Montallegro > Itinerary 1

Originally, the town of Montallegro was founded on the steep and rocky slopes of Monte Suso, which is the hill located right behind the modern town. To this day the ruins of the original settelment on the hill are still visible: silence and peace now reign in the abandoned streets but it is not difficut to imagine the toils of daily lifeas it must once have been on such an inhospitable rock. The original site was inhabited until about 1500, and only when the threat of invasion by Turkish pirates ceased and the local population felt safer was the centre of the town moved down to its current location at the foot of the hill. Not far from the town there is a natural oasis, Laghetto Gorgo, well known to birdwatchers because it is the natural habitat of many varieties of migrant birds such as cormorants, coots, grebes, pelicans and rare red herons. Amongst the reeds the rare ‘marshy’ tortoise may even be spotted. Moving on towards the coast, just a few kilometers ahead, the beautiful bay of Bovo Marina awaits: this endless and magnificent beach stretches out westwards all the way to Capo Bianco: the white cliffs of Eraclea Minoa. These are less famous but certainly not less beautiful than the Scala dei Turchi.