Where are the Gole di Tiberio?

The Gole di Tiberio are a canyon of the Pollina river between the towns of San Mauro Castelverde, Castelbuono and Pollina, at about 100 metres above sea level and some ten kilometres from the sea. You reach them from the Case Marcatagliastro, on the road to San Mauro Castelverde, on a path of less than a kilometre through olive groves, citrus groves and along the river bank.

How do you visit the Gole di Tiberio?

On foot you get as far as the entrance, but inside the gorge the river fills the whole floor and you cannot walk. In spring and summer the gorge is explored by inflatable boat with authorised operators: the Cefalù Madonie tourist district mentions the service of the Madonie Outdoor association. After heavy rain access becomes dangerous, so check the weather of the previous days.

Can you visit the Grotta Grattara in Gratteri?

The Grotta Grattara can be reached on foot from the San Nicola plateau, above Gratteri, on a zigzag path through a pine wood. The Park Authority describes it as a large cave with a rock basin hollowed out by dripping water, where sheep shelter in winter. In local legend it was the home of the Befana, the Christmas witch, known here as the vecchia strina.

What is the deepest cave in Sicily?

According to the Cefalù Madonie tourist district it is the Abisso del Gatto, in the municipality of Cefalù, about 1,100 metres long and 323 metres deep. The entrance is at 380 metres on the slopes of Cozzo Carcarello. Only trained and authorised cavers may visit it, in groups of at least four people and by booking.

Are there waterfalls in the Madonie?

The best known is the Vallone Scopalacqua waterfall, along the SP54 in the municipality of Petralia Sottana: a drop of about 40 metres over quartz rocks, which gives rise to the Mandarini stream. It is a geosite of the Madonie UNESCO Global Geopark, made safe in 2024. European Geoparks Week opened there on 23 May 2026.

Can you go into the caves of the Madonie?

The Madonie Park rules forbid entering caves and natural cavities, except those signposted as places of interest and only along the marked route. Shafts such as the Abisso del Vento and the Abisso del Gatto are for experienced cavers only. The Park Authority recommends exploring the underground world only with experts.

What should you bring to the Gole di Tiberio?

Shoes that can get wet, sun cream, water and a dry change of clothes. The path from the Case Marcatagliastro is short, but it crosses boulders smoothed by the river and stretches along the bank. If you take the boat trip, follow the operator's advice on clothing and safety, and do not go into the water when the river is swollen.

Nature and landscapes

Gole di Tiberio, caves and waterfalls of the Madonie

Gole di Tiberio, Grotta Grattara, Abisso del Vento, Abisso del Gatto and Scopalacqua falls: where they are, how to visit and what is banned in the Madonie.

Inside the Gole di Tiberio: limestone walls smoothed by the Pollina river, pebbles and an inflatable boat on the bank — Davide Mauro / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

The gorges, caves and waterfalls of the Madonie are the work of water on limestone. The best known are the Gole di Tiberio, a canyon about 450 metres long carved by the Pollina river at San Mauro Castelverde, the Grotta Grattara above Gratteri and the Vallone Scopalacqua waterfall, a drop of about 40 metres along the SP54. Underground there are shafts hundreds of metres deep, such as the Abisso del Vento at Isnello and the Abisso del Gatto at Cefalù, the deepest in Sicily.

Some places can be visited on a short walk, others only with guides or cavers. This guide tells you what to see, how to get there and what is forbidden.

At a glance

Gole di Tiberio: canyon of the Pollina river, about 450 m long, walls up to 50 m; by inflatable boat from spring to late summer.
Grotta Grattara: on foot from the San Nicola plateau, above Gratteri.
Scopalacqua waterfall: about 40 m high, on the SP54, Petralia Sottana.
Abisso del Gatto: 323 m deep, the deepest cave in Sicily, authorised cavers only.
Abisso del Vento: about 220 m deep with 2 km of passages, Isnello, cavers only.
Rule: no entry into caves not marked as open to visitors.

Why there are so many caves in the Madonie

Much of the high Madonie is made of limestone and dolomite. Rain and snowmelt dissolve these rocks: this is karst. On the surface it leaves dolines and swallow holes; underground it carves caves, pits and shafts.

According to Wikipedia horizontal caves and vertical shafts tell of two different moments: the first formed when the mountains rose slowly, the second during phases of rapid uplift. On the Carbonara plateau there are no surface streams, because the water sinks straight underground and comes back out at the springs lower down.

