Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
WORTH A TRIP
VULCANELLI DI MACALUBE
Some 15km north of Agrigento, near the town of Aragona, the Vulcanelli di Macalube are a bizarre and fascinat-
ing sight. A series of metre-high mud volcanoes rising out of a barren expanse of cracked mud, they are the result
of a rare geological phenomenon known as sedimentary volcanism. This is a process by which pressurised natural
gas, in this case methane, forces underground soil to explode through the earth's surface. Once on the surface, the
bubbling mud dries in the sun, thus creating the pint-sized volcanoes.
The
vulcanelli
are now part of the
Riserva Naturale Macalube di Aragona
(
092 269 92 10;
www.macalife.it
; 9am-7pm) , managed by Legambiente, Italy's main environmental organisation.
To get to the site you will need your own transport - the buses from Agrigento to Aragona leave you 4km short of
the reserve.
Getting There & Around
BUS
From most destinations, the bus is the easiest way to get to Agrigento. The intercity bus
station and ticket booths are on Piazza Rosselli, just off Piazza Vittorio Emanuele.
Cuffaro
(
091 616 15 10;
www.cuffaro.info
)
runs services to Palermo (€8.70, two hours, nine daily
buses to Catania and Catania airport (€12.40, three hours, at least 10 daily) and Caltanis-
Palermo's Falcone-Borsellino airport (€12.10, 2½ hours).
CAR
Agrigento is easily accessible by road from all of Sicily's main towns. The SS189 and
SS121 connect with Palermo, while the SS115 runs along the coast. For Enna, take the
SS640 via Caltanissetta.
In town, Via Atenea, the main street in the historic centre, is closed to traffic from 9am
to 8pm, with a short break during lunchtime when cars can pass through the centre (for
loading luggage, for example). Parking is a nightmare in Agrigento. There's metered park-
ing at Piazza Vittorio Emanuele and on the streets around Piazzale Aldo Moro, although
you'll have to arrive early to find a space.
TRAIN
Trains run regularly to/from Palermo (€8, 2½ hours, 11 daily). There are also two daily
direct trains to/from Catania (€12, four hours). The train station has left-luggage lockers
(per 12 hours €2.50).
