Parco Fluviale dell'Alcantara — Attraction in Motta Camastra

You can get in FOR FREE ! And it is completely LEGAL. If you park following signs "gole Alcantara" that are everywhere you will be charged 13e for entrance and probably parking is to be paid too. But the river is a public park and the parking and elevator are just private businesses that have privatised a public resource. You are not obliged to go through them.

There is a path on the opposite side of the paying elevator that gives you access without paying anyone. 10 min drive and 10 min walk extra. basically it is about crossing a bridge over the river and then driving and walking downstream on the opposite side of the "official " entrance.

We did it like this: From Francavilla take a right turn on a bridge where you see the sign to " Grava ". When the road ends you have to choose between left and right. Take a left. Go on for quite a long time on a narrow road, bumpy at times, until you reach a kind of parking lot on your left; park there. Then continue by feet for 10-15 min and you will see a path (paid for by the local municipality) on your left hand side that gives you free access and takes you in the exact same spot of the private elevator.

The "normal access " is a business set up by a private family. You are not obliged to go through them. Their elevator is ugly and against all logics of low impact in a natural...

During hot weather and daytime it's full of people. You can literally not get a photo without someone on it. But it's a beautiful place, really unique looking. The water is ice cold even in August but after your don't feel your legs anymore, it is pretty refreshing. The water flows fast and it's rocky so water shoes are a must. There's an expensive entrance (with extra access to hiking routes and other activities) and a cheaper one for €1,50 a bit further. If you only want to go down to the river and look around, cool down, enjoy the nature, then you don't really need to pay the full price. You both and up at the same place at the river. Only difference in that case is that for €1,50 euros you get to take stairs and otherwise you go down with an elevator. If you park your car at the big parking lot there, there was someone handing out flyers. He asked us if we wanted to take the stairs or elevator. Then he guided us to the stairs (just a few hundred meters away). The parking is free but they...

Some info around the fees to get in, correct June 2022.

The 6 euro ticket gets you access to the lift which takes you straight down to the canyon. There you can walk up the river or explore the riverbanks a little. The lift saves quite a lot of steps and I recommend it if it's hot or you have older people, young kids or lots of stuff.

The 10 euro ticket gets you the lift plus a short walk around the top of the canyon. It's not really worth it, the walk is very exposed, you do get a view of the canyon from the top though.

Other more expensive tickets are available with various activities that don't seem worth it.

If you want to save some money you can park opposite the main car park, buy a municipal ticket just up the road for around 1.5 euros and take the steps down and up. Its about 8-10 flights of steps I'd guess.

Take swimming trunks and beach shoes and enjoy walking up the canyon for a few hundred metres. The water is cold but not freezing, I'd guess around...