WALKING AND EXPLORING IN SICILY

Day 1_Arrive Palermo
You arrive into the warm Mediterranean embrace of the ancient city of Palermo on Sicily’s northwest coast. You will be met at the airport and transferred to Marsala on the west coast of the island. Your accommodation is in a typical Baglio, a villa recently restored and converted into a charming and exclusive little hotel. Before dinner you will visit the winery at the Baglio and taste their organic wines during a welcome aperitif.

Day 2_Riserva Naturale dello Zingaro
Breakfast at the Baglio. Your first walk introduces you to the spectacular seascapes of the island. You will transfer by minicoach to the “Riserva dello Zingaro”. Your walk through this beautiful national park takes you along the coastal paths where the cliffs perch over the Mediterranean. This afternoon, you’ll visit the little fishing village of Scopello with its still active tuna fishery.

Day 3_Island of Mothia
Breakfast at the Baglio. Along the coastline between Trapani and Marsala, locals extract the salt from the seawater following the same procedure used by the ancient Greeks and Phoenicians who once colonized this part of the Sicily. You will take the ferry to the Island of Mothia for a walk on the island, returning to the mainland for lunch. In the afternoon you will visit the Florio Winery, makers of one of Italy’s great wines for a tasting.

Day 4_Archaeological walk
Breakfast at the Baglio. Today you drive onward to the southern coast of the island where perhaps the finest of all Ancient Greek sites, Agrigento’s spectacular Valley of the Temples, awaits you. In Agrigento, you’ll begin with an archaeological walk through the Valley of the Temples, admiring the well preserved Ancient Greek temples. Your walk continues in the wonderful Garden of Kolymbetra, once a water reservoir of the Ancient Greeks and now a lovely citrus orchard and ends at the Temple of Vulcano with a picnic lunch. This afternoon, you will explore the historical centre of Agrigento, strolling in the Arabian Quarter. Transfer to Agriturismo Casalicchio, dinner and overnight stay.

Day 5_Sant’ Angelo Muxaro
Breakfast at the farm. Walk in Sant’Angelo Muxaro, an enchanting little village near Agrigento. This is the agricultural heart of Sicily, the breadbasket of Italy. Your walk today takes you through the Sican’s Valley to see the largest Tholos Tomb in Sicily. Along your route, you’ll also visit a shepherd to taste soft pecorino cheese and warm ricotta and then you will stop at a local bakery to taste hot bread with extra virgin olive oil and oregano and home made cookies.. and here you will learn to prepare Sicilian bread and pizza (sfincione) with traditional ingredients and enjoy the fruits of your labour over lunch. During the afternoon you will enjoy the nature and archaeology in Sant’Angelo Muxaro surroundings visiting the “Tomba del Principe”, the Natural Reserve “Grutta Ciavuli”, the necropolis“Grotticelle”. Return in agriturismo, dinner and overnight stay.

Day 6_Cammarata
Breakfast at the farm. Today you will explore the Riserva Naturale Orientata di Cammarata arriving at Santuario of Santa Rosalia. Pic nic lunch and visit of the little towns inside the reserve.
Return at farm dinner and overnight stay.

Day 7_Northern Etna Trail
Mt. Etna is the largest active volcano in Europe. Known as Mon Gebel ‘the gentle mountain’, Etna presents a variety of fascinating landscapes with breathtaking views over the Mediterranean. Our trail at Piano Provenzana (1800 mt. a.s.l.), the theatre of 2002 eruption, one of the strongest of the past decades which destroyed almost entirely the ski resort that was located over here. The trail climbs up to the system of several craters (locally known as bottoniera) aligned along a fracture that originated that eruption, surrounded by a large fields of volcanic bombs. In the same area we will be able to visit another “bottoniera” , the one of 1923 eruption, formed by a large number of small craters extending for more than a kilometer.
This area overlooks both the Ionian and the Tyrrhenian coastline and in a clear day you can see the archipelago of the Aeolian Islands. Lunch in a typical restaurant on the Volcano.
Then transfer in Taormina, accommodation at hotel Villa Belvedere or similar. Free time and dinner at leisure. Overnight stay.

Day 8_Southern Mt. Etna
Your last walk today takes you back to Mt. Etna, The road that goes up from Nicolosi (800 mt. a.s.l.) to Rifugio Sapienza (1900 mt. a.s.l.) is one of the most spectacular we got around Mt. Etna for about 4 Km.
We will be able to see beautiful views of the volcano, many different craters, many historical lava flows from 1669 to 2002 in a surrealistic contrast with and the unique vegetation of this volcanic area.
The area close to rifugio Sapienza was damaged by 2001 and 2002 lava flows. The trail starts at Crateri Silvestri, a system of craters that opened up in 1892 and goes up inside the moony landscape of recent lava fields. This area overlooks the Ionan coast, the city of Catania and, toward the south, you can see the Simeto river valley and the higland of Mount Iblei. Lunch at leisure. During the afternoon we will visit Taormina with a local guide to admire the extraordinary classical Greco-Roman theatre with incredible views over the sea and explore the historical centre. Finally our Arriverderci dinner this evening.

Day 9_Depart
This morning you’ll transfer to the Catania airport for your departure flight.