Gorges of Alcantara

The Gorges of Alcantara (Gole dell'Alcantara) are a worthwhile destination, especially for nature lovers.

They are located in the province of Messina, near Francavilla di Sicilia, in the Alcantara Valley where the river of the same name flows between the towns of Castiglione di Sicilia and Motta Camastra. Over the years various hypotheses have been put forward about the origins of this natural scenery, but even today there are no certainties about the phenomena that created the Alcantara Gorges. The only sure thing is that thousands of years ago a lava flow coming from the Etna crater Mojo invaded the river covering it entirely with lava. The peculiarity of the Gorges is that the lava has cooled slowly forming very high rock walls with prismatic, pentagonal and hexagonal shapes. Over the years, the Alcantara River with its icy waters has slowly eroded the walls of the river, creating a landscape similar to a Canyon, "the Alcantara Gorges". Today, visitors can admire a geological landscape made of rocky walls with particular shapes, crossed by waterfalls, small lakes and small rivers. During your walk you will also meet small beaches, where to stop for a break or simply to admire the rocky walls. From the source, descending towards the valley and then towards the gorges, the landscape changes.

At the beginning, in fact, you will walk through the green of the Mediterranean scrub with its colorful prickly pears, and then reach the valley with the gorges. The gorges are up to 25 meters high and wide at the narrowest 2 meters and at the widest 4-5 meters.

On the territory of Motta Camastra in Fondaco Motta is located the best-known gorge of Alcantara, more than 6 km long and easily accessible for the first 3 km. It is possible to visit them all year round thanks to organized itineraries.

The Alcantara Gorges are the only fluvial Park of Sicily, which offers atmospheric scenery, suited to nature lovers and excursions.