Necropoli di Pantalica
Necropoli di Pantalica
Necropoli di Pantalica
4.5
Ancient Ruins • Points of Interest & Landmarks • Historic Walking Areas
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00:00 - 23:59
Monday
00:00 - 23:59
Tuesday
00:00 - 23:59
Wednesday
00:00 - 23:59
Thursday
00:00 - 23:59
Friday
00:00 - 23:59
Saturday
00:00 - 23:59
Sunday
00:00 - 23:59
About
Hiking in the magical Anapo river valley, you come upon steep cliff sides that are dotted with thousands of rock-cut tombs dating from the 13th century BC.
Suggested duration
More than 3 hours
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We rank these restaurants and attractions by balancing reviews from our members with how close they are to this location.
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8 within 5 kms
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1.2 km€€ - €€€ • International
Trattoria Dell'Arco
1.2 kmSicilian • Southern-Italian
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4.5
429 reviews
Excellent
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23
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11
OnTheRoadAgain
Dubai, United Arab Emirates30 contributions
Mar 2021 • Family
This place was just amazing! It was ver serene and scenic the whole hike through. It wasn’t such a tough hike either. My wife and daughter and I had no issues getting through it. I highly recommend this place!
Written 11 March 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Ana L
Navan, Ireland2,701 contributions
Sep 2020
There are several tracks going through this site, depending on your interest and time. A visit of 1h is enough to visit some tombs. To get a better visit, and also enjoy the stunning views over the valley, I recommend taking the track that goes through the old railway. It takes around 2.5, 3h. You can even enjoy a swim in the river!
Written 13 October 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
prettylilly
Riverside, CA55 contributions
Oct 2019
For travelers who have the time, Pantalica is well worth arranging. Properly done, it is a full day trip from Siracusa or Noto. We had the services of Carlo Montesanti, who is extremely knowledgeable about the archaeology and natural history of this ancient necropolis and good company as well. (He was recommended by another guide, who claimed that Carlo was THE expert on Pantalica.) Although the 4,000 or so tombs, dating as far back as the 13th century BC are the initial attraction, Pantalica's story continues through the classical era and into the medievall and modern Christian era. In addition, this is wild and beautiful area and makes for a great hike.
Written 2 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
efekete2018
Dunakeszi, Hungary49 contributions
Sep 2019
Beautiful place, no long queue. Easy to find and huge parking area nearby. Small waterfall can be seen also.
Written 3 October 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Traveling_Seattleite
Seattle, WA80 contributions
Sep 2019
We spent a half-day plus in the necropolis and Anaktoron. We hired Paulo Cavarra as our guide (you can find him at Pantalica Experience on Facebook and online - we certainly recommend him). We met him at Sortino at an easy to find location (especially if you have a navigation system - we were using Google Maps and it worked great for us throughout Sicily and Malta), then he drove us to the Pantalica necropolis and Anaktoron, which I'd specifically mentioned we wanted to see.
I have very bad knees and we could not, for instance, do a 2 mile hike in to see some of the burial chambers that were deep in the park, but we drove to two different locations, got out and hiked far enough in to get to see a church, several very faint paintings, and a number of caves that had become homes later on in two different locations in the park, as well as stairways and paths between them, etc. Then I waited by one such location while my husband and Paulo hiked down to the river to cool off and do a bit of wading (no time for full swim with our timeline).
We also got to spend time at Anaktoron, which doesn't really look like much compared to, say, Segesta or Selinunte, but I swear you can feel the age of the place, and the views from it are lovely. It's also very peaceful and we had the place literally all to ourselves. No one else seen or heard during the 20-30 minutes we were there. I considered it well worth the stop.
Paulo was an attentive and considerate guide, keeping the pace slow enough for me to keep up, stopping for a moment when I needed to rest (I am not in the best physical condition), showing us edible plants, and several critters he ran across, as well as telling us the history of everything we saw, and pointing out things we would otherwise have missed. Once we were done, we stopped at Ferla (the other end of the park, which we'd wound up going to given my physical limitations) for a quick water and coffee break before he took us on back to Sortino. I can certainly recommend him as a guide, and recommend Pantalica as a nice change of pace and scenery from the coast, and a wonderful place to see and explore Bronze age ruins.
The museum in Syracusa has a number of items that were found in Pantalica in it - it's a nice museum - I recommend it, too, if you have time (note that it is a decent little walk from the Syracusa archaeological park, though certainly doable). Paolo also has thoughts on the museum, so if you are thinking of going to it, you might ask for those thoughts so you have them when you go.
