A Gorgeous Visit to the Gole dell' Alcantara.....

     We visited the Gole dell' Alcantara on our first trip to Sicily five years ago, and have been waiting for the right day to go back.  Monday dawned sunny and warm, so off we went.  The Alcantara is a major river in eastern Sicily with headwaters high in the Nabrodi Mountains, providing a watershed not only for the Nebrodi, but also the early Spring run-off from Mt. Etna.  The word Gole means "throats", so the Gole dell' Alcantara (Throats of the Alcantara) is essentially a narrow place in the river where water cascades crazily through basalt rock formations.

     The Gole dell' Alcantara Park is a nature preserve encompassing the river gorge, orchards, hiking trails, a working farm, etc.  There are little green lizards throughout the park, so the park operators capitalized on that theme and created a "guide" to lead visitors through the park.....your guide is Zazza Mike.....

         

               

       Could this little guy be Zazza Mike.....?

     The hike through the park begins with a lovely stroll through an orange and lemon grove.....

     There is a section of "animals" for the kids.....
         

      As you walk along the gorge there are all kinds of plants, including creaking stands of bamboo.  There are stone steps to access viewing areas.....

             

   
     Views of the gorge are spectacular.....

      We did a short video to show the power of the Alcantara rushing through the gorge.  Click on the link below to see it.  If the link is not visible, hover your cursor in the space below and it should appear.....Use your back arrow to return to the blog.....

                          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09HIUgA8MaQ                                              
 

      In the summer, people retreat to the Gole to escape the scorching Sicilian heat.....and the Park runs trekking tours through the gorge.....
 

       After we finished our hike through the Gole, we drove to Randazzo for lunch at a restaurant called Trattoria San Giorgio e il Drago, which is an incredible story in itself, and shall be saved for another time. The road to Randazzo winds through some of the most beautiful wine country you will ever see.  We stopped at Cottanera Winery and snapped this photo of their vineyard with Mt. Etna in the background.....
             

      Just another "gorgeous" day in Sicily.....

     Click on any photo to enlarge.....