The most spectacular caves, according to Wikipedia, are in the massifs of Pizzo Dipilo, Monte Balatelli, Monte Ferro and Cozzo Carcarello. Lower down the rivers take over. The Park Authority explains that on limestone and sandstone they cut downwards, in a V shape, opening gorges and ravines; on clay, instead, they widen the valleys.

The Gole di Tiberio

The Gole di Tiberio are a small canyon on the Pollina river, between the towns of San Mauro Castelverde, Castelbuono and Pollina. They lie at about 100 metres above sea level, some ten kilometres before the river reaches the Tyrrhenian Sea.

According to Wikipedia the gorge is about 450 metres long, with walls up to 50 metres high and water up to 8 metres deep. The Park Authority explains that the limestone formed more than 200 million years ago. The river began cutting into it in the Miocene and, according to Wikipedia, the canyon had formed by about two million years ago. On the smooth walls you can see fossil sea snails, and cliff birds nest there.

The name of the district, according to oral tradition, comes from a Roman villa dedicated to the emperor Tiberius. In Sicilian the gorge is called ’u Mirìcu, the navel.

How to visit the Gole di Tiberio

The path starts at the Case Marcatagliastro, a farm complex at 284 metres, on the road to San Mauro Castelverde. According to the Cefalù Madonie tourist district it goes down through an olive grove and a citrus grove to the river and, in less than a kilometre, reaches the entrance of the gorge.

You cannot walk inside the gorge: the river fills the whole floor. In spring and summer it is explored by inflatable boat. The tourist district mentions the service of the Madonie Outdoor association, which in 2021 also took a Geoparks Week outing through the gorge by boat.

Start point, tips and season are on the Gole di Tiberio page. It is one of the best outings for families, but after heavy rain the river swells and access becomes dangerous.

The Grotta Grattara at Gratteri

The Grotta Grattara opens at the foot of Pizzo Dipilo, about 300 metres from the village of Gratteri. You get there from the San Nicola plateau, on a path that zigzags through a pine wood to the boulder called lazzu di vuoi, the oxen’s bed, and then on the level to the entrance.

The Park Authority describes a large rock basin in the middle of the cave, hollowed out by dripping water, and a small flight of steps worn by generations of feet. Swallows and pigeons nest on the outer ledges, and in winter sheep shelter there from the north wind.

The cave is also a place of stories. In local legend it was the home of the Befana, the vecchia strina, who on the last night of the year came down the chimneys to fill the stockings of the children of Gratteri. Today it is one of the Geopark’s 70 geosites.

In the same massif Wikipedia mentions the Grotta dei Panni, at 1,190 metres, and the Grotta dell’Appesa, at 900 metres, both at Gratteri. Some caves of Pizzo Dipilo have yielded finds from the Upper Palaeolithic.

The Battaglietta swallow hole

At Piano Battaglia the water disappears underground at one precise point: the Battaglietta swallow hole, zubbiu in dialect. It is a small cave at the foot of the northern side of the basin, through which rainwater and snowmelt flow.

It is the easiest geosite to see: you find it with a short detour from the Battaglietta to Portella Colla geological trail or from trail 552 towards Piano Sempria. You only go inside with experienced cavers. The geology of the area is explained in the guide to the UNESCO Geopark.

The shafts: for cavers

The Madonie have some of the deepest caves in Sicily. They are serious places, with vertical pits and squeezes: they can only be visited with caving equipment and training.

Cave	Town	Depth	Length	Access
Abisso del Gatto	Cefalù	323 m	about 1,100 m	Authorised cavers, at least 4, by booking
Abisso del Vento	Isnello	about 220 m	about 2 km	Experienced cavers, entrance on private land
Pozzo Minnonica	n/a	about 57 m explored	n/a	Dangerous pit, cavers only

The Abisso del Gatto opens at 380 metres, on the western slopes of Cozzo Carcarello. According to the tourist district it is the deepest cave in Sicily.

The Abisso del Vento lies on the slopes of Cozzo Balatelli, at Isnello. The name comes from the strong draught in the first squeeze: people once said they could hear rushing water by putting an ear to the rock. The first explorations date from 1972, by cavers from the CAI in Cefalù, who found an Eneolithic tomb near the entrance. The deepest branches hold stalactites, stalagmites and flowstone.

