Riserva naturale regionale delle Isole dello Stagnone di Marsala, Nature reserve with salt pans and lagoons in Marsala, Italy.

The Riserva naturale regionale delle Isole dello Stagnone di Marsala is a 2,012-hectare protected area on Sicily's west coast, between Capo San Teodoro and Capo Boeo. It covers the Stagnone, the island's largest lagoon, with waters 1–2 m deep and often no more than 50 cm, plus the islands of San Pantaleo (Mozia), Isola Grande, Schola and Santa Maria. Isola Grande formed around two original islets from sand moved by underwater currents, closing off part of the sea.

Salt production has taken place in this location since ancient times, making it one of the Mediterranean's oldest working saltworks. It became officially protected as a reserve in the 1980s to preserve its ecological value and traditional practices.

Salt harvesting has shaped how people have used and understood this landscape for centuries. Visitors walking through the area can observe workers tending salt ponds using techniques passed down through generations and still practiced today.

The reserve is best explored by joining a guided boat tour or renting a bicycle to navigate the various paths and viewing areas. Come prepared for wet, flat terrain and bring sturdy shoes along with sun protection for the open landscape.

The lagoon's shallow water, often no more than 50 cm deep, lets visitors see mullet, sea bream, bass, octopus and cuttlefish without diving. The Isola Grande formed around two original islets as underwater currents moved sand, closing off part of the open sea and turning it into the stagnant basin that gives the reserve its name.