The stacks of the Cyclopi: a place in the balance between nature and legend

As evidenced by the cave of Polyphemus in Milazzo, in Sicily there are several places where there are correspondences between reality and myth. One of these is represented by the stacks of the Cyclopi. They are located in the province of Catania, to be precise in the Gulf of Acitrezza: here, in fact, the integral nature reserve Isola Lachea and stacks of Ciclopi was created, established in 1989.

The legend

According to the Homeric tale, Polyphemus, blinded by Ulysses, roared out of his cave. Mocked by No one who went away on his ship, he threw huge boulders into the sea in order to hit the boat. As we know, not one of those boulders managed to hit Odysseus’ boat, which turned away from the island of the Cyclops.

Legend says that the boulders thrown by Polyphemus towards Ulysses are today the so-called Faraglioni dei Ciclopi. And they form one of the most beautiful and romantic views that can be admired.

Isola Lachea natural reserve and stacks of the Cyclops

The reserve protects the islands of the Cyclops. Composed by Isola Lachea, faraglione Grande, faraglione Piccolo, plus four other rocks arranged to form a sort of arch. The stacks of the Cyclops have been made famous by the particular conformation. But also from their inestimable wealth of wildlife. In the depths of the waters of the natural reserve you can see a glimpse of life that populates the Mediterranean: colorful sponges, large red stars, sea lions, bream, groupers, colonies of Astroides calycularis, seahorses, torpedoes, comb fish, red fans of paramuricee, lobsters escaping from the burrows; deeper it is also possible to find the Alicia mirabilis, the largest of the Mare nostrum.

And, in addition to all this, you will also have the opportunity to admire one of the most beautiful beaches in Sicily.

Odyssey…

We have already mentioned the stacks of the Cyclops and, at the beginning, the cave of Polyphemus. These are just two of the places of the Odyssey in Sicily. In this legendary land, the myth has left its mark on the Aeolian islands (which bear the name of Aeolus, the god of winds) and in the Strait of Messina there are Scylla and Charybdis.

…and not only

Not only the great Homer (if he ever actually existed) let himself be enchanted by the beauty of this coast, immortalized also in other great works:

• The Malavoglia, a masterpiece by Giovanni Verga, had the Ciclopi stacks as their backdrop;
• La terra trema by Luchino Visconti, awarded at the Venice Film Festival of ’48, was filmed here.

Acitrezza and Aci Castello

We cannot speak of the cliffs of the Cyclops without necessarily mentioning Acitrezza. A famous place especially for its beaches and for making beautiful dives. And a short distance away there is also Aci Castello, another beautiful place to see.

How to get

A place, that of the stacks of the Cyclops, which is at a short distance from Catania, just over ten kilometers, almost all to be traveled on the highway 114. And so it is recommended to embark a car on the ferry.

Image source: Flickr.com/photos/gnuckx