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Canyons

Alcantara Gorges

Canyons

Alcantara Gorges

Highlight • Gorge

Alcantara Gorges

Recommended by 18 road cyclists out of 19

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Location: Motta Camastra, Messina, Sicily, Italy

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Best Road Cycling Rides to Alcantara Gorges

4.3

(8)

183

riders

1. Calatabiano – Gole dell'Alcantara – Castiglione di Sicilia - Round trip

48.8km

02:25

760m

Moderate road ride. Good fitness required. Mostly well-paved surfaces and easy to ride.

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Moderate

4.6

(9)

riders

2. Beach Along the Sea – Alcantara Gorges loop from Cannizzaro

112km

05:32

1,640m

Hard road ride. Very good fitness required. Mostly well-paved surfaces and easy to ride.

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Hard

4.5

(4)

riders

3. Isola Bella – Giardini Naxos Beach loop from Letojanni

64.4km

03:07

850m

Moderate road ride. Good fitness required. Mostly well-paved surfaces and easy to ride.

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Moderate

Tips

Francesco | Cyclo Ergo Sum

September 30, 2023

The formation of the Alcantara riverbed can be traced back to around 300,000 years ago, although the current configuration of the river in the gorge section is mainly the result of the lava flows that occurred in the last 8,000 years. The interaction between the river water and the underlying magmatic mass played a crucial role in this process, causing accelerated cooling. This phenomenon has generated a series of irregular fractures, some of which have a chaotic arrangement, while others show a more regular geometry. Among these formations, we can identify prismatic structures of various configurations, including those known as "woodpiles," "harps," "rosettes," and the impressive vertical formations called "organ pipes," which can reach remarkable heights, even up to 30 meters.

Translated by Google •

Claudio Picchi

February 12, 2023

These are real canyons formed by very high lava walls.
We are in one of the most spectacular places in Sicily: until the 1950s the site was unknown, perhaps for this reason it has been preserved so beautiful and intact.

Translated by Google •

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Details

Informations

Elevation 200 m

Weather

Friday 26 December

13°C

8°C

31 %

Additional weather tips

Max wind speed: 9.0 km/h

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Location: Motta Camastra, Messina, Sicily, Italy

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Alcantara Gorges

1. Calatabiano – Gole dell'Alcantara – Castiglione di Sicilia - Round trip

2. Beach Along the Sea – Alcantara Gorges loop from Cannizzaro

3. Isola Bella – Giardini Naxos Beach loop from Letojanni

Other Popular Places to Check Out

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