Gole dell’Alcantara

Deep gorges carved in the basalt

One of the most noteworthy and particular locations of Sicily, deep gorges carved in the columnar basalt by the Alcantara River. The name of the river has an Arabic origin and derives from an ancient bridge, which was used for crossing (“Al qantarah”, the bridge). Various theories try to reconstruct the origins of the gorges, sustaining that they were formed due to a slow erosion from part of the river or by an earthquake, which broke down the basaltic group.

It is possible to enter through the city entrance or entrust yourself to guided visits, so to follow the route of the river bed and discover an uncontaminated environment characterised by waterfalls and small lakes.