The Cyclops Riviera, stretching from the north of Catania, is an attractive coastline whose history is indissolubly connected with legends and myths. It owes its name to the Homeric Odyssey: according to the legend, the odd, black Cylcops rock-islands that were thrown by the furious blinded Polyphemus against Odysseus.

But that is not all: the territory is subject of another legend, again with Polyphemus as main character: the myth of Acis and Galathea. The cylcop, out of jealousy for the Nereid Galathea, turned her lover Acis in a river. The river Aci still flows along the coast and gives the name to the nice little villages of the area (Acitrezza, Acicastello, Acireale, Aci Sant’antonio, Aci San Filippo, Aci Platani, Acicatena).

Beyond the legend, the Riviera definitely worth a visit, offering suggestive rocky beaches and breath-taking landscapes. The cyclops rocks, called faraglioni, are actually great volcanic hunks made of lava; due to their extent they are called islands, and they include also a natural reserve called Island of Lachea.