Ear of Dionysius, Syracuse: it is an artificial grotto in the shape of a donkey’s ear obtained in the ancient stone quarry of Latomia del Paradiso, under the Greek Theater of Syracuse. Excavated in limestone, it is about 20 meters high at the entrance and 35 inside, 5 to 11 meters wide and is 65 meters deep. Thanks to its S shape, it has acoustic characteristics such as to amplify sounds up to 16 times. According to the legend it was built by Dionysius (430 BC – 367 BC), among the most ruthless and cruel tyrants of Syracuse but also a man of great culture, patron and tragedian, to lock the prisoners and then spy on the speeches lurking inside an overlying cavity.

Nature reserve of the river Ciane and Saline, Syracuse: in the river Ciane, which crosses the Syracuse area, in 1984 the Natural Reserve was established to protect the papyrus plant that grows abundantly along the banks of the watercourse; although the origin of the plant is still uncertain (autochthonous or imported), the use of papyrus in Syracuse dates back to ancient times and its memory is preserved in both the International Institute of the Papyrus and the Papyrus Museum. Another objective of the reserve is the preservation of the salt pans near the city, already active in the seventeenth century and abandoned in the eighties of the twentieth century.

Grotta Monello Nature Reserve, Syracuse: in the Grotta Perciata district, at the edge of the municipal territory, one of the most important karst caves in Sicily is located for the protection of which the reserve was established. Located between river valleys and steep slopes, often prohibitive, it has inside remarkable stalactites and stalagmites of the most varied forms.

The little lakes of Avola, Avola – Noto: a spectacular landscape capable of surprising and captivating. Going along the secondary road, following the tourist sign for Cava Grande, you get to the belvedere below which opens the immense gorge of Cava Grande. To reach the bottom of the valley it is necessary to undertake, strictly on foot, a path that descends slowly along the walls of the gorge. The waterways are poured into natural ponds, reachable following the path that leads to the Gorge and the Grotta dei Briganti. The river, after some hundreds of meters, surrounded by dense vegetation, reaches an open area where it forms limpid natural pools carved into the rock and surrounded by smooth boulders, ideal for a break in the sun. The great canyon of Cava Grande del Cassibile is home to over 400 plant species, many of which are endemic but not exclusive to this biotope. Of particular interest for the ibleo area is the Trachelium lanceolatum, to be noted the rare Ophrys exaltata and the majestic Platanus orientalis. The presence of snowdrops, euphorbia of beech and false nettle is curious; another rarity, the presence of a tropical fern the Pteris vittata. Contained, it is the presence of vertebrate fauna, with exceptions related to the birds: there are the long-tailed tit-tails of Sicily, the buzzard and the peregrine falcon. It is possible to spot vertebrates such as porcupine, marten, terrestrial tortoise, Sicilian swamp tortoise, leopardian colubro, discoglosso, tree frog, as well as numerous diurnal and nocturnal birds of prey. Among the invertebrates, the Potamon fluviatile freshwater crab.

Bosco di Santa Maria, Buccheri: it is a luxuriant wooded area of ​​enormous naturalistic and landscape importance. There are sites of archaeological interest of notable importance but also specimens of trees such as holm oak, chestnut, oak. It is a mountainous area, rich in water sources, minimally covered by agricultural terracing adjacent to the municipal territory. In this magical place there is the Hermitage of Santa Maria delle Grazie but also the Adventure Park of Buccheri, the Parcallario; there is an area equipped for refreshment, has stone fountains from which flows water from the sources of Monte Lauro.

Bosco di Monte Pavone, Buscemi: the Wood, located on the mountain relief in the Maiorana district, is an enchanting naturalistic area, home to the Masella Cave and a Neolithic Neolithic Necropolis.

Anapo Valley, Ferla – Cassaro – Sortino: is a regional nature reserve crossed by the rivers Anapo and Calcinara, includes the valley of the river Anapo, the valley of Pantalica and the torrent of Cava Grande. It offers diversified ecological environments that allow significant biodiversity. The flora is extremely varied: along the river there is a luxuriant vegetation of oriental plane tree; on the rocks there is the presence of oleanders; among the trees dominate the willows, the black poplar, the flowering ash, the hornbeam and the oak. The undergrowth presents brambles and lianose plants, such as the vitalba; the walls of the valley are enriched by the Mediterranean vegetation consisting of evergreen trees such as holm oak, terebinth, phyllirea and alaterno. The river environment of torrential nature is the ideal habitat for the rare Sicilian trout, the brown trout and the tench, you can also find the eel and the river crab. Among the mammals it is possible to sight the fox, the marten, the weasel and the porcupine; finally, among the reptiles is the Riccioli colubro, a snake widespread in the countryside of the island and some species of terrestrial tortoises. In Contrada Giarranauti there is a large wooded area, with specimens of Pino Marittimo, Leccio, Quercia and Roverella, known as Bosco di Ferla or Bosco Giarranauti. Following the path that crosses the woods, we arrive at the village of Giarranauti, where we can admire an old restored masseria, with stables and an old Saia that was used for moving the water. Nearby, easily reachable through marked trails, there are also Cava del Torrente Sperone and Calcinara.

Cava Spampinato, Floridia: is a large karst cavity, located in the district of Monastrello, within which flows the Cifalino Torrent, the main stream of the municipal territory of Floridia. It originates from the hyblean fault, a terrestrial fracture from which the plateaus of the Graben di Floridia are generated. Proceeding in the direction of today’s inhabited center, the quarry gradually becomes soft, near the area of ​​Torrente Cifalino and Giardinello (where the feudal castle of the Bonanno-Colonna family stood), passing under the Molinello Bridge, it flows into the plain Syracusana and joins the Anapo River near the Contrada Fusco and Testa Pisima to the north of the Fonti del Ciane.

The Garden of the Biviere Houses, Lentini: the splendid park that surrounds the villa of the Borghese princes is located near the Biviere, the lake of Lentini artificially created by Frederick II on a surface of 1,500 hectares reclaimed during fascism. The garden is rich in rare plant species and is therefore a destination for visitors and botanists from all over the world. The stone piers of the old port house a rich collection of succulents. The Biviere fauna was also abundant with the presence of grebes, sultan chickens, turkey fist and rusty hunchbacks. Although it has been heavily downsized over the years, the park is richly populated by birds; there are about 150 different species, fifteen of which usually nest or stop there, like the great white heron, a very rare species in Europe. Here are cormorants, coots, hawks, snakes, storks, porciglioni, knights of Italy, cranes, royal pittores and moorhens. The waters are populated with eels, tenches, freshwater shrimps and mullets

Climiti Mountains, Melilli: from the Greek climax, ie ladder, are so called because they are formed by natural steps that degrade from a height of 410 m s.l.m. up to the sea. They are composed of calcareous rocks, in particular carbonate rock coming from marine sediments of the Miocene, but also of the Cretaceous and Quaternary periods. The landscape has numerous caves and caves in which fossils and remains of fauna dating back to the time of the glaciations have been found. Of notable importance are also the necropolis, dating back to the Bronze and Iron Age, in which one can travel along the whole territory. The mild climatic conditions make it possible to develop fauna and flora typical of the Mediterranean, such as olive trees, carob trees and almond trees, or species such as the falcon, very rare in Italy.

The Palombara Cave, Melilli: born during the Lower and Middle Pleistocene, is one of the largest cavities in south-eastern Sicily. Inside there are stalactite and stalagmite formations.

Villasmundo Sant’Alfio Hypogeum Complex, Melilli: the cave reaches three thousand meters deep and owes its name to an engraving found on a tree near the entrance. Crossed by three rivers, the landscape inside is of extraordinary natural beauty, in fact presents waterfalls, fossil branches and an underground lake.

Nature Reserve oriented Vendicari Wildlife Oasis, Noto: halfway between Noto and Pachino, it has been open since 1989. The Vendicari oasis develops along a narrow swampy coastal strip, of fundamental importance for migratory bird species. The presence of the vast marshes of high salinity, in fact, has contributed to the creation of an ecosystem that is a reference point for birds coming from Africa and directed throughout Europe. The Pantani Piccolo, Grande, Roveto and the two minor ones (Sichilli and Scirbia, connected to the only Roveto) are separated from each other only by a few tens of meters: they are the fulcrum of the reserve. For birdwatchers, December is the best month for observing the many species of birds that stop at Vendicari. You can spot waders, gray herons, storks, flamingos, mallard, seagulls, cormorants and the Italian knight who stays here on his journey from the Sahara desert to the nesting sites in northern Europe. Various areas of provenance of these birds: ducks and various waders from Russia; seagulls from Poland and Hungary; flamingos from France; greater terns from Sweden and Finland; spatulas and herons from Hungary. In addition to the birds, in the reserve there are amphibians like the emerald toad, halophile and much rarer than the common toad; among reptiles it is easy to meet the snake, a medium-sized snake, the leopardino colubro and the Sicilian marsh turtle. Among the mammals present there are the fox, the hedgehog, the porcupine and the wild rabbit.

Grotta del Ventaglio, Solarino: karst cavity rich in stalactites and stalagmites. The name is due to the characteristic fan shape of a stalactite, of considerable size, discovered in 1987. The cave consists of a pond and a series of tunnels along which you can admire many karst formations of different colors.