Cavagrande del Cassibile
Cavagrande del Cassibile
4.5
About
Cavagrande del Cassibile is a canyon with gorgeous waterfalls, swimming holes and awe-inspiring limestone formations. Make your way down to the pool with a waterfall for a refreshing dip. Pack plenty of water and sunscreen, and wear appropriate footwear and protective clothing—it gets pretty hot in summer, and there is little in the way of shade. In recent years, the hiking trail here has been officially closed to the public due to dangerous conditions. However, attendants at the information counter are happy to offer a map and advice if you are determined to push on regardless. If you decide to hike, you’ll be rewarded with a challenging but peaceful trek with stunning views. – Tripadvisor
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What is Travelers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.

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  • Isabelle
    Ghent, Belgium11 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Worth it!
    We parked in Laghetti di Cavagrande - Parcheggio Carrubella. This is a stony road going past a farm and uphill until you arrive at a big spot for parking. We chose path A and were downhill pretty fast. This is the sunny side of the hill. We just chose a random spot for bathing and were alone.
    Visited March 2023
    Traveled with friends
    Written March 27, 2023
  • Raf De Paepe
    Haaltert, Belgium302 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Wonderful place to swim
    Quite a ‘trip’ to get to the pools below, but worth it! It starts with +-1km of very bumpy road to the ‘info-center’. Bring your own food and drinks, nothing for sale here. They can help you out with tapping water if needed. After a short info (telling you to only walk the ‘green’ trail and that everything that could happen is on your own responsibility), we went down; not an easy walk, but if you exercise and have appropriate shoes, should not be an issue. Swimming in the pools is SUPER. The way back up is harder of course; but with enough water and resting from time to time in the shade, we made it fairly well. But certainly take enough water!!
    Visited July 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written August 1, 2023
  • Michael I
    9 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    A lovely hike… but!
    A wonderful experience, the most beautiful part of the trail is closed off but we ‘stumbelled’ over the barrier… we met some very nice people and had amazing views of the gorge. Unfortunately on our return to the ‘car park’ we found our car, and several others, had been broken into. We were lucky the there was nothing to take but some of our neighbours lost cash, bags and passports. We subsequently found out that this is a common enough event at this venue. What’s more annoying is that there are staff onsite but no ‘official’ car park.
    Visited November 2023
    Traveled with family
    Written November 15, 2023
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles1,164 reviews
Excellent
842
Very good
235
Average
45
Poor
18
Terrible
24

Cara W
Oxfordshire, UK23 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2020 • Friends
Unfortunately we didn't see the previous review before setting off from Ortigia. The drive up was pretty stunning but when we arrived we found that wire fencing was up to stop you from climbing the gate. There are works on-goung until 19 Nov 2020 so hopefully visitors next year can enjoy!
Written September 29, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Jade H
9 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2020 • Family
CLOSED!
Really looked forward to visiting this beautiful place.
Sadly you cannot get down to it now!
Apparently you used to have to climb over a gate & make your way down - however arrived today to find 10 foot fences every where! Apparently there are geologists are at work.....
Either way they clearly do not want this place visited for swimming - unless you are prepared to actually cause criminal damage of course
Nice view.....
Written September 25, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Katherine B
Wallington, UK109 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2022
It was a hot day and we started quite early. The route is officially closed but if you are happy to accept responsibility for yourself there is nothing to stop you for hiking down to the pools. You have to be reasonably fit and able to climb over the gate on to the trail. The trail is rocky and uneven so you definitely need good shoes. The views are great and the path is lined with pretty flowers and lizards skitter every where. There is little shade and the path is quite narrow in places. It took us about 45 minutes to get to the bottom of the gorge and the pools are stunning and the water crystal clear. There were only 2 other people when we arrived. The water is cool and refreshing and full of fish and tadpoles. The rocks can be a bit slippery so take care but it's definitely worth taking swimming gear. We were told it would take an hour or more to climb back up but I did it in slightly less. We met more people coming down and the path is narrow in places so you have to stop to let people pass - everyone was friendly. It was a hot sweaty climb up to the top and over the gate but the cafeteria was well stocked with cold drinks. It's a rewarding hike with great views and the swim is very much recommended.
Written May 29, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Raf De Paepe
Haaltert, Belgium302 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2023 • Couples
Quite a ‘trip’ to get to the pools below, but worth it! It starts with +-1km of very bumpy road to the ‘info-center’. Bring your own food and drinks, nothing for sale here. They can help you out with tapping water if needed. After a short info (telling you to only walk the ‘green’ trail and that everything that could happen is on your own responsibility), we went down; not an easy walk, but if you exercise and have appropriate shoes, should not be an issue. Swimming in the pools is SUPER. The way back up is harder of course; but with enough water and resting from time to time in the shade, we made it fairly well. But certainly take enough water!!
Written August 1, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Michael I
Oranmore9 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2023 • Family
A wonderful experience, the most beautiful part of the trail is closed off but we ‘stumbelled’ over the barrier… we met some very nice people and had amazing views of the gorge. Unfortunately on our return to the ‘car park’ we found our car, and several others, had been broken into. We were lucky the there was nothing to take but some of our neighbours lost cash, bags and passports. We subsequently found out that this is a common enough event at this venue. What’s more annoying is that there are staff onsite but no ‘official’ car park.
Written November 15, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Isabelle
Ghent, Belgium11 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2023 • Friends
We parked in Laghetti di Cavagrande - Parcheggio Carrubella. This is a stony road going past a farm and uphill until you arrive at a big spot for parking. We chose path A and were downhill pretty fast. This is the sunny side of the hill. We just chose a random spot for bathing and were alone.
Written March 27, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Laurraine F
Milazzo, Italy96 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2020 • Family
Go, go, go. Don’t think twice, once you’re down the 1km hike you won’t regret it! A canyon of natural spring water and waterfalls, throw yourself into the ice cold water and get a massage from the many waterfalls. Remember before going down to take water and some sandwiches so you can refuel for the walk back
Up. We did it with a 9 and an 11 year old. Roughly 30 minutes walk down (can slippery in parts) and 40 minutes back up, believe it or not it was easier to walk back up! At the top there is a bar that serves food, drinks and ice creams etc. parking available right next to the bar for 3€ all day. Open from 8am to 9pm. Definitely do this or you will regret it!
Written August 19, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Ronn B
Oakland, CA255 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2019
We went a few years ago and only now writing about the experience. The kids were 7 and 9 and had no problem with the hike.
The trail is well marked and the water and pools were amazing. An absolute must. A magical experience. Crystal clear water. Don't pass this up!!!
Written August 1, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

