Cyclops Riviera
The Cyclops Riviera lies northeast of Catania and stretches for 9 miles along the eastern coast of Sicily encompassing the fishing villages of Acicastello, Acitrezza and Acireale. The area is frequented by locals and tourists alike who are drawn to its views out across the Ionian Sea and a small archipelago of islands including Lachea, and its pretty coastline populated by hand-painted fishing boats in small inlets that makes it an ideal spot to catch the sunset or wander along the seafront eating an ice cream, even in winter. It also attracted Italian film director Luchino Visconti, who shot his neorealist movie La Terra Trema (The Earth Trembles) at Acitrezza in 1948, using local Sicilian-speaking fishermen as actors.
Snuggling at the bottom of the foothills of the Mount Etna volcano, the area was named the ‘Cyclops Riviera’ since, according to Homer’s epic The Odyssey, this is where the cyclops Polyphemus threw rocks at Odysseus from his home on Etna in retaliation for being blinded by the mythic Greek hero. Evidence of the spat is cited in the form of three basalt stacks that tower above the water at Acitrezza called the faraglioni, or needles; the tallest, the Faraglione Santa Maria is 131 feet high. Further south at Acicastello lies the Norman castle built in 1076. Built of black volcanic rock, the castle is an imposing site resting on a promontory with commanding views of Catania. Today it houses the Civic Museum and has a small botanical garden notable for its cactus collection.
The area has also been designated a marine reserve and through the Area Marina Protetta Isole Ciclopi is possible to take trips to visit Lachea, tour the protected waters in a local fisherman’s boat, go diving and snorkelling, or even see the seabed and its marine life, solidified lava and ancient Roman archaeological remains from a small submarine.
Useful links
Area Marina Protetta Isole Ciclopi
Added 2008/06/24 @ 20:23:50
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