How to get to the island of Lachena, discover the legend of the Cyclops and finally get to see it up close with the pedal boats. A few kilometers from Catania is Aci Trezza and the Lachena Island, a nature reserve with many protected species.
THELachea Island it is a very small island located a few steps from Aci Trezza, a small town that you will surely remember for the Malavoglia, studied at school. We are located a short distance from Catania. If the idea is that of staying in Catania and then take an excursion to Aci Trezza, then you are in the right article.
How to get to Aci Trezza
Getting to Aci Trezza from Catania it is neither difficult nor too demanding. If you have rented a car to get around Catania and Sicily better you will only have to follow the signs or if you have it put the navigator. If you are on foot, take thebus number 534. You can take it in several parts of the city of Catania, but if you take it in the bus square located in Piazza Falcone e Borsellino, you certainly cannot go wrong.
The bus runs at all hours on weekdays, while for holidays you have to wait two hours for each bus. Timetables can also be easily found on the website of Acicastello or Catania, following the bus number that I indicated above. Although some will tell you that it only takes 20 minutes, if you take the bus at some peak times, it will easily take an hour, even by bus. If you have tight deadlines, then also calculate the delays that could result from the Sicilian traffic.
I always advise you to, however check the bus timetables first to understand even if in the meantime they have changed the route or time slot on that given day.
Before arriving in Aci Trezza, which is the terminus of the race, you will also pass through Acicastello, if you have time stop, it is still worth a visit. Arrived at the terminus you will find yourself in Aci Trezza. The seaside town is very small, in 2 hours you can explore it all, that's why, if you go in the summer or in any case in a fairly hot period of the year, I recommend that you take a jump to Lachea Island, which is not always reachable all year round. Reaching the island is not easy on your own. You can do this with pedal boats and boats hired, or have some fishermen accompany you.
Lachea Island
Don't think that the island is big or that there is anything on it. There is nothing above. There are so many animals of protected species and also of the very particular vegetation, so much so that this area has been declared a protected area, a natural reserve that not only includes the island but also the stacks. But the island is also something more. If you get the chance to go, with a guide of course, you will see one cave and also to see how the vegetation changes completely on both sides of the island. The part of the island that cannot be seen from the coast of Aci Trezza can only be seen once on Lachea Island.
Il Great Faraglione it is the only one of the stacks that has been touched by the intervention of man testified by the presence of a masonry staircase that leads up to a square where the statue of the Virgin is placed, the other two Faraglioni are smaller. These are accompanied by gods small rocks and three other stacks which however do not reach the surface of the water. So be careful when you decide to take pedal boats and dive from Lachea Island.
Legend of the Cyclops
La legend of the Cyclops that hovers over this island speaks of Polyphemus and his love for Galatea. An unrequited falling in love because this was in turn in love with the pastor Aci. The Cyclops, mad with jealousy, killed Aci by throwing a huge stone at him. The large boulder rolling into the sea formed the island of Lachea and Aci turned into a small river.
However, the legend of the Cyclops is not the only one. Here Ulysses and his fleet, who arrived on the island of Polyphemus, were imprisoned by Polyphemus. After they managed to free themselves, Polyphemus out of anger at having been blinded and teased, he began to throw boulders, the Faraglioni in fact.
