A corner of wild Sicily has been selected by CNN as one of the world’s top 20 best places for swimming.  Located between Avola, Noto and Syracuse, in south-eastern Sicily in the spectacular Cavagrande del Cassibile Natural Reserve, the spot is known locally as ‘Laghetti d’Avola’ (small lakes of Avola) for the pools of fresh water set among rocks deep within a canyon, reached after a 90-minute hike.

The Laghetti d’Avola are part of a 2,700-hectare nature reserve where the Cassibile river flows for ten kilometers forming a spectacular canyon, with walls even reaching a height of 300 meters in certain parts. The river, with its continuous erosive action over the centuries, has created a deep valley, and, on the valley floor, you can find small waterfalls and natural bathing reservoirs.