Crossed by trails that follow the course of the river of the same name, this green space was already frequented in Hellenistic times as a refuge for hermits and pilgrims heading to the rock sanctuaries of the region. It still preserves traces of ancient agricultural terraces, used until the 18th century for cereal and vineyard cultivation. The clear waters of the Imera form small waterfalls and natural pools where rare amphibians, such as the natterjack toad, find shelter, while the song of eighty species of migratory birds accompanies hikers to the ruins of an old 19th-century kiln, a testament to the local extraction tradition and a symbol of the peasant labor that once shaped the landscape.
Today, the forest serves as an open-air laboratory for botanical and archaeobotanical studies, thanks to the presence of protected species such as laurel and strawberry tree, and offers visitors thematic itineraries with the support of local guides who recount legends of brigands and noble families who once owned these lands. In autumn, the golden carpet of leaves becomes the setting for photo-naturalistic excursions, while in spring the blooming of poppies and primroses creates a mosaic of colors that tells of the fertility of the volcanic soil.