Alcantara Park

Type:

• Regional Park established on 18/5/2001 (LR 6 of 18/05/2001)
• List of protected areas (EUAP0859)

Area: 1927,48 hectares

Municipalities concerned
The municipalities falling within the park area are

11 in the former province of Messina:

• Francavilla di Sicilia
• Amazon
• Gaggi
• Giardini Naxos
• Graniti
• Malvern
• Mojo Alcantara
• Camastra
• Roccella Valdemone
• Santa Domenica Vittoria
• Taormina

3 in the former Province of Catania:

• Calatabiano
• Castiglione di Sicilia
• Randazzo
• Institutional Site: http://www.parcoalcantara.it/

The Priver arch of Alcantara is a regional park in Sicily that was established in 2001 in place of the pre-existing reserve and includes that part of the territory of the provinces of Messina and Catania that forms the river basin of the Alcantara river, and is located on the north side of Etna, at aim to protect and promote the existing natural system.

The territory crossed by the Alcantara river is of particular importance by virtue of its morphology created precisely by the flow of the waters that have shaped and engraved it, creating, in the crossing of an imposing series of lava flows, near the Cuba of Santa Domenica in the locality Giardinelli 2 km from Castiglione di Sicilia, are the Alcantara gorge and in the locality of Fondaco Motta (municipality of Motta Camastra) of the suggestive and deep overhanging gorges, known as the Alcantara Gorges. Together with a spectacular succession of lakes and cascades, of very cold waters, it is possible to observe the amazing columnar lava structures with a prismatic base. Arranged like organ pipes, they decorate the basalt rock walls for long stretches. Thanks to the study of these structures, geologists have been able to elaborate precise studies on the evolution of the Etna volcano and on the succession over time of its most impressive flows. In addition, the river in its route divides the provinces of Catania and Messina.

Two short videos taken from Yutube

 

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ad7p9WOoK-8