Cavagrande del Cassibile: Will You Hike the Prohibited Trails?

Cavagrande del Cassibile is an incredible limestone canyon in Sicily. It’s by no coincidence that it’s nicknamed the Sicily Grand Canyon. The Cavagrande del Cassibile Nature Reserve (Riserva Naturale Orinetata Cavagrande del Cassibile) is one of the best natural attractions in Sicily. At the foot of the canyon, you’ll find Laghetti di Cavagrande (accessed by the Scala Cruci trail), which is a mindblowing natural pool.

But, the trails accessing Laghetti di Cavagrande are prohibited and have remained closed since 2014. Of course, the majority of visitors will ignore the signs and hike down to Laghetti di Cavagrande, via the main path called Scala Cruci.

In this travel guide, we’re going to tell you everything you need to know about visiting Cavagrande del Cassibile and Laghetti di Cavagrande. If you don’t mind breaking the rules, you can use this guide to help you discover how to access Laghetti di Cavagrande via the closed trails at Cavagrande del Cassibile Nature Reserve.

Personally, Beck and I decided against accessing these trails when we visited. In this guide, we’ll discuss why we made this decision.

Cavagrande del Cassibile Nature Reserve

Known as Cava Grande or Cavagrande, the nature reserve is a truly spectacular limestone canyon. If you enjoy exploring natural places and are heading to Sicily, you’ll definitely want to visit this destination.

At Cavagrande del Cassibile, you’ll find immense natural pools (such as Laghetti di Cavagrande), caves (such as Grotta dei Briganti), burial tombs (Ddieri di Cavagrande) and sublime limestone rock formations

The problem is that all the trails that access these places are closed. You’ll find signs at Cavagrande del Cassibile, which prohibit access to the trails that lead to all of the main attractions in the nature reserve.

There are even warnings of substantial fines for not complying with the rules. The trails were initially closed in 2014 due to bushfire damage. Since then, the trails have remained closed and don’t appear to be reopening anytime soon.

Cavagrande del Cassibile Essential Information

Basically, the ‘closed’ Scala Cruci trail is the main trail used by visitors to reach Laghetti di Cavagrande, Grotta dei Briganti and Ddieri di Cavagrande. Given the lax attitudes of the Sicilian authorities, locals and tourists alike choose to ignore these signs and access the closed trails.

We’ve even heard that authorities at Cavagrande del Cassibile, allow people to access the closed trails, merely discouraging people, saying ”it’s at your own risk”.

Indeed, we’ve never heard of any accounts of people being punished or fined for accessing these closed trails. Visitors simply rock up, jump over the closed gate, and continue on their merry way to reach Laghetti di Cavagrande. Each to their own.

We also recommend checking out Alcantara Gorge in Taormina

To Hike or Not to Hike, That Is the Question

As mentioned, Beck and I decided not to access the closed trails. Call us goodie two-shoes, but after all, we practice what we preach when it comes to respecting the rules of places we visit.

For the sake of being responsible travellers and bloggers, we chose not to hike along Scala Cruci. Of course, this meant we had massive FOMO and, sure, some regret as we watched most people jump the fence and access the prohibited trail.

But, you’ve got to stick to your guns if you want to stroll along the moral high ground. Of course, no judgment here. If your dream is to swim and frolic in Laghetti di Cavagrande, then by all means, you do you.

Below, we’ll look at exactly where this beautiful canyon in Sicily is located.

Cavagrande del Cassibile Map

Cavagrande del Cassible is located in Avola, in the municipality of Siracusa, Sicily. To help you get your bearings, here’s an interactive map.

Visiting Cavagrande del Cassibile

Whether you access the prohibited trails or not, it’s worth visiting the nature reserve. Simply, from the main car park, you’ll enjoy a superb vantage point of Cavagrande del Cassibile and Laghetti di Cavagrande.

Of course, we’re sure many of you will want to go that step further and explore Laghetti di Cavagrande, Grotta dei Briganti and Ddieri di Cavagrande. Below, we’ll talk about hiking the prohibited trails at Cavagrande del Cassibile.

