The Alcantara Gorge (Gole Alcantara)
The Alcantara Gorge (Gole Alcantara) is an absolute must when staying in Taormina and it’s surrounding areas. We can never resist a visit and it is always a fun dog walking adventure for Daisy which she loves. The fluvial park of Alcantara covers a large region between the medieval town of Randazzo and Giardini Naxos. The name Alcantara derives from the Arabic word 'Al Qantarah' which means arched bridge. The formation of the riverbed of the Alcantara River dates back to about 300,000 years ago, however the current aspect of the river in the section of the gorge dates back to formations that occurred in the last 8000 years. The gorge is a natural monument of basalt rock that was created by a volcanic eruption around 2400BC. The lava flow flooded the entire valley of the Alcantara River as far as Giardini Naxos. Whilst still white hot a crack opened in the lava taking on the appearance of a gorge and gave rise to deep irregular fractures which intersected, they formed ...