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Sicily Walking Tour Itinerary
DOWNLOAD THIS ITINERARY (pdf) (2008 Sample Itinerary)
Please note that this is a typical itinerary, and actual activities may vary to take advantage of weather conditions, local events, and to allow serendipity to play a hand in your experience. Accommodations are as outlined in the itinerary, although we reserve the right to change these should the need arise.
DAY 1
Palermo
Walk – easy, 2-4 hours, on pedestrian streets.
We meet in Palermo, one of the most vibrant and underrated cities in Italy. We’ll explore the historic center and lively streets to discover what once made this Europe’s most sophisticated and multicultural city.
Centrale Palace Hotel, Palermo
DAY 2
Archeological Park of Sagesta; Transfer to Erice
Walk – easy to moderate, 2-4 hours, along country roads and trails.
After breakfast at our hotel in Palermo, we drive towards our home for two nights, Erice. Along the way we stop for a walk to the Archeological Park of Segesta, with its majestic Greek theatre and solitary temple set in the quiet countryside.
This afternoon we continue to Erice, a charming medieval town with cobblestone streets and enticing pastry shops.
Hotel Elimo, Erice
DAY 3
Zingaro Nature Reserve
Walk – easy to moderate, 4-6 hours, along country roads and trails.
Today’s excursion brings us to the Zingaro Nature Reserve, four miles of pristine coastline set against steep mountains. Our walk immerses us in one of the most beautiful coastal areas in all of Italy, now thankfully protected from development. Here classic Mediterranean vegetation flourishes in a profusion of yellow broom, rosemary, and capers above a turquoise sea.
We explore the coastline on foot, enjoy a picnic lunch mid-day, and if the weather cooperates, swim in the Tyrrhenian Sea.
Hotel Elimo, Erice
DAY 4
Erice to Monreale
Walk – easy to moderate, 3-4 hours, along country roads and trails.
Our day starts with a walk to the small town of Monreale for lunch and a chance to see its mighty 12th-century cathedral, one of Europe’s medieval treasures and a fantastic blend of Norman, Arab, Byzantine, and classic elements. The cathedral has a dazzling collection of gilded mosaics by Greek and Byzantine artists and is a magnificent example of Sicilian-Norman art.
Our home for the next two nights, this “country house of the prince,” is a former Jesuit convent and the summer estate of the prince of Camporeale, and is located in the heart of the agricultural Iato Valley.
Casale Del Principe, Monreal
DAY 5
Madonie Mountains
Walk – easy to moderate, 3-4 hours, along country roads and trails; Afternoon free.
Our morning hike in the interior Madonie Mountains reveals Sicily’s deeply rustic culture. Interior Sicily is a completely different world, and to many Sicilians, it’s the “true” Sicily of tiny mountain villages, farms, shepherds, and fresh-made cheeses. After our morning hike in the mountainous countryside, we enjoy a picnic lunch of Sicilian specialties before returning to our inn for an afternoon at leisure.
Casale Del Principe, Monreal
DAY 6
Iato Valley
Walk – easy to moderate, 3-4 hours, along country roads and trails.
Further exploration on foot of the extraordinary Iato Valley brings us to Piana degli Albanesi, famous for its extra large ricotta cannoli, and its Greek orthodox churches.
This afternoon we sample the fine wines from the vineyards surrounding our hotel. A former abbey, our charming hotel stands on a hill overlooking a valley of vineyards a short distance from the medieval village of Castelbuono.
Relais Santa Anastasia, Castelbuono
DAY 7
Cefalù
Walk – easy to moderate, 3-5 hours, along country roads and trails.
This morning our walk brings us to the town of Cefalù with its medieval streets and sea views dominated by the Norman cathedral. The spectacular mosaic-covered cathedral is the most unexpected of all monuments in Sicily. The building is a remarkable celebration of the styles and peoples who came to conquer and rule the island of Sicily; the Arabs, Byzantines, Normans and Spanish have all left their mark. From the cathedral, we wander through the medieval streets of Cefalù down to the port. After a simple lunch at a trattoria on the seafront, we transfer to Taormina by mid-afternoon, with just enough time for a swim before we head to dinner at a restaurant overlooking the bay.
Taormina, perched on rock cliffs overhanging the sea, is perhaps the most beautiful medieval city in Sicily. Sophisticated and charming, Taormina also has some of the most spectacular views in the world – its Greek and Roman origins, medieval streets, and magnificent position overlooking the Ionian Sea have made it a favorite destination for centuries.
Hotel Monte Tauro, Taormina
DAY 8
Mt. Etna
Walk – 4-6 hours, moderate, along country roads and trails.
We drive through graceful, dusky towns built of black lava stone to the lower slopes of Mt. Etna, the powerful volcano that the locals have learned to love despite its many spectacular eruptions. Today is a highlight as we hike to the crater of Mt. Etna. Our exciting walk takes us across the lava fields from the 1983 eruption, and through pine forests and shady chestnut groves. Part of our hike is strenuous because we ascend on lava ash, which can make for rough footing, and it is all uphill, but the volcano landscape is breathtaking. At the highest point of our hike, we have views down into a huge lava-covered valley, with Etna’s main crater visible higher up to the left.
At over 10,000 feet, Mount Etna is the highest active volcano in Europe. This majestic volcano dominates much of Sicily’s eastern half and has been protected as national park since 1987.
Hotel Monte Tauro, Taormina
DAY 9
Departure
Morning transfer to the airport at Catania to board flights departing to the U.S.