Sicily Walking Tour
Duration: 8 Days/7 Nights
Departures 2012: May 12 & Sept 8, as well as private departures. Pick a date and put your own group together.
Departing from: Catania on Sat., Day 1
Tour finishes: Siracusa or Catania airport, morning Day 8
Price 2012: €2,350 per person based on double occupancy. Single Supplement €280.
Sic
ily is one of the most fascinating and beautiful islands in the world. Our tour takes you to Sicily’s east coast, famous for its rich history, scenic coastline and rugged landscapes. We have a wide variety of walks through charming villages and towns, into hidden gorges, and along high ridge top paths. Our first day features Mount Etna and volcanologist guide Giuseppe Satutto. We mix town with country, giving you the opportunity to relax at quiet countryside villas as well as time to explore bustling Taormina, the UNESCO world heritage town of Noto, and lovely baroque Siracusa.
Of course Sicily’s cuisine plays a starring role. We have spent a lot of selfless hours researching this part of the tour! Our Siracusa-based guide Claudia knows all the best places for Sicily’s renowned pastries and her favourite, the creamy, crushed-ice granitas. Happily you can indulge in Sicily’s wonderful cuisine and enjoy its delicious sun-drenched wines because there is plenty of walking to be done.
(Luggage is transferred by van. 1 night Catania, 2 nights Linguaglossa, 2 nights near Noto, 2 nights Siracusa, all in 4 – star hotels.)
Day 1 – Saturday – Arrival Catania: Check into your pre-booked 4 star hotel in the heart of old Catania. Our hotel is a five minute walk from the central pedestrian area that is lined with beautiful baroque buildings and full of cafes, restaurants and shops. Independent dinner in Catania. Catania airport is well served by budget airlines. Hotel included. Dinner not included.
Day 2 – Sunday – Pick-up Catania, hiking Mount Etna: Meet at 9:00 for a transfer up the side of Mount Etna, Europe’s largest volcano. It is 3,400 meters (11,155 feet) high, with a perimeter of 250 km (155 mi.) and the third largest crater in the world. We meet our super informative volcanologist guide Giuseppe. Giuseppe is passionate about volcanoes and Etna is his deity. We hike amongst the lava flows, craters, vents, and lava tubes of the volcano and learn about the many fascinating aspects of Etna. We end the day at the village of Linguaglossa, at the foot of the 1923 lava flow. Located on the east side of Etna, the village is the gateway to the Etna DOC wine growing area. The hillsides surrounding the town are steeply terraced with dry stone walls. Many vineyards are abandoned, but still more have been restored after considerable investment and are now producing excellent wines using indigenous and imported grape varietals. If possible (at harvest time it is not possible, in which case we will have a tasting in a wine shop), we will have a visit and tasting at a nearby winery to learn about the special characteristics of the region’s volcanic wines. Our hotel is the 4 – star Shalai resort, a lovingly restored noble villa on a quiet backstreet. A “Design” hotel it features a spa and more importantly, a superb dining room where we eat this evening. Overnight at Shalai Resort. Breakfast, picnic lunch, dinner and hotel included.
Day 3 – Monday – Big Views: We depart directly on foot this morning for a loop walk that follows a high ridge road before dropping gently back down into the valley. The views are spectacular; the colossal presence of Mount Etna to the right, and the shimmering Mediterranean sea to the left, with the hill top towns of Toarmina and Castelmola in the foreground. We are joined today by local celebrity Gaetano (EVERYONE knows him) who regales us with stories of how life once was in the region. He leads us to a very rustic producer of ricotta cheese where we enjoy a uniquely delicious mid-morning snack of fresh-warm ricotta right out of the cauldron, accompanied by home made crusty bread and Gaetano’s excellent Nerello Mascalese wine. Our route winds through olive groves, orchards, vineