Parco della Rocca di Cefalù: useful information for a good visit

Rules for Use and Access – Visitor Guidelines

The Rocca of Cefalù is a Natural Monument and must be respected and enjoyed accordingly. Due to its morphological features, the park area may present potential risks or hazardous points for visitors. In order to preserve its natural characteristics, the installation or presence of safety infrastructure—such as barriers, signage, and protections—is intentionally limited and designed to have minimal visual and environmental impact.

The Rocca Urban Park remains a largely wild natural environment, where human intervention is kept to a minimum. Visitors are therefore asked to proceed with caution, respect the environment, and take full responsibility for their own safety during the visit.

Ticket price: €5 full ticket, €2.50 reduced ticket, free tickets for residents

Freephone number: 800208129

Strictly Prohibited
  • Entry with open-toed footwear (such as sandals, flip-flops, etc.) or shoes with smooth soles.
  •  Access to under 18 without adults.
  • Lighting fires or camping.
  • Damaging, moving, removing, covering, or defacing signage or any other structures.
  • Climbing or standing on monuments or the defensive walls, and leaning over edges or viewpoints.
  • Leaving litter, including biodegradable waste.
Mandatory Requirements
  • Wear appropriate clothing and footwear.
  • Comply with prohibitions indicated by official signs.
  • Use only the paths shown on the map and avoid rugged or unsafe routes.
  • Exercise caution and choose itineraries whose difficulty matches your abilities.
  • In case of emergency, call 112 (the single European emergency number).
  • Generally, adopt prudent and responsible behavior.
Recommended
  • Inform yourself about the difficulty levels of the different trails.
  • Avoid visiting during the hottest and sunniest hours in summer, and always wear a hat.
  • In winter, dress warmly and consider bringing waterproof clothing.
  • Wear sportswear and trekking shoes.
  • Carry a mobile phone with you.
  • Bring a small supply of water.
Brief historical description

The Fortress of Cefalù represented, over the centuries, a strategic and symbolic point along the northern coast of Sicily, influencing the birth and evolution of the city which, over the centuries, has changed its name according to the domination: Kephaloidion for the Greeks, Kefa or Ras Melkart for the Punics, Cephaledium for the Romans and Glafudi for the Arabs.

Two caves on the eastern side, now inaccessible, hold the oldest evidence of human settlements in the area, with finds dating back to prehistoric, Hellenistic and Roman times. Such caves probably had both habitation and ritual functions.
After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, the town moved temporarily from the coast to the promontory for defensive reasons, during the Byzantine period. Only with Ruggero II the settlement returned to the valley, marking the re-foundation of the city and the construction of the Cathedral. During this period began the construction of the wall, which is more than 2 km long.

The fortification of the pass has three main phases: a high-medieval (altitude 130-135 m), a Norman (age of Ruggero II, altitude 110-100 m) and a Renaissance (sixteenth century, with interventions dated 1553-1554). The “Cisterna Grande”, located at an altitude of 130-135 m, is one of the most important elements of the water system.
At an altitude of 150 m there are remains of buildings from various eras, including warehouses, ovens and the church of Sant’Anna. Of particular interest is the so-called Temple of Diana, megalithic building whose function is still uncertain. Its construction phases range from a cistern of the IX century. BC. (perhaps linked to the cult of water) to subsequent transformations in Greek, Roman and finally Byzantine times, when it was converted into a church.
In the north-western part of the walls were found skeletons and remains of war machines. At the top of the fortress are the remains of the castle, dating back to the 12th-13th centuries and further fortified. A document of 1238 testifies that Federico II confiscated it from the bishop by the will of Ruggero II, making it one of the main military strongholds of the island.
At an altitude of 200 m there are observation and defense structures, such as barracks and stations that allowed the optical transmission of signals between stretches of coast otherwise not visible.
The scientific interest of the Rocca Park is complemented by the presence of endemic botanical and malacological species, paleontological findings and interesting karstic phenomena of great geological and speleological value.

Geology

The Rocca of Cefalù is an imposing limestone cliff rising 270 meters above sea level. It is a geological formation dating back to a period between the Mesozoic and the Tertiary, approximately 250 to 65 million years ago. The organogenic limestone that composes it is, in some areas, rich in well-preserved macrofossils, including nudists (note: possibly a typo in original Italian text), brachiopods, nerineas, and corals. These fossils give the rock a remarkable aesthetic value. Locally, it is known as “Pietra Lumachella” and is used as an ornamental building material.

At the base of the promontory are several spring outflows, the most notable being the Prissuliana Resurgence, located within the port area of Cefalù, with an average flow rate exceeding 800 liters per second.
Despite the relatively compact size of the Rocca, it contains as many as 20 hypogean cavities. Among them, the Grotta del Cancello is the most extensive, extending for over 400 meters underground.

Flora and fauna

In an area of just over 40 hectares, a total of 287 plant species have been recorded. Among these, several are endemic to limestone environments, such as Dianthus rupicola, Brassica petraea, Iberis semperflorens, and Ophrys sicula. The area is also home to species of particular importance due to their rarity or taxonomic and biogeographic interest, including Aloe vera, Antirrhinum tortuosum, Euphorbia bivonae, Dactyloctaenium aegyptium, Boerhaavia repens, and Parietaria lusitanica.

The Rocca promontory hosts a relatively limited vertebrate fauna. Mammals include wild rabbit, garden dormouse, hedgehog, and several bat colonies. The herpetofauna features species such as lizard, gecko, western green lizard, skink, four-lined snake, and viper.
The avian fauna is more diverse and includes species such as wood pigeon, turtledove, blackbird, magpie, peregrine falcon, kestrel, little owl, and barn owl.
Among invertebrates, a noteworthy presence is the rare snail Helix mazzullii cephalaeditana, endemic to the Rocca of Cefalù.

Type of trails in the park area
Type A

Open trails

  • Paved path
  • Trail - Unpaved surface
Type B

Routes prohibited

  • Unprotected ot steep trail
  • Walkway along the walls
Map

1. Entrance to the park

2. Ticket office

A.Warehouses and furnaces (archaeological site)

B . Sant’Anna Church

C. Temple of Diana, megalithic building

D. Ruins of fortification (site of the Castle)

E. Barracks and Guard Corps

F. Church of San Calogero

Parco della Rocca di Cefalù: useful information for a good visit
Rules for Use and Access – Visitor Guidelines

The Rocca of Cefalù is a Natural Monument and must be respected and enjoyed accordingly. Due to its morphological features, the park area may present potential risks or hazardous points for visitors. In order to preserve its natural characteristics, the installation or presence of safety infrastructure—such as barriers, signage, and protections—is intentionally limited and designed to have minimal visual and environmental impact.

The Rocca Urban Park remains a largely wild natural environment, where human intervention is kept to a minimum. Visitors are therefore asked to proceed with caution, respect the environment, and take full responsibility for their own safety during the visit.

Ticket price: €5 full ticket, €2.50 reduced ticket, free tickets for residents

Freephone number: 800208129

Strictly Prohibited
  • Entry with open-toed footwear (such as sandals, flip-flops, etc.) or shoes with smooth soles.
  • Access to under 18 without adults.
  • Lighting fires or camping.
  • Damaging, moving, removing, covering, or defacing signage or any other structures.
  • Climbing or standing on monuments or the defensive walls, and leaning over edges or viewpoints.
  • Leaving litter, including biodegradable waste.
Mandatory Requirements
  • Wear appropriate clothing and footwear.
  • Comply with prohibitions indicated by official signs.
  • Use only the paths shown on the map and avoid rugged or unsafe routes.
  • Exercise caution and choose itineraries whose difficulty matches your abilities.
  • In case of emergency, call 112 (the single European emergency number).
  • Generally, adopt prudent and responsible behavior.
Recommended
  • Inform yourself about the difficulty levels of the different trails.
  • Avoid visiting during the hottest and sunniest hours in summer, and always wear a hat.
  • In winter, dress warmly and consider bringing waterproof clothing.
  • Wear sportswear and trekking shoes.
  • Carry a mobile phone with you.
  • Bring a small supply of water

Brief historical description

The Fortress of Cefalù represented, over the centuries, a strategic and symbolic point along the northern coast of Sicily, influencing the birth and evolution of the city which, over the centuries, has changed its name according to the domination: Kephaloidion for the Greeks, Kefa or Ras Melkart for the Punics, Cephaledium for the Romans and Glafudi for the Arabs.

