Fiumefreddo

Fiumefreddo di Sicilia is a small town between Catania and Messina whose main activity is agriculture and handcrafts. The town has been very popular since 1988 when the European Community has declared its beach Marina di Cottone among the five cleanest in Italy. Castello degli Schiavi and the Natural Riserves of Fiumefreddo are must for anyone who wants to spend time in Fiumefreddo.
Castello degli Schiavi, a jewel of Sicilian Baroc is built by the architects Vaccarini e Ittar in 1750-56. The eight rooms on the top level are particularly impressive. The castle has been discovered by Paolo Passolini as a location for films, and then used in in Francis Ford Coppola's 'Godfather'.
In the summer months, Fiumefreddo has lots of cultural and sportive activities to offer. The local specilities include "occhi di bue" a fish plate and "cassatelle", sweet made of pan di spagna, cream and glaze.

The natural Riserve of Fiumefreddo

The natural Riserve of Fiumefreddo is between the townsCalatabiano and Fiumefreddo, which are separated by the Fiumefreddo rivero. Thanks to the alluvial plain, which is built as a result of vulconic erosions, and the clima, the riserve is full of watery vegetation and plants typical of Central and Atlantic Europe.
In the less deep zones of the river, it is possible to find water celery, cress, water speedwell and Bergamot Mint. Nearby the month one can find 'Sparganio', a rare specie in Sicily. The riversides are full of marsh thin reeds and some Serrate leaf Polygon.

Calatabiano

Driving on the national Catania-Messina road towards Giardini Naxos, just before the bridge on the Alcantara river, one can admire Calatabiano, a medieval town of Arabic origin. To visit Calatabiano means admiring a patrimony rich in history and culture, dating back to different periods, each of which has left important testimonies: conquered by the Saracens in 902, for about two centuries the Castle and the surrounding territory were left under the Arab dominion, later replaced by the dominations of the Normans. One should not miss the festival of Saint Philip, the patron saint of the village, called “the fall of San Filippo�, which occurs every third Saturday of May. In the beautiful beach of San Marco is possible to admire the homonymous castle of Renaissance style, finally completed in 1700. Calatabiano is an important agricultural centre in the valley, famous for the cultivation of medlars.

Francavilla di Sicilia

The town was founded on the lava erupted from the Moio Vulcano and was the arena of the bloodiest battle in the history of Sicily, between Austrians and Spaniards. Memories of this battle are kept in the convent, which is worth a visit, characterized by the typical windows.

The "gorges" of Alcantara

These are a vast geological cleft in the hillside at the bottom of which runs the river Alcantara, of the most famous rivers of the Mediterranean mythology. The most famous canyon is twenty meters deep and three meters large. When the water is law the gorges are accessible for 50 to 200 meters. At the entrance one can buy thigh-length boots and salopettes.

Castiglione di Sicilia

Castiglione di Sicilia is a medieval town to be discovered swowly, going along the winding streets, finding out each time either panoramic views of the Valley of Alcantara and of Mount Etna, or magnificent buildings witnessing a glorious past. Among the most remote testimonies there is the castle, dating back to V century A.D.; close to the inhabited centre there is the Norman Church of St. Nicola, with splendid Byzantine frescos; the Byzantine Church of St. Domenica, called “La Cuba�, is interesting.

Linguaglossa

It is a centre of winter sport and the starting point to visit the pine forest of this side of Etna. Apart for the nature it is celebrated for its almond, hazelnut and pistachio sweets, exported all over the world.

Sant’Alfio

Worth a visit for the beautiful landscape of the Ionian coast from Taormina to the gulf of Augusta and for the majestic chestnut tree of the hundred horses, which is according to the botanist of the eighteenth century the oldest and largest tree in Europe. According to the legend hundred horsemen of Queen Giovanna I d’Angiò rested there during a storm.

Giardini Naxos

The wide, curving bay – easily seen from Taormina’s terraces – was the launching point of Garibaldi’s 1860s attack on the Bourbon troops in Calabria and, equally significantly, the site of the first Greek colony in Sicily. Interesting in the archeological site with the remaining of Greek temples. Giardini itself, the sprawling town backing the beach, is an excellent alternative to Taormina, as a source of accommodation and food.

Taormina

An authentic paradise, Taormina possesses a limpid, blue sea down below kissed by a gravel beach interrupted by magnificent overhanging rocks, Here a mild and sunny bay hosts the “Isola Bella�, a naturalist site of extraordinary beauty. One site not to be missed in the upper city is the Greek amphitheatre, the setting for shows and events on an international level, which offers a unique view of the Mount Etna and the Ionian coast.

Castelmola

The beatiful village of Castelmola is another typical destination, in a higher elevated position above Taormina, which looks out over the eastern Sicilian coast and is incomparable in beauty. It is a must to taste the local almond wine, allegedly invented by the inhabitants, and excellent as a chilled drink in the hot summer nights.

Casalvecchio Siculo

Casalvecchio, on the statale 114 going towards Messina, is the location of the Norman monastery of Santi Pietro e Paolo, the most important monument of the valley. Built in the twelfth century, its battlemented façade and double domes are visible from a distance through the lemon groves and, though considered Sicily’s best example of Basilian (Greek) architecture, the church betrays a strong Arabic influence.