The Faraglioni dei Ciclopi are a cluster of dramatic basalt sea stacks rising from the water just offshore from Acitrezza, their dark columns stacked like organ pipes above the sea. They are the defining image of this coast and the reason most visitors come. In the right light — early morning or late afternoon — they are genuinely spectacular.
In summer, boats leave from the harbour to circle the stacks and land on Isola Lachea, the largest of them, which is now a nature reserve. The waters around the Faraglioni are protected as a marine area, and snorkelling here reveals unusual volcanic geology and fish life. Boat trips typically take forty minutes to an hour and can be arranged informally at the harbour.