Two caves on the eastern side, now inaccessible, hold the oldest evidence of human settlements in the area, with finds dating back to prehistoric, Hellenistic and Roman times. Such caves probably had both habitation and ritual functions.
After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, the town moved temporarily from the coast to the promontory for defensive reasons, during the Byzantine period. Only with Ruggero II the settlement returned to the valley, marking the re-foundation of the city and the construction of the Cathedral. During this period began the construction of the wall, which is more than 2 km long.

The fortification of the pass has three main phases: a high-medieval (altitude 130-135 m), a Norman (age of Ruggero II, altitude 110-100 m) and a Renaissance (sixteenth century, with interventions dated 1553-1554). The “Cisterna Grande”, located at an altitude of 130-135 m, is one of the most important elements of the water system.
At an altitude of 150 m there are remains of buildings from various eras, including warehouses, ovens and the church of Sant’Anna. Of particular interest is the so-called Temple of Diana, megalithic building whose function is still uncertain. Its construction phases range from a cistern of the IX century. BC. (perhaps linked to the cult of water) to subsequent transformations in Greek, Roman and finally Byzantine times, when it was converted into a church.
In the north-western part of the walls were found skeletons and remains of war machines. At the top of the fortress are the remains of the castle, dating back to the 12th-13th centuries and further fortified. A document of 1238 testifies that Federico II confiscated it from the bishop by the will of Ruggero II, making it one of the main military strongholds of the island.
At an altitude of 200 m there are observation and defense structures, such as barracks and stations that allowed the optical transmission of signals between stretches of coast otherwise not visible.
The scientific interest of the Rocca Park is complemented by the presence of endemic botanical and malacological species, paleontological findings and interesting karstic phenomena of great geological and speleological value.

Geology

The Rocca of Cefalù is an imposing limestone cliff rising 270 meters above sea level. It is a geological formation dating back to a period between the Mesozoic and the Tertiary, approximately 250 to 65 million years ago. The organogenic limestone that composes it is, in some areas, rich in well-preserved macrofossils, including nudists (note: possibly a typo in original Italian text), brachiopods, nerineas, and corals. These fossils give the rock a remarkable aesthetic value. Locally, it is known as “Pietra Lumachella” and is used as an ornamental building material.

At the base of the promontory are several spring outflows, the most notable being the Prissuliana Resurgence, located within the port area of Cefalù, with an average flow rate exceeding 800 liters per second.
Despite the relatively compact size of the Rocca, it contains as many as 20 hypogean cavities. Among them, the Grotta del Cancello is the most extensive, extending for over 400 meters underground.

Flora and fauna

In an area of just over 40 hectares, a total of 287 plant species have been recorded. Among these, several are endemic to limestone environments, such as Dianthus rupicola, Brassica petraea, Iberis semperflorens, and Ophrys sicula. The area is also home to species of particular importance due to their rarity or taxonomic and biogeographic interest, including Aloe vera, Antirrhinum tortuosum, Euphorbia bivonae, Dactyloctaenium aegyptium, Boerhaavia repens, and Parietaria lusitanica.

The Rocca promontory hosts a relatively limited vertebrate fauna. Mammals include wild rabbit, garden dormouse, hedgehog, and several bat colonies. The herpetofauna features species such as lizard, gecko, western green lizard, skink, four-lined snake, and viper.
The avian fauna is more diverse and includes species such as wood pigeon, turtledove, blackbird, magpie, peregrine falcon, kestrel, little owl, and barn owl.
Among invertebrates, a noteworthy presence is the rare snail Helix mazzullii cephalaeditana, endemic to the Rocca of Cefalù.

Open trails in the park area
Type A

Open trails

  • Paved path
  • Trail - Unpaved surface
Type B

Routes prohibited

  • Unprotected ot steep trail
  • Walkway along the walls
Map

1. Entrance to the park

2. Ticket office

A. Warehouses and furnaces (archaeological site)

B. Sant’Anna Church

C. Temple of Diana, megalithic building

D. Ruins of fortification (site of the Castle)

E. Barracks and Guard Corps

F. Church of San Calogero