Riserva Naturale

Grotta di Carburangeli

Visiting the reserve

The visit

To visit the protected cavity it is necessary to make reservations by contacting the staff of the nature reserve at the following phone number: 091-8676210.

The visit of the underground trail is limited to the first chambers of the cavity and with staff members of the Nature Reserve only. For the visit  the managing association provides free official guides and safety helmets with headlamps, while visitors are required to be equipped with proper footwear for walking in the cave (eg: trekking shoes, or well-fitting shoes with non-slip soles), and wear comfortable clothing suitable for the weather conditions.

Tour sizes are limited to 15 people. The path that leads to the cave and the floor of the trail are horizontal and on natural ground. Inside the cave, however, due to greater air humidity and the presence of outcropping rocks and pebbles, at times the surface may be uneven and slippery.

The air temperature in the cave is similar to the external one.

The whole tour requires about an hour.

How to get there

The Reserve is about 20 km from Palermo and 6 km from the town of Carini (PA). The entrance to the cave is from via Geranio n. 2, Villagrazia di Carini (PA). (GPS coordinates: 38°10’02.3″N 13°09’40.8″E or   38.167318, 13.161323). 

It is possible to reach the nature reserve by bus from Palermo (Piazzale Giotto AST terminal) with AST buses (Palermo – Terrasini – Palermo route), from Terrasini you must take the Cracchiolo bus service (Terrasini – Carini – Terrasini route),  from the town of Carini, take the Taormina bus lines and get off at the stop “Hotel Azzolini” in Villagrazia di Carini.

You can reach the Reserve also by train, getting off at the stop “Carini – Piraineto” which is about 2,300 meters from the site.

R.N. Grotta di Carburangeli

Information and warnings

Before visiting the protected area, it is necessary to know that visits in natural environments generally present probable dangers that cannot be completely removed due to the uneven surface of the trails, the presence of insects, wild animals, stinging or allergenic plants, etc. Thus visitors must be aware and accept the fact that there are risks, which cannot be removed, while being in the natural environment. In particular, although specific caving equipment is not required, to visit the Carburangeli Cave it is necessary to enter a natural hypogeum with the risks linked to the features of the surroundings (no natural light, uneven and slippery floor surface, a closed and small area, low ceiling, underground insects and fauna, etc.)

The Managing Body denies all responsibilities for any damage to things and people that may occur on the outside and inside trails due to irresponsible or negligent behavior of the visitor and / or as a result of unpredictable natural events.

Use regulation

Following are the main regulation points concerning the behavior to keep during the entire visit of the cave.

Visitors are required to:

  • wear (A) well-fitting shoes with non-slip soles (suitable for outdoor activities), comfortable clothing appropriate for the weather conditions (footwear and clothing not provided by the managing body); (B) safety helmet with head lamp provided by the Managing Body (helmets are sanitized after each use);
  • pay the utmost attention and be very cautious; respect notices and General Rules as well as the instructions provided by the staff members or by the authorized Guides.

Furthermore, during the whole of the guided tour, children must always be accompanied by an adult visitor to whom they are entrusted (parent, teacher, person in charge participating at the visit, etc.).

 

Inside the Carburangeli Cave and along the path that leads to the entrance, it is forbidden to:

  • disturb wildlife, vertebrate and invertebrate;
  • destroy, damage or remove any part of plants;
  • carry weapons;
  • leave any kind of waste;
  • introduce music devices, speak loudly or disturb the quietness of the place;
  • leave the trails marked by the Managing Body or those indicated by the Reserve Personnel or by the authorized Guides;
  • damage / dirty in any way the structures, the objects on display, the furnishings and all the instruments;
  • introduce flammable and / or explosive substances / objects;
  • direct light on bats and on any kind of wildlife;
  • smoke;
  • touch and remove minerals, concretions, fossils and any other type of finds even if they are loose superficial fragments;
  • introduce pets even if on a leash.

Didactic programs

The Nature Reserve promotes various environmental and naturalistic training activities for young people and schoolchildren.
The environmental education programs include:
• The “Sensory Maps” which aim to stimulate pupils to use their senses in both man-made and natural environments. The environmental education course includes workshops and experiences, to be carried out both within the school and in the nature reserve.
• “The evolution of man” which aims to provide information and experimental notions to deepen the knowledge on the evolution of man, considering in particular his influence on the environment since prehistoric periods.
• “Karst: how a cave originates” with the aim of providing elementary school pupils with the basic knowledge to encourage the study of the scientific karst features (geological and geomorphological) and of the underground environment (ecological, atmospheric and faunal features).

• -“Enough lies about the noctule” – The aim of this educational project is to raise awareness of the biology, morphology and behavior of bats (one of the zoological groups most sensitive to rapid environmental changes and therefore at risk of extinction) highlighting their importance in the natural environment. The project will be carried out through the organization of games, workshops as well as field trips, so that we will try to dispel all myths, misbelief and fears about these mammals.
• “Naturally Carini”, aimed at increasing the information about the naturalistic features of fauna and flora in the area of Carini.
• The “Water Cycle” – with which schoolchildren are involved in face-to-face meetings in the classroom, followed by application / experimental moments, aimed at interpreting the chemical / physical data of the best known brands of mineral water on the market and their comparison with the data resulting from the analysis of the surface waters present in the area of Carini.

Further information

For further information please contact the Nature Reserve by calling 0918676210 mornings Monday through Saturday.

 

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