Giardini Naxos tourist guide: The seaside town Giardini-Naxos (10,000 inhabitants) is situated below Giardini Naxos - its famous sister on the promontory - on the east coast of Sicily, halfway between Catania and Messina. Long stretches of sand and shingle beaches with splendid views of majestic Mount Etna directly behind have led to its becoming a popular holiday resort, featuring a large choice of hotels of all categories as well as luxurious restaurants, pizzerias, bars, sophisticated discos, elegant and country-style resorts that preserve the traditional elements of the Sicilian culture...
Close to the modern harbour of Giardini-Naxos, on the border with the archaeological area of the ancient town of Naxos, you can find an important archaeological museum. It illustrates the history of antique Naxos, the first Greek colony in Sicily, founded in 734 BC by the Calcidians (Ionians), who had sailed there from the Greek island of Eubea.
The town, developed along the trade route with the Etruscans leading from Eubea to Ischia, was the heart of the Calcidian spread in Sicily, and from here Theocles moved to found Katane (Catania).
However, the history of the town, marked by the rivalry with powerful Syracuse, was quite short and it disappeared in three centuries, when it was destroyed by Dionysios of Syracuse in 403 BC. The gorge “Gola dell’Alcántara” at a distance of 14km only is an attractive destination for excursions: An impressive deep canyon, the steep cliffs of which border the river Alcántara. You descend to river level via steps or lift and then you can start hiking up the river in waders (for rent!) up to a waterfall.
Sicily Castles' website: official sicily castles website...
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