To the north of Catania, Sicily Italy overlooking the Ionian sea, there’s a beautiful coastline called the Riviera of the Cyclops. It includes a strip of coast from Acitrezza to Cannizzaro characterized by a succession of beautiful basalt rocks and hills. For almost ten years the National Marine Reserve of the Cyclops has been established. It Includes the coast, the caves of Aci Castello and the small islands of the Cyclops.
Aci Castello, including also the hamlets of Acitrezza, Cannizzaro and Ficarazzi, is a seaside village at the heart of this coastal territory, and a popular tourist destination for its sea, its old town and castle, for many hotels and clubs. The location is perfect if you want to spend the holidays in Sicily near Catania and has a beautiful sea.
The name derives from the castle placed directly by the sea. It was built on a cliff in the sea to defend against the attacks by sea, but it was joined to the mainland by a flow of lava. Today it houses a Municipal Museum consisting of three sections, one on mineralogy, paleontology, and another one on archaeology, and a beautiful botanical garden with succulent plants.
As concerns the beautiful complex of Faraglioni and of Lachea island, part of the nature reserve, it represents a very rare geological and ecological environment. It is in fact the ruins of a volcanic eruption at sea. There are striking majestic basalts, many are the minerals and the natural ecosystem is precious.
Tags: Aci Castello, Catania, Cyclops, Etna, holidays, sea, sicily
