Grotta di S. Angelo Muxaro

The visit

At present the Reserve cannot be visited due to two Ordinances of the Mayor of Sant’Angelo Muxaro which forbid the access to the highly protected areas.

However, occasional nature walks are organized in the area, along suggestive speleological and naturalistic itineraries that develop mainly on natural uneven ground, following mule trails and paths marked by shepherds (difficulty EE = for expert excursionists – CAI scale).

The managing body provides safety helmets with headlamps, while visitors are required to wear adequate clothing and carry a complete change of clothes in case one should get wet or covered with mud. Visits are limited to a maximum of 15 each tour, and must be arranged a few days before, to allow the preparing of the equipment.

For information contact the headquarters of the Reserve; upon prior request, you can view the educational and scientific material available at the small library of the managing body, as well as view an introductory video on the protected area (max 15 visitors).

Local associations offer the possibility of making interesting walks to discover the nature and historical origins of the country by visiting the protohistoric necropolis of Sant’Angelo Hill, the Grotticelle necropolis, Acqua Caves system in the Ponte Valley and Monte Castello, where the ruins of the Saracen fortress called Mushar are located, as well as various other evidence of human life ranging from prehistory to the end of 1400s.

A visit to the MuSam – Archaeological Museum of Sant’Angelo Muxaro – is recommended. It was set up at the end of 2015, the interesting exhibits date back to the Sican era.

How to get there

The village of Sant’Angelo Muxaro is 33 km from Agrigento. By car: take SS 118 for 18 km up to Raffadali, then continue for 15 km towards Sant’Angelo Muxaro. The entrance of the Reserve is at the foot of the hill of Sant’Angelo Muxaro, walk 500 meters on the path towards the main cave. It is possible to reach the town of Sant’Angelo Muxaro using the bus company “Autolinee F.lli Lattuca” (tel. 0922 36125), which operates on the Sant’Angelo Muxaro – Santa Elisabetta – Aragona – Agrigento route.