Cavagrande del Cassibile Hikes

Scala Cruci is the most popular hiking trail in Cavagrande del Cassibile. Most visitors use Scala Cruci to access Laghetti di Cavagrande. From the main car park, south of the canyon, you’ll start the hike.

However, there are two additional hiking routes to access Laghetti di Cavagrande. These include the Sentiero Carrubella and Matro Ronna trails.

Because most visitors hike to Laghetti di Cavagrande using the Scala Cruci trail, we’ll focus on this path. Afterwards, we’ll briefly talk about the Sentiero Carrubella and Mastro Ronna trails.

Scala Cruci

Here are the trail specs and a link to an interactive map for the Scala Cruci trail to Laghetti di Cavagrande.

• Type: Out & Back
• Distance: 5km
• Time: 2–3 hours
• Accumulated elevation gain: 450m
• Trailhead: Cavagrande del Cassibile Car Park
• Difficulty: Hard
• Map: Wikiloc

Hiking Down to Laghetti di Cavagrande

Starting at the main car park, south of the canyon, you’ll find a locked green gate. If you’re keen on hiking Scala Cruci, despite it being officially prohibited, you’ll have to jump the gate.

You’ll then commence the deep descent to the canyon floor. By all accounts, the trail can be slippery and a tad sketchy after rainfall. Given that the trail is closed, it’s never maintained. So the trail will only continue to deteriorate.

Eventually, you’ll reach the pristine Cassibile River. Turn right to continue your walk to Laghetti di Cavagrande.

Laghetti di Cavagrande

At Laghetti di Cavagrande, you’ll find a small waterfall and natural rock pools filled with emerald-green water. Certainly, swimming in the pristine pools is an awesome reward for the tough descent.

During summer, you’ll find many people spending their day at Laghetti di Cavagrande. After all, it’s quite a mission to reach, and so there’s no rush to leave! If you arrive during the day, especially during summer, expect the natural pools to be quite crowded.

After going for a dip at Laghetti di Cavagrande, it’s time for the challenging ascent. Indeed, going up will take much longer than going down. So, keep that in mind when you visit.

Sentiero Carrubella

Sentiero Carrubella is a separate trail altogether, west of Laghetti di Cavagrande, that explores a different area of the nature reserve. A section of Sentiero Carrubella isn’t prohibited, leading to the canyon floor along the Cassibile River, but quite far away from Laghetti di Cavagrande.

Along the canyon floor, you can follow a prohibited section of Sentiero Carrubella, eastwardly along the river, eventually bringing you to a lower section of Scala Cruci.

From there, you simply descend the latter part of Scala Cruci to reach Laghetti di Cavagrande. Once you’ve visited the lake, you can simply retrace your steps or return to the start by completing this circuit loop via an ascent of the entire Scala Cruci trail.

To complete this option, you’ll start at the Sentiero Carrubella car park.

Mastra Ronna

Mastra Ronna is the least popular trail option for reaching Laghetti di Cavagrande. Unlike Scala Cruci and Snetiero Carrubella, the Mastra Ronna trail starts on the northern side of the canyon.

The roads leading to the car park at the entrance of Mastra Ronna are quite poor. This is definitely the main reason people avoid this car park. So, by default, far fewer people are hiking the Mastra Ronna trail.

According to the signage at Cavagrande del Cassibile, a section of Mastra Ronna is actually open and accessible. But, the trail is only open from the car park to a place called Natala’s House, which is well short of reaching Laghetti di Cavagrande.

So it would seem almost pointless to do only the accessible (open) section of this walk. Of course, people obviously ignore the sign and complete the entire Mastra Ronna trail, all the way to Laghetti di Cavagrande.

FYI – for clarification about which trails at the nature reserve are open and closed, please refer to the map above. Also, for your convenience, this is an interactive map of the Mastra Ronna trail.