I have very bad knees and we could not, for instance, do a 2 mile hike in to see some of the burial chambers that were deep in the park, but we drove to two different locations, got out and hiked far enough in to get to see a church, several very faint paintings, and a number of caves that had become homes later on in two different locations in the park, as well as stairways and paths between them, etc. Then I waited by one such location while my husband and Paulo hiked down to the river to cool off and do a bit of wading (no time for full swim with our timeline).
We also got to spend time at Anaktoron, which doesn't really look like much compared to, say, Segesta or Selinunte, but I swear you can feel the age of the place, and the views from it are lovely. It's also very peaceful and we had the place literally all to ourselves. No one else seen or heard during the 20-30 minutes we were there. I considered it well worth the stop.
Paulo was an attentive and considerate guide, keeping the pace slow enough for me to keep up, stopping for a moment when I needed to rest (I am not in the best physical condition), showing us edible plants, and several critters he ran across, as well as telling us the history of everything we saw, and pointing out things we would otherwise have missed. Once we were done, we stopped at Ferla (the other end of the park, which we'd wound up going to given my physical limitations) for a quick water and coffee break before he took us on back to Sortino. I can certainly recommend him as a guide, and recommend Pantalica as a nice change of pace and scenery from the coast, and a wonderful place to see and explore Bronze age ruins.
The museum in Syracusa has a number of items that were found in Pantalica in it - it's a nice museum - I recommend it, too, if you have time (note that it is a decent little walk from the Syracusa archaeological park, though certainly doable). Paolo also has thoughts on the museum, so if you are thinking of going to it, you might ask for those thoughts so you have them when you go.
Written 30 September 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
swimmer283
San Rafael, CA93 contributions
Sep 2019
We hired Paolo Cavarra (Pantalica Experience) to guide us through Pantalica Nature Reserve and it was a fantastic experience. We met him In Sortino, a village quite close to one of the Pantalica entrance gates. He led us down the gorge, pointing out the necropolis from prehistoric times, as well as flora and fauna. We visited an ancient "church" dug into the rocks. We finished up with an invigorating plunge into cold spring water.
It was such a great way to take a break from the city.
It was such a great way to take a break from the city.
Written 29 September 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Brettsue
Invercargill, New Zealand153 contributions
Sep 2019
My husband and I went here for a day trip while we were holidaying in Syracuse. Firstly, if you're driving then you need to know that the road bridge near the Ferla end is closed. We had to navigate from there through tiny, winding roads to Sortina and then approach from that end. Also, despite what your maps tell you, there aren't any toilets or other facilities here. But the scenery and the necropolis etc is all so gorgeous and totally worth a trip. There had been heavy rain when we arrived here so the steps and rocky paths were filled with water which made walking tricky, but the views were amazing. And it's free! (And we did see 1 snake but it was slithering away from us). Take your bathers and have a dip in the clear, cool stream while you're there.
Written 27 September 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Larryshulman
London, UK117 contributions
Aug 2019
We visited Pantalica in late August 2019 having heard great things about the place. I had contacted a recommended guide Paulo Cavarra (p.cavarra@tin.it) and we met him in Sortino. He took us on a c.6km circular tour of Pantalica - the place is magical. Wonderful ancient tombs, Byzantine caves and ruins and amazing nature.
Thoroughly recommend Pantalica and Paulo
Thoroughly recommend Pantalica and Paulo
Written 2 September 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Eli B
Sydney, Australia3,697 contributions
May 2019
The limestone gorge is formed by the two rivers and is pitted with ancient rock-gouged tombs, dwelling places and temples, occupied from antiquity. The colours and hues are remarkable
Written 13 August 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
g_de_gooyer
Veenendaal, The Netherlands118 contributions
Jul 2019 • Couples
Beautiful cave with the old graves
Walking from Ferla in to the clough is amazing. A lot of flowers (it is spring) the old graves in the walls, the water of the river it makes it complete. You need good shoes and a GPS will help you because some parts of the route are destroyed in winter time.
It give a good idea about the power of a small river.
Walking from Ferla in to the clough is amazing. A lot of flowers (it is spring) the old graves in the walls, the water of the river it makes it complete. You need good shoes and a GPS will help you because some parts of the route are destroyed in winter time.
It give a good idea about the power of a small river.
Written 16 July 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Letizia P
1 contribution
Quale ingresso o itinerario sono consigliabili per persone poco atletiche?
Federico B
171 contributions
È indifferente da dove si entra perché c’è da scarpinare sullo sterrato!!........
Robb H
New York City, NY1,015 contributions
Do you recall how much the guide charged?
WhistlingBear
Manningtree, UK222 contributions
hI Robb.
Paolo (the guide) charged us around €80 for two people.
We had a great morning with him and will certainly look to use him for other tours on future visits.
Is it possible to see the necropoli by yourself? How much is the prize for ticket without gide?
g_de_gooyer
Veenendaal, The Netherlands118 contributions
Walking in Pantalica without a guide is free and you can see the grave tombs in different places. High in the walls and sometimes beside the walkingpath.
Traveling_Seattleite
Seattle, WA80 contributions
Per the online maps I've found so far, there appears to be a road through the valley. It could also be a trail that connects to roads on either end. Does anyone know if you can drive through it (I have bad knees and a weak ankle - climbing and scrambling are pretty much out for me). If no road, is there any relatively level path in from the Ferla side (I've read it's the gentler entrance)?
WhistlingBear
Manningtree, UK222 contributions
Hi, The is no road running through and you must walk. Even the "easier" areas are uneven but there is no need for scrambling or climbing.
I am 61 and have a form of rheumatoid arthritis which affects all of my joints and managed with little difficulty.
If you are wearing supportive shoes/boots and take a stick you should be fine.
The hardest "climbs" we encountered were the equivalent to a flight or two of steep stairs
I would also strongly advise using a guide as you will get so much more out of the trip this way and they can advise further (we used a great guy called Paolo and you will find his deatils on my review of the site).
I did not use a stick or staff but you may want to consider it
ANNA S
Palermo, Italy6 contributions
Ciao a tutti vorrei sapere con attendibilità se a Pantalica è ammesso l' ingresso ai cani
ryben23
Milan, Italy49 contributions
nn ne sono sicura, ma essendo un parco credo invece sia possibile, cmq puoi sempre telefonare e domandare a loro ce è la cosa più logica, ciaooo
cettyvitale65
Caltagirone, Italy7 contributions
Salve,c è un periodo preferibile per visitare pantalica?il percorso è fatto tutto di sentieri? grazie
Minel051
Bologna, Italy1,098 contributions
Ciao, io ci sono stato in giugno, ma credo che si possa visitare bene in qualunque periodo dell'anno.I sentieri sono abbastanza agibili, tranne qualche tratto in pietra scavata, un pò disconnessi e bisogna prestare attenzione, comunque ci sono stato con la famiglia e non ho avuto problemi.
Personalmente ho però evitato di visitare la grotta dei pipistrelli, l'accesso era veramente scosceso e sull'orlo del precipizio.
La vista vale la pena
Stefano S
5 contributions
Ciao, vorrei sapere da quale accesso sei arrivato al sito. Da Ferla o da sortino? Quale e' piu' adatto per la visita con bambino di 10 anni?
Minel051
Bologna, Italy1,098 contributions
Io sono arrivato da Sortino. Dal parcheggio forse c’è un po’ più di strada/sentiero da fare ma sicuramente è più agevole e meno scosceso. Io ci sono stato con le mie figlie di13 e 15 anni e non hanno avuto problemi.
Elettra S
Naples, Italy25 contributions
Per arrivare al sito da Siracusa com’è la strada (siamo in moto)? Che distanza ? Mezza giornata è sufficiente per visitare il sito e fare anche il bagno nei laghetti che forma il fiume ? Dove trovare indicazioni chiare per il percorso da percorrere ? Grazie !
Elettra S
Naples, Italy25 contributions
Per arrivare al sito da Siracusa com’è la strada (siamo in moto)? Che distanza ? Mezza giornata è sufficiente per visitare il sito e fare anche il bagno nei laghetti che forma il fiume ? Dove trovare indicazioni chiare per il percorso da percorrere ? Grazie !
Minel051
Bologna, Italy1,098 contributions
Ciao, da Siracusa saranno circa 40 km, strada asfaltata è adatta alla moto. Mezza giornata è sicuramente sufficiente, dei laghetti non ho notizie.
Frequently Asked Questions about Necropoli di Pantalica
- Necropoli di Pantalica is open:
- Sun - Sat 00:00 - 23:59
- We recommend booking Necropoli di Pantalica tours ahead of time to secure your spot. If you book with Tripadvisor, you can cancel up to 24 hours before your tour starts for a full refund. See all 5 Necropoli di Pantalica tours on Tripadvisor
- Hotels near Necropoli di Pantalica:
- (0.72 km) Villaggio Agrituristico Campanio
- (7.85 km) Agriturismo La Mela di Venere
- (1.97 km) Agriturismo Porta Pantalica
- (6.84 km) Hotel Colle Acre
- (6.59 km) Domus Hyblaea Resort
- Restaurants near Necropoli di Pantalica:
- (1.17 km) Bar trattoria pizzeria quattro canti
- (1.95 km) Agriturismo Porta Pantalica
- (8.07 km) Vecchio Molino
- (7.90 km) Trattoria del Gallo
- (8.15 km) Antica Pasticceria Corsino