sailnfo
Sicily1 contribution
4.0 of 5 bubbles
I have been to La Cava Grande 4 times and I can say it is one of my favorite trips in Sicily. The approximately 1.5 mile hike can be challenging if you have small children. When my family made the first trip my two daughters were 12 and 10, my son was 6. It was no problem getting down to the bottom because the kids were motivated by the sight of the beautiful river at the bottom and were eager to get there and swim so it took no more than 45 min to 1 hour. Coming back up later in the day proved to be more difficult since it was uphill and there was very little motivation to get back to the top so my wife and I bribed them with ice cream if we made it to the bar near the parking lot. It takes us 1.5-2 hours to hike out. There are steps carved out of the rock but in some places they are very steep and at some points it is possible to fall some distance so it can be dangerous but there is also a wooden railing throughout the trail that helps. There is a rescue helo pad at the midway point of the hike in case the Rangers have to MEDEVAC anyone with severe injuries. TIM cellphone reception is iffy at best, but there are at least a few rangers patrolling here and there with radios. Make sure everyone wears STURDY shoes and socks. Strollers are out of the question, but if you have a baby backpack and are in decent shape, you will be fine. I also recommend taking plenty of water, lunch and SUNSCREEN which of course adds to the weight you must carry but hey, this is a great fitness opportunity also. It does get kind of crowded in the deep Summer but we've never had a problem with finding a spot next to the water. Also be advised that some of the Italian ladies go topless while sunbathing at the river. The (Cassibile) river has very clear, green tinted water and is usually a very comfortable temperature. There are big, deep pools with big waterfalls and smaller shallow pools for the little ones. The biggest pool at the end has cliffs on each side that you can jump from and the water is plenty deep enough. Be sure to bring some form of picture ID because at the station on top they take down your name and number in your party. Everyone has to be out of the canyon by 1800, so accounting for the time to hike in and out, getting there in the afternoon or later is no good especially if you have children. The place can be hard to find, but if you know Google Earth just find Cassibile on the southeast coast of Sicily, south of Siracusa. Then follow the Cassibile River to the Northwest and you will begin seeing the embedded pics. The directions are: Exit Autostrada from Catania or Siracusa at Cassibile exit then head in direction of Avola. Before entering the main part of Avola, there is a roundabout. Take the roundabout exit towards Noto, then approx 1-2 miles take the exit for SP-4 and you will begin seeing signs. The locals, as always are willing to help you find your way but few Sicilians in this area are fluent in English. I highly recommend this trip and even if you don't want to hike down and swim, the view from the entrance up on top is beautiful.

Mike
Written December 18, 2008
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

S0lway
London, UK108 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2014 • Family
Very disappointed we could not visit as all the trails are closed after a fire end of June 2014. We were told by the authorities it would be months/ years before re opening. So the rating is a bit irrelevant for my review but worth checking it's reopened before making the trip if you see this in 2014.
Written July 15, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Cavagrande del Cassibile - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

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