The Park Authority also mentions the Grotta Rossa and the Grotta del Vecchiuzzo, the latter with an archaeological site, among the caves to visit only with experts.

Waterfalls and water

The Madonie are one of Sicily’s most important water reserves. Wikipedia notes that they supply much of the Palermo area, and that some springs have average flows of around 800 litres per second, such as the Scillato spring, tapped by the aqueduct of the same name.

The Vallone Scopalacqua waterfall

The best-known waterfall in the Madonie is the one in the Vallone Scopalacqua, along the SP54 in the municipality of Petralia Sottana. According to the Park Authority it drops about 40 metres over steeply tilted quartz rocks and gives rise to the Mandarini stream. Hollies grow around it, and upstream lives a rare fern known locally as filici francisi.

In 2024 the Park Authority and the regional Department of Rural Development made the area safe; it is one of the Geopark’s viewpoints. On 23 May 2026 Geoparks Week opened right here, with new panels along the educational path.

Other water to see

Catarratti spring, above Petralia Sottana: one of the most important in north-central Sicily, with the 1908 hydroelectric power station, along the Stones and Water geological trail.
Scillato springs: a Geopark geosite and home of the Water Museum, in the former Paraturi mill.
Caltavuturo stream ravine and Scillato narrows: two geosites on the 2026 map carved by streams.

Rules and safety

The Madonie Park rules forbid entering caves and natural cavities, except those signposted as places of interest and only along the marked route. This also applies to the Battaglietta swallow hole.

For the shafts, contact caving groups or qualified guides.
In gorges and along streams check the weather of the previous days: after a storm the water rises fast.
Do not collect fossils, cave formations or rocks: in a geopark it is forbidden.
Leave your car only in parking areas.

For the Gole di Tiberio the most convenient bases are San Mauro Castelverde or Pollina. For the Grotta Grattara there is Gratteri. Before setting off check the weather at San Mauro Castelverde.

Frequently asked questions

Where are the Gole di Tiberio?: The Gole di Tiberio are a canyon of the Pollina river between the towns of San Mauro Castelverde, Castelbuono and Pollina, at about 100 metres above sea level and some ten kilometres from the sea. You reach them from the Case Marcatagliastro, on the road to San Mauro Castelverde, on a path of less than a kilometre through olive groves, citrus groves and along the river bank.
How do you visit the Gole di Tiberio?: On foot you get as far as the entrance, but inside the gorge the river fills the whole floor and you cannot walk. In spring and summer the gorge is explored by inflatable boat with authorised operators: the Cefalù Madonie tourist district mentions the service of the Madonie Outdoor association. After heavy rain access becomes dangerous, so check the weather of the previous days.
Can you visit the Grotta Grattara in Gratteri?: The Grotta Grattara can be reached on foot from the San Nicola plateau, above Gratteri, on a zigzag path through a pine wood. The Park Authority describes it as a large cave with a rock basin hollowed out by dripping water, where sheep shelter in winter. In local legend it was the home of the Befana, the Christmas witch, known here as the vecchia strina.
What is the deepest cave in Sicily?: According to the Cefalù Madonie tourist district it is the Abisso del Gatto, in the municipality of Cefalù, about 1,100 metres long and 323 metres deep. The entrance is at 380 metres on the slopes of Cozzo Carcarello. Only trained and authorised cavers may visit it, in groups of at least four people and by booking.
Are there waterfalls in the Madonie?: The best known is the Vallone Scopalacqua waterfall, along the SP54 in the municipality of Petralia Sottana: a drop of about 40 metres over quartz rocks, which gives rise to the Mandarini stream. It is a geosite of the Madonie UNESCO Global Geopark, made safe in 2024. European Geoparks Week opened there on 23 May 2026.
Can you go into the caves of the Madonie?: The Madonie Park rules forbid entering caves and natural cavities, except those signposted as places of interest and only along the marked route. Shafts such as the Abisso del Vento and the Abisso del Gatto are for experienced cavers only. The Park Authority recommends exploring the underground world only with experts.
What should you bring to the Gole di Tiberio?: Shoes that can get wet, sun cream, water and a dry change of clothes. The path from the Case Marcatagliastro is short, but it crosses boulders smoothed by the river and stretches along the bank. If you take the boat trip, follow the operator's advice on clothing and safety, and do not go into the water when the river is swollen.