Today, I want to discuss about a fabulous Sicilian valley that foreign tourists don’t know, yet. I can assure that the ones who have visited this place have had the impression to being in the earthly paradise. I am talking about the Alcantara valley, the namesake valley crossed by the namesake river Alcantara. Indeed, this is a river which flows along the Sicilian Apennine consisting of mount Etna, Nebrodi and Peloritani mounts. The river flows amid these mountain chains and amid a lava stone wall shaped by the lava of the mount Etna. This rock wall is long over 52 kilometres and forms a famous tourist attraction named Alcantara Gorges or Alcantara Gorge. From this place, you can admire an unspoiled landscape and breathtaking sights in addition to hike the gorges or dive into the river waters during the summer.

Where are the Alcantara Gorges

The magnificent and deep Alcantara Gorges are in the Alcantara valley, at a short distance from Taormina, Mount Etna and Giardini Naxos. The rock wall was born from the erosion of the cooled lava of Etna volcano over the several centuries. The repeated and continual erosion shaped some beautiful gorges and ravines included in Alcantara valley. The most spectacular gorge, the one where the namesake river flows, is also a natural and geological park with several trails to visit during your trip to the nearby cities of Taormina and Giardini Naxos or your excursion to the Etna volcano. The river has an elevation of 1250 meters above the sea level and is placed in the municipality of Floresta, in the district of Messina. It crosses the following towns: Randazzo, Mojo Alcantara, Francavilla di Sicilia, Motta Camastra, Castiglione di Sicilia , Graniti, Gaggi, Calatabiano. To visit and admire the Alcantara Gorges, you must arrive in the two municipalities of Motta Camastra and Castiglione di Sicilia.

History

The formation of the Alcantara gorges dated back to over 300.000 years ago. However, the current look of the gorges has been shaped by the lava erosion occurred over the latest 8000 years. The presence of the nearby mount Mojo, a small conical volcano, led scholars to think that the birth of the gorges was due to this secondary and small volcano. Recent studies, instead, revealed that the main gorges were born from the lava flows of the mount Etna, some of them has been overlaid along the left corner of the river, the most ancient has even reached the Ionian Sea, at the height of Capo Schisò, in Giardini Naxos, while the most recent formed some high rocky columns of the Alcantara Gorges. Later, the presence of the river and the percolation inside the magma mass caused a quick cooling and shaped deep and irregular cracks, which, crossing each other, formed prismatic structures with various shapes: horizontal wood piles, arched and round. The vertical structures, also called, “organ reeds”, are the most regular. They can also reach a height of 30 meters’.

What to see

In the natural park of Alcantara river, you can see unspoiled and stunning landscapes. The entire area is characterized by waterfalls and circular ponds, called “ gurns” and then, by deep and evocative gorges, most known as “Alcantara Gorge “, “ Alcantara Canyon”, “The Alcantara Gorges” or “Gole di Alcantara” in Italian . During your trip to the natural park of Alcantara river, you can visit this itinerary:

• Le gurne dell’Alcantara, a trail starting from Francavilla di Sicilia, to explore on foot, and with considerable historical, archeological sites and spectacular flora and fauna.
• The small Alcantara Gorge, a trail starting from the bridge of Saint Nicola, to explore on foot, and with a fabulous landscape.
• Moio volcano, a trail starting from the namesake small volcano, to explore on foot, with a beautiful landscape, interesting fauna and a geological site.
• Calatabiano castle ( see the image), one the most beautiful trails of Alcantara valley. It starts from Calatabiano town and finishes in the namesake castle.
• The Alcantara Gorges or Gole di Larderia, a stunning trail where tourists can admire the river flowing amid lava stone walls. The trail starts from Motta Camastra and is surrounded by woods and cultivated lands. The trail allows you to flank the river. It is possible to climb a slope or come down to the shore nearby the famous Larderia gorges. Here, the entrance is free, but you can also enjoy many tourist paid services, such as bars, travel guides, restaurants, trekking, and an elevator which allows you to admire the magnificent and spectacular view of the gorges from above.
• On feet, you can also explore the following trails: Castiglione di Sicilia, Alcantara river and the Big Mount, placed among the municipalities of Castiglione, Gaggi and Motta Camastra. The first two trails are very easy to walk, while the latter is harder to explore.

What to do

In the summer, you can also sunbathe on the small beaches surrounding the Alcantara river or to swim in these waters, so that you can refresh yourself by the Sicilian hot. Since the waters are very cold, here, you could need a wetsuit. In the other seasons, you can also walk in the river, but this excursion is dangerous without a travel guide, because the river currents are very strong and some points are also very deep. Here, one of the most popular destinations is the Venus waterfall, where a legend tells that Venus, goddess of beauty, loved spending her days to relax and bathe.

Body rafting, an unforgettable adventure
To hike the river, you also need a wetsuit, boots and a helmet. This excursion is called body rafting or river trekking and it can be made only by small groups of tourists, so that the guides can follow all of participants. The waters of the river are always cold, the summer temperature never overcomes the 17 degrees and it is always lower in the other seasons, but the experience of body rafting is unforgettable and very fun. The river trekking demands a high body resistance and passion for adventure in order to overcome the natural obstacles inside the Alcantara Gorges, namely waterfalls, slopes and rocky walls. Finished climbing, it starts the descent, which is made of long slips on the rock, river rapids and sparkling waterfalls. To book an adventure of body rafting to the Alcantara Gorge, the price is about 60 Euros.

Alcantara Gorge hotels and accommodations

I visited Alcantara Gorge some years ago to celebrate my first wedding anniversary. I and my husband booked a room at a farmhouse in Motta Camastra, a small village which is just in the valley of Alcantara river. Indeed, we visited the gorges after a few minuted of walks.   The farmhouse was Casa delle Monache ( House of Nouns). I was an ancient convent turned into a hotel. I remember the intensive charm of the rooms, engraved in the stone and furnished with bunk bed in wrought iron. Ouside, there was a swimming pool and a restaurant to enjoy  delicoius  Sicily dishes. That vacations was for us really magic and unforgettable.  Fortunately,  Casa delle Monache is still avaliable to offer hospitality to tourists whs want to visit Alcantara Gorge. At that time, reservation price was fairly affordable and I hope it is still so.  Today, this accommodations is called Terralcantara La casa delle Monache.

To find hotels and other accommodations near Alcantara Gorge, you can also see here .

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Rosalba Mancuso

Rosalba Mancuso is a freelance journalist born in Sicily. Passionate about her loved island and with extensive writing experience, Rosalba worked as contributor for the main Sicily’s newspapers and as bilingual Italian – English writer. Thanks to her skills, she also founded four websites in English. On Sicilyonweb, Rosalba tells every corner of her beloved Sicily. Furthermore, she writes this blog thanks to your help. Rosalba, in fact, earns a small commission, with no cost for you, when you book your travel or buy products through the affiliate widgets or links you find in her posts.