life. This action reflected growing recognition that coastal habitats serve as vital stopping points for migratory bird species.

The reserve takes its name from the Platani river, whose mouth it protects, and it borders the Capo Bianco promontory where the Greek city of Eraclea Minoa once stood. The pine wood was planted in the 1950s, and beneath the pines grow lentisk, dwarf palm, tamarisk and carob. Legambiente's Guida Blu recommended the beaches of the Platani mouth and Borgo Bonsignore every year from 2002 to 2009.

Access the reserve from Provincial Road 57 near Ribiera, where marked trails guide visitors through the area. Wear sturdy shoes since the ground is sandy and uneven, and visit early morning or late afternoon when birds are most active.

The reserve was created on 4 July 1984 by the Sicilian Region, which cited the conservation of birdlife and the rebuilding of Mediterranean scrub, salt-tolerant plant communities and dunes. Its roughly 206 hectares straddle the Platani mouth in the territories of Ribera and Cattolica Eraclea, beside the Capo Bianco promontory.