Discover Sicily beaches: Volcanoes, canyons, hidden islands
A Strait where the sea is also legend, mountains hold stories, gorges are unique, and there are volcanoes for every taste.
Sicily is not just its incredible artistic and cultural heritage, CE Report quotes ANSA.
On the contrary, it offers the most diverse natural experiences with which to discover breathtaking landscapes and authentic stories.
Our journey begins at sea, from the three kilometers that divide the island from the 'Continent' - as it is called on this side of the Mediterranean. In Messina, on the beaches of Capo Peloro, Charybdis still beckons sailors and swimmers from the bottom of the sea, with the eddies created by the meeting of the Tyrrhenian and Ionian seas. The sensation is that of being pulled into the sea by one's feet, and it is only one of the many that can be experienced in Sicily, far beyond the usual known routes, the resorts, the beaches, On the Aeolian Islands, for example, you can go hiking, see the 'Sciara di fuoco' at Stromboli when it gets dark. If you are lucky, when you go by boat, you may even spot dolphins. And there are routes less traveled by mass tourism, in Alicudi for example. Among the Egadi Islands, on the other hand, is the beautiful Favignana, where you can visit one of Italy's Sea Ox Caves (several are called this in our country),. Of the Pelagie Islands, which act as a link between the Tunisian and Sicilian coasts, only Lampedusa and Linosa are inhabited. One of the most fascinating gems is Lampione: it is the smallest island and you can dive in to observe its seabed.
There are many nature reserves that allow you to be in contact with the sea as well as the land. Perhaps the best known area is the 'Zingaro', between Castellammare del Golfo and San Vito Lo Capo. Within it are three main paths for trekking lovers, with a panorama in which the sea water is tinged with colors from green to blue.
For those who want to be in the midst of nature and also learn about the biodiversity that surrounds them, the Isola delle Femmine (in the Palermo area) is probably the right place: it is in a strategic position during migrations. There us a similar area near Catania, the Simeto Oasis.
When you move away from the sea, you can then find an unexpected Sicily, made up of more adventurous routes. The most representative example is the Gole dell'Alcantara, a canyon of basaltic rocks formed by the erosion of the basalts themselves (created by Etna's various eruptions) by the Alcantara River. The effect is terms of the scenery is majestic, but the sensory effect is even more impressive. On a hot summer day, the river is freezing cold, while the basalts are scorching hot. You can go hiking, river trekking and body rafting here.
Moving on to the mountains, in the Madonie Park, south of Cefalù, one of the most striking trails is in the giant holly forest, where there is a dense succession of fairy-tale-looking ancient trees. Larger, with an area of 86,000 hectares, is the Nebrodi Park, where, in addition to lakes, woods and caves, is the incredible history of the population of San Fratello, a town refounded during Norman rule by Lombard soldiers and settlers and where even today the local dialect is called Gallo-Italic and has nothing to do with Sicilian.
Finally, one cannot forget Mount Etna, which is called "a muntagna" by the Catanese. The activities that can be done range from quad and 4x4 excursions to Nordic walking. The diversity of eruptions, by the way, has created different types of terrain based on stratifications. So, some guides who are a bit more daring (but who know what they are doing), give children the thrill of running downhill on the slipperiest parts: something that should always be done under the supervision of an experienced person, but is certainly a blast to see and an experience.
