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 structures known as "woodpile" (horizontal), "harp" (slightly arched) and "rosette" (radial course). Most formations are "reed organ" (vertical). Later the waters feeding the Alcantara River flowed through creating the gorge we know today. The formations reach over 30 metres high in places and give life to an exciting spectacular canyon gushing with water.

There is much mythology linked to Gole Alcantara and some of the viewing points have mythical and romantic names such as Venus’s source, Venus's Balcony, Vulcan’s Tumult, Love Terrace, Muses Balcony, Waterfalls Balcony, Three Lava Flows Balcony and Prickly Pear Tunnel.

According to Greek Mythology the god Vulcan fell in love with the goddess Venus and she loved him in return. To seal their love Vulcan made the waters of Alcantara a sacred place where the goddess could bathe always in warm water all year until one day their love affair ended and in a moment of rage and anger to make Venus pay for her betrayal he made the waters cold and icy. Since then legend says that any man who bathes in the goddess's waters will regain his virility and any woman will regain her virginity.

Vulcan’s Tumult derives from the god Vulcan and it is where the river violently makes its way through the basalt. Vulcan must have indeed been very angry with Venus at this part of the gorge, the wrath of a titan. The water is absolutely freezing. In deeper parts the temperature does not exceed 10 degrees.

At Three Lava Flows Balcony you can admire lava flows that formed the gorges about 8000 years ago, from the oldest at the bottom to the most recent at the top.

Alcantara is dog friendly and Daisy loves a walk along the gorges trail and meeting the resident dwarf goats, which are as fascinated by Daisy as she is by them, followed by wading through the river at Gorges Beach and we can never get her out. It causes much amusement to visitors to see Daisy wallow in the water and sit like a hippopotamus to cool off.

The gorges beach is reached by either a downward footpath or by lifts, there are also trails you can follow with scenic views of the gorge from up above surrounded by much beautiful flora and fauna.

We always start off with the trails first …

The trails can be enjoyed in different ways, there is a shuttle bus tour in a small electric bus, you can explore on a bike or by foot (or paws) on a self walking tour. On these trails you become at one with nature walking through aromatic botanical gardens boasting tropical plants, citrus trees and many herbs and from the trails you can admire the gorge from up above. All the plants and trees on the trails have signs and descriptions.

Along the trails you will see concrete troughs that look like small walls, these are known as "saja". The saja were introduced to Sicily during Arab rule as an irrigation system which quickly spread throughout the island because of its simplicity in allowing water to channel above and below ground. The water collects in a tank which was channelled into the inclined saja and was opened with valves called "zappeddi" which pours water into the ground on which farmers have made holes under each plant, so as to collect water for each tree. Today new irrigation systems have replaced the Arabic ones which have been integrated into the traditional agricultural practices, however in some parts of the island you can still see the original Arabic saja's.

After our walk along the trails we always take the lift down to the beach to dip our toes and paws in the icy water. The currents are quite strong and any one who knows me well will know that I am prone to falling over a lot and yes I did fall in the water on our last visit, therefore both Daisy and I had wet bottoms on the car journey home. I usually take flip flops or pool shoes to change into from walking shoes as the rocks and stones on the river bed and shore can be a bit uncomfortable and uneven and be aware that the currents can be strong especially for children and dogs and of course accident prone people like me.

Most visitors, tourists and locals make a day of it by packing a picnic, swimsuits and beach towels choosing to spend the day relaxing and sunbathing as an alternative to the nearby beaches of Taormina and Giardini Naxos, choosing to sunbath and cool off in the icy waters just like the goddess Venus.

For thrill seekers you can try canyoning or body rafting with river rescuers where you let yourself be carried away with your body by the Alcantara River through the lava rocks, rapids and water falls whilst wearing waterproof suits, boots, jackets and protective helmets. Or try river trekking with a river assistant wearing thigh high rubber waders so you can walk up the river through lava rocks and waterfalls.

You can also stay at the parks glamping site (posh camping) and in summer months Ancient Greek tragedies are performed after sundown on the shore of the gorges beach.

For little people and budding young geologists there is much to keep them entertained with the gorges cartoon mascot “Zazza Mike”. They can visit the museum of land and a 4D cinema. Spray Park is a water square of 600mq with splashes and water games. At the prehistoric animal park they can marvel and learn about dinosaurs and prehistoric animals that once roamed the island like dwarf elephants and hippos, fossils of which have been found and dated with an age of up to 200,000 years old. Sicily was once home to two different kinds of miniature elephants and they were thought to be some of the smallest elephants that ever existed.

The Alcantara Valley is known for its citrus fruit, forest fruits like cherry trees and also olive trees which are used to make the most delicious olive oil, jams, preserves and liqueurs and it is possible to enjoy tasting this local produce at the gorge. This area is also famous for its walnut production that have a nutty taste unlike any other walnut in the world. In October there is even a festival to celebrate the walnut in nearby Motta Camastra.

I highly recommend a visit to Gole Alcantara to explore and experience something created by Mother Nature, it really is a fun adventure for all ages and four legged friends.

Further afield you can discover the beautiful medieval towns of the Alcantara Valley such as Randazzo, Castiglione di Sicilia, Francavilla di Sicilia and Motta Camastra. On Sundays in Randazzo there is a wonderful market where local producers as far away as Catania sell their precious produce. Castiglione di Sicilia sits on a hilltop overlooking the Alcantara river and is known as the City of Wine, this is due to the amount of wineries in the area which produce the most wonderful Etna wines perfect for a wine tasting experience.

There are many agriturismi farms in the valley where you can stay and enjoy Sicilian hospitality at its best and eat amazing food from the local terrain or even indulge in a cooking class. Other adventures to be enjoyed in the area are hiking, horse riding, mountain biking and quad biking.

You can take a bus or taxi to Gole Alcantara from Taormina or Giardini Naxos travelling through the Alcantara Valley to the gorge, passing the scented citrus and olive groves, the road runs over and along the river and takes just under one hour. Parking is also available on site.

For more information visit https://www.golealcantara.it/en/

For Experiences at Gole Alcantara

and in the Alcantara Valley

I recommend

Ivano Lupini @ Sicily Active

https://www.sicilyactive.com/en/alcantara-gorges

🍃🍃🍃

If you enjoyed this post you might enjoy this one from my Blog archive:

A Mountain Getaway at Agriturismo San Cataldo

http://whitealmond-privatesicily.blogspot.com/2017/07/a-mountain-getaway-agriturismo-san.html

An Abundance of Olives

http://whitealmond-privatesicily.blogspot.com/2017/11/abundance-of-olives.html

25 Sicilian Myths and Legends

https://whitealmond-privatesicily.blogspot.com/2021/08/25-sicilian-myths-and-legends.html

and keep posted for my next post:

Join Me and Daisy, plus our friends Isabella from Weddings in Sicily Taormina and Tony from Time Out Pub Taormina on a spontaneous evening of volcanic wine tasting in the Alcantara Valley

with Ristorante Paradise Alcantara

and Produttorie Etna Nord

🍃🍃🍃

Now enjoy my photos from our Spring visit to

Gole Alcantara