Oriented Natural Reserve of Pantalica and Valley of Anapo

Distance from Hotel Borgo Pantano: 32 km (40 min)
The Natural Reserve of Pantalica and Valley of Anapo, or better, the necropolis rupestrian of Pantalica, is a natural and archaeological places of the province of Syracuse, located on a plateau surrounded by canyons formed over millennia by two rivers, the Anapo and Calcinara, which determined the topography in canyons characteristic of the area. The plateau as well as the valleys below (defined Valley of Anapo) are important natural areas. In the Giarranauti is a large wood at the top of the plateau Pantalica. This area as well as being suggestive of the presence of a forest is also rich in the past, especially in the Byzantine period. Following the trails in the park are the remains of a Byzantine village (we are talking of the sixth to eighth centuries AD), the tanneries and mills carved into the rock. The valley of Anapo is accessible from two gates connected to each other, from the side of Sortino and from the side of Ferla, as well as the so-called Sella Filiporto.
The area of ​​Pantalica falls between the Oriented Natural Reserve of Pantalica and Valley of Anapo and Cava Grande Creek. In 2005 the site was awarded, along with the city of Syracuse, as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO for the high-profile historical, archaeological, caving and landscape. You can travel across most of the Oriented Natural Reserve of Pantalica and Valley of Anapo, safely, through various nature trails that follow the river Anapo, where you can admire the fascinating archaeological finds (cemetery with 5,000 tombs carved into the rock) surrounded by pristine nature where the fauna and flora reserve you many pleasant surprises.
The Oriented Natural Reserve of Pantalica and Valley of Anapo is dotted with cemeteries across its vast territory:
necropolis Filiporto composed of a thousand tombs that extend on the slopes and in the valley of Anapo, belonging to the last phase of the city. The necropolis of North-West, one of the oldest in the area and the necropolis of Cavetta the IX-VIII century BC with the presence of Byzantine houses, ending with the North necropolis, the largest and most dense (dating back to the XI-XII century BC). The acropolis of Pantalica, however, is in one of the highest points of the area in a position where you can admire the view of the quarries. From that point it was easy to control the possible arrival of enemies, here it was built the “palace of the prince” or Anaktoron, unique stone building remained era.