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Explore the southern tip of Sicily

Capo Passero in the Syracuse province on the Southern tip of Sicily is a sun-drenched, arid region with ancient pockets of culture and patches of green. An interesting landscape waiting to be explored.



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It is hard to imagine a more ideal holiday destination than Sicily. An island that combines good food and relaxation with stunning beaches, charming towns, ancient history and incredible scenery. Sicily has it all. Including great hiking grounds

A personal favourite are the landscapes of the Southern tip of Sicily. In the Syracuse region the scenery oscillates between ordinary and interesting. Along the cost are sandy coves, wide open beaches, protected rivers and marshland. Inland the Hyblaean Mountains hide deep limestone canyons in a series of green rolling hills.

The Cassibile River Canyon

If you bring your hiking boots and take the highway south from Syracuse towards the cape, you will cross the mouth of the Cassibile river. An up to 250 m deep canyon and natural reserve that stretches 10 km into the land. In summer the river becomes more of a stream with cute lakes and waterfalls and vegetation that includes rare orchids and other pretty flowers. Animal life comprises colourful insects, birds of prey and reptiles like the European ratsnake. In addition, there are archeological excavations of cave dwellings and necropolis tombs in the area.

 the Southern tip of SIcily

A collection of snapshots from the landscapes around the Southern tip of Sicily

Marshes with migratory birds and wild flowers

Further south you’ll reach Europe’s southernmost marchland. Another protected natural reserve known as Vendicari, where you can explore the marshes and lagoon, if you get tired of the uncrowded beaches. Migratory birds such as duck, storks, herons and flamingos dominate the wild life, but there are also a wide variety of snakes, frogs and small mammals. You have to be quite lucky to see the animals though, and even experienced bird watchers cannot be guaranteed a sighting. Instead you can enjoy the wide range of edible and fragrant plants like sea fennel, wild thyme, rosemary and lavender and a scattering of ancient Greek and Roman sites.

Driving inland you reach the Hyblaean Mountains. Though not very high, narrow hairpin roads in a permanent state of decay give the hills have an atmosphere of seclusion, but if you follow corkscrew road up to Avola Antica you will be rewarded with a breathtaking view of the sea and the various landscapes of Sicily.

Landscape on the Southern tip of Sicily

Even with moderate elevation there are plenty of hairpin bends.

If you are exploring the Southern tip of Sicily, you might also want to see

5 foods in Sicily you must try

Baroque Sicily: In Noto walls talk

The colourful traditions of Palazzolo Acreide

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16 replies
  1. Sophie
    Sophie says:
    May 25, 2014 at 3:19 pm

    Such an intriguing place, Sicily. Full of adventure. And danger ( :) ). I’ve only ever been in Sicily for work. I was working in the Norw. Ministry of Transport and our Italian counterparts wanted to show us another part of Italy for the annual negotiations. We stayed in a monastery-turned-hotel, gorgeous property, in Taormina. But apart from a tour around Catania and Etna, I haven’t seen much of the island. So it’s high on my list. Along with Lampedusa.

    Reply
    • admin
      admin says:
      May 28, 2014 at 6:38 pm

      Sicily is really fantastic, and we keep fantasizing about another trip there. Too bad the ‘island surcharge’ makes it twice as expensive as plane tickets to other parts of Italy. Wish the Italian Ministry of Transport had fixed that little issue, while showing off the beauty of Taormina:)

      Reply
  2. Maria
    Maria says:
    May 25, 2014 at 9:41 pm

    Amazing Mette – ancient pockets of culture and patches of green and an atmosphere of seclusion -you really jump-started my imagination today. Thanks

    Reply
    • admin
      admin says:
      May 29, 2014 at 11:38 am

      Glad to be of service. I can imagine the contrast of a warmer climate is good for the eyes.

      Reply
  3. Muza-chan
    Muza-chan says:
    May 26, 2014 at 6:07 am

    Beautiful…

    Reply
    • admin
      admin says:
      May 29, 2014 at 11:40 am

      Thank you.

      Reply
  4. Leigh
    Leigh says:
    May 26, 2014 at 11:28 pm

    Sounds enchanting Mette. One day.

    Reply
    • admin
      admin says:
      May 29, 2014 at 12:33 pm

      Sure.

      Reply
  5. Melanie
    Melanie says:
    May 30, 2014 at 3:49 pm

    Looks like an great place discover. I love the mix your portraying: beautiful landscape, great hiking, great relaxing, and lots of history (something that I miss here in California).

    Reply
    • admin
      admin says:
      June 4, 2014 at 5:52 pm

      I suppose you can find landscapes that look quite similar in you neck of the woods.

      Reply
  6. Laura @Travelocafe
    Laura @Travelocafe says:
    June 1, 2014 at 7:25 pm

    You picked some very nice pics to picture it… as always, thanks for a great post.

    Reply
    • admin
      admin says:
      June 4, 2014 at 5:53 pm

      My pleasure.

      Reply
  7. Salika Jay
    Salika Jay says:
    August 7, 2014 at 5:27 pm

    Looks like an amazing place!

    Reply
    • admin
      admin says:
      August 9, 2014 at 11:14 am

      It is – Warm and friendly.

      Reply
  8. Lori
    Lori says:
    February 16, 2015 at 11:39 am

    Truly beautiful. I would love to enjoy these landscapes up-close, but with my knee problem, I cannot go hiking…

    Reply
    • Mette Vaabengaard
      Mette Vaabengaard says:
      February 22, 2015 at 8:01 pm

      That’s too bad, but there are a lot of places where you can sit in the shade and feast your eyes on the view.

      Reply

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