Horseback trail from Palazzolo Acreide to Noto Antica

Nestled in the Iblei Mountains, in a strategic position of control over the territory and communication routes, at an altitude of 700 meters, stands Palazzolo Acreide, the initial stop on our journey. In the territory of Palazzolo Acreide, which stretches between the valley of the Anapo River and that of the Manghisi River, you will encounter not only very important Greek-Roman historical evidence (such as the remains of ancient Akrai, from which the name Acreide derives: the Agora, the theater, the necropolis, and the boleuterion), but also an incredible variety of flora, which here boasts well over 400 types of plant species, including some outstanding Sicilian endemic species: the Sicilian trachelium, the ophrys iunulata, the dwarf palm,the yellow salvion, and the eastern plane tree.

Move away from Palazzolo by descending south, and enter the Bosco di Baulì, a forest consisting of black poplars, the oldest in the Iblei. Among monumental trees, there where the Baulì stream joins the Manghisi River, you will come across the “Ddieri di Baulì,” incredible rock dwellings (ddieri from the Arabic diyār, house) dug into the limestone rock and dating back to the Byzantine period. According to surveys it appears that these dwellings were used by the former inhabitants of Akrai to escape Saracen raids. Dwellings that returned to use even in more recent times, during the period of Brigandage, as ready-made hiding places.

Now continue the journey southward toward the final stop: ancient Noto, an area settled since the Bronze Age but abandoned for good following the terrible earthquake of January 11, 1693. Of particular note near ancient Noto is Cava Carosello, west of Mount Alveria. This, too, is a quarry of great natural beauty and of historical significance for the presence of archaeological evidence worth visiting. At Noto antica you can relax in the picnic area in front of the main entrance: you will find tables, benches and cooking facilities, surrounded by a beautiful grove of Mediterranean pines.