Other Things to Do at Cavagrande del Cassibile

There are other attractions to explore at Cavagrande del Cassibile other than just Laghetti di Cavagrande. As previously stated, accessing these other attractions would mean accessing the closed Scala Cruci trail. So, it’s up to you whether you’re comfortable with doing that.

Grotta dei Briganti

Grotta dei Briganti would have to be one of the best caves in Sicily. By accessing the closed Scala Cruci, you can visit Grotta dei Briganti.

Basically, once you’ve descended the trail and reached the river, you’ll turn left instead of right. You’ll then follow the river for around 500 metres. Then, you’ll cross the river, and ascend a switchback trail.

You’ll then hike an additional 300 metres to reach Grotta dei Briganti. Some people will combine visiting Laghetti di Cavagrande and Grotta dei Brigante during the same hike. Here’s a map of this trail.

FYI – if you want to explore another epic cave in Sicily, then check out Grotta dell’Uzzo in Zingaro Nature Reserve.

Ddieri di Cavagrande (Cavagrande del Cassibile Burial Tombs)

Another attraction at Cavagrande del Cassibile is Ddieri di Cavagrande, a set of burial tombs, carved into the limestone hillside. To reach Ddieri di Cavagrande, you’ll also need to access the prohibited Scala Cruci trail.

To find Ddieri di Cavagrande, you won’t completely descend Scala Cruci. After around 900 metres, before reaching the river, you’ll turn left. You’ll then follow a less-defined trail, around 1.2km to reach Ddieri di Cavagrande.

Again, visitors will combine visiting Laghetti di Cavagrande and Ddieri di Cavagrande. Here’s a map of this trail option.

How to Get to Cavagrande del Cassibile

The easiest and quickest way to get to Cavagrande del Cassibile is to drive there yourself. You’ll find free parking at the main car park. Undoubtedly, it’s rare to find free parking in Sicily, so lap it up!

The Sentiero Carrubella Car Park is a paid parking area. At the time of writing, it costs €4. For the most up-to-date costs, check out the car park’s official website.

If you don’t have your own set of wheels, then we recommend hiring a car. Personally, Beck and I picked up our car hire from Catania International Airport. For an automatic car, we only paid around €7 ($7USD) per day!

As far as we’re aware, public transportation doesn’t go to Cavagrande del Cassibile. So, you’ll need a car for this adventure!

To find out more about renting a car with Discover Cars, read our Discover Cars review and Discover Cars Insurance review.

​​​​​​​Cavagrande del Cassibile Tours

If you don’t have your own car, but still want to explore Cavagrande del Cassibile, you can always do an organised tour. Funnily enough, the tour operators are happy to break the rules and take you on the prohibited trails. Perhaps, power in numbers, or having a local guide with you, will put you at ease to explore the closed trails.

Cavagrande del Cassibile Recap

We hope this guide will help you explore Cavagrande del Cassibile, in whatever shape or form you like. Admittedly, we did see other visitors respect the signs and choose not to access the prohibited trails.

But, put it this way – more people are ignoring the signs and accessing the closed trails than people following the rules. Anyway, whether you access the prohibited trails or not, Cavagrande del Cassibile is a beautiful place to visit.

Bonus Tips

• Day trip from Catania: certainly, visiting Cavagrande del Cassibile is one of the best day trips you can do from Catania.
• Explore the accessible trails: there are some trails that are still open at Cavagrande del Cassibile. By exploring these trails, you’ll still get to explore the epic canyon and still respect the rules.
• Arrive early: Laghetti di Cavagrande can get absolutely rammed in summer. So, beat the crowds and the heat and visit early.
• Visit Agrigento: where are you headed after exploring Cavagrande del Cassibile? If you want to see excellent historical and natural attractions, then head to Agrigento. After checking out the Valley of the Temples, you should visit the breathtaking white limestone cliffs at both Scala dei Turchi and Capo Bianco.

Did we make the right decision by following the signs and not accessing the closed trails? Let us know what you think in the comments below.