Cava Grande Cassibile Syracuse sicily Italy

Written for b&b Syracuse, beach resort Fontane Bianche, East Sicily, Italy

We began our trip to Cava Grande, Cassibile, as early as 9 am in order to avoid the heat. Having packed three water bottles, sandwiches, towels and of course the camera plus wearing trekking sandals we felt perfectly well prepared for an up- and downhill hiking tour.

After having driven up to the top through narrow serpentines, we left the car in a guarded parking which was also free. From here we enjoyed the beautiful view of the canyon with the small lakes, the Laghetti. This thrill of anticipation encouraged us to commence the almost one hour lasting downhill path. First of all, every visitor is given a questionnaire, which has to be handed back once having completed the tour. Here, the staffs were keeping track of the number of visitors in the reservation. So they can call for help in case of a missing person, which is why a heliport is available as well.

During the partially quite steep descent we could practically watch the vegetation changing. Starting from sparse thistles, step by step we approached a jungle like wood. Congenially, we were firstly accompanied by various butterfly species and then later on by dragonflies at the sound of cicadas, which were taken over by birds in the valley.

When we were almost at the Laghetti, we decided to take the path on the left, which led us to one of the smaller lakes with a waterfall. In order to reach, we crossed a rivulet and then cut along a rock. We could not resist swimming in the pleasantly cool water. Tiny fish were tickling our feet as soon as we held still. Above the Laghetti the landscape got more and more deserted until the only ones passing by were goatherds.  Here was a good place to fill our emptied water bottles with the certified Cava Grande well water.

By tracking back a little we got back to the bifurcation and chose the right path in order to reach the cascades of the main Laghetti. Here, many other visitors were enjoying the rocks as diving platforms or they were taking a rest at one of the many shady rock niches. Omnipresent park rangers were watching out for littering and helping weak-kneed people through the slippery creek.

After having thoroughly swum and rested we decided to hike back up at about 4 in the afternoon. Luckily, most of our path was now shady which definitely eased the strenuous ascend. After having reached the top, having handed in the almost forgotten questionnaire, we ordered a granita at a little bar across the viewpoint. Incredibly, the owner did not take advantage of his monopoly at all and the price was surprisingly normal.

After this little holiday adventure we decided to end the day with a nice dinner at the nearby restaurant Locanda Rurale Santa Marta.

Written for b&b Syracuse, beach resort Fontane Bianche, East Sicily, Italy