Ferla: Pantalica Nature Reserve UNESCO Tour with Swim Stop – Sicily, Italy

EXPERIENCE:

Discover the natural wonders of a UNESCO World Heritage Site on this guided trip from Ferla to the Pantalica Nature Reserve. Visit an ancient Byzantine oratory, walk through the ruins of the Anaktoron, and swim while surrounded by nature at Calcinara River.

After meeting your guide in Ferla, follow your guide in your own vehicle to the entrance of the Pantalica Nature Reserve called Sella di Filiporto. Park your car, then follow an ancient mule track to reach the Byzantine village.

Admire the Oratory of San Micidiario, completely dug into the white rock, then continue to other highlights, including the so-called “Prince’s Palace,” a megalithic structure of the thirteenth century B.C. of which only a few ruins are visible.

By car, you’ll head to another entrance of the Nature Reserve of Pantalica. Going downstream, visit another Byzantine village with its oratory, the Church of the Crucifix, where you can admire a Byzantine painting illustrating Christ on the cross.

Thanks to the presence of your own naturalist guide, you’ll get to discover some of the 700 species and subspecies of plants that inhabit these fascinating places. 

Continue along a rock path, reach the clear waters of the Calcinara River, the perfect place to take a regenerating swim. Afterward, your guide will help you make your way to the exit of the village.

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS:

Swim in crystal-clear waters amongst lush nature at the Calcinara River
Explore all the natural beauties of Syracuse’s lush Pantalica Nature Reserve
Learn more about the local species and subspecies of plants and animals
Take in the fresh air and greenery while exploring a Byzantine village
Admire a Byzantine painting during a visit to the Church of the Crucifix

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