Among the many things to see in Sicily, including natural parks, cities of art and archaeological sites, there is certainly Giardini Naxos, one of the most beautiful villages in all of Sicily: it overlooks the Ionian Sea, a bay set between lush hills and crystal clear sea, a stone's throw from Taormina and Etna, whose profile stands out on the horizon.
In the past Giardini Naxos was only a fishing village, while today it is one of the most popular tourist resorts in Sicily, due to the natural landscape that surrounds it and the very important historical heritage, having been Giardini Naxos the first Greek colony on the island.
Giardini Naxos: what to see
The first colony that the Greeks created in Sicily took the name of Naxos and was founded in the VIII BC near Capo Schisò: the town took part in the Peloponnesian War, only to be destroyed in 413 BC. No people has built over the ancient vestiges of Naxos, still visible today within the Naxos Taormina Archaeological Park, one of the symbolic places of Giardini Naxos.
It is a very rare example of an archaic city, which has remained as it was left, apart from the wear and tear of time: among cypresses, oleanders, citrus groves, tropical plants and Mediterranean scrub, you can see the remains of walls, cubic houses, furnaces , roads and temples, one of which is probably dedicated to Aphrodite and another, built by Theocles, to Apollo Archegete. The site also includes an Archaeological Museum, full of artifacts found on site, located inside a XNUMXth-XNUMXth century fort.
Not far away stands the Schisò Castle, a late medieval fortress which for a long time represented the fulcrum of commercial life in Giardini Naxos: it stands on a high rocky outcrop made up of black lava stone and offers one of the most beautiful views of the Sicilian village and its bay.
Entering the center of Giardini Naxos, it is worth visiting its churches, in particular that of San Pancrazio, dedicated to the holy man who landed on the Sicilian coasts from Syria in 40 AD to spread the word of God and the Church of Santa Maria Recommended: the latter dates back to 1719 and the name reveals the habit of sailors and sailors to commend their lives to the Virgin Mary to protect them during their sea voyages. The Mother Church preserves valuable works such as a wooden statue of the Madonna, an altarpiece from 1573 and an 700th century marble baptismal font.
Giardini Naxos: beaches and surroundings
The bond of Giardini Naxos with its past as a Greek colony is also underlined with a series of works, symbol of the twinning with Greece and the Cyclades Islands: think of the Port of Naxos at Capo Schisò, white Sphinx and to the statue of Nike, a copy of which is present in Chalcis Eublea in Greece. The statue was created in 1965 by Carmelo Mendolo, who was clearly inspired by the famous Nike of Samothrace.
Visiting Giardini Naxos also means discovering its splendid coast, full of enchanting beaches such as the Schiso beach, long and sandy beach embraced by rich vegetation behind. Then there is the Porticciolo Saia beach, which is actually a splendid set of small bays interspersed with lava rocks shaped by the waves.
Equally pleasant is the Recanati beach, perfect for families and young people given the presence of equipped bathing establishments, clubs and discos.
Just 3 km from the center of Giardini Naxos are the Gorges of Alcantara, one of the wildest places in Sicily: it is a canyon formed between 25.000 and 9.000 years ago due to continuous volcanic eruptions. The Alcantara river winds its way between high lava rock walls with a sinuous shape, which can even reach 50 m. high: the Alcanatre Gorges are the perfect place to practice rafting on the waters of the river.
What to do in Giardini Naxos and surrounding areas
From Giardini Naxos a visit to Taormina, only 8 km away: the village overlooks the Ionian Sea from a height of 206 m. high, giving a wonderful view of the entire coast and the Etna volcano, especially from the Greek Theater, the undisputed symbol of the city. In Taormina, the arabesque Palazzo Corvaja, the Palazzo dei Duchi di S. Stefano in Sicilian Gothic, the exotic Villa Comunale and then Isola Bella are worth a visit.
It is a rock connected to the mainland by a sandy isthmus and is today a nature reserve which in the past was also appreciated by personalities such as Lord Byron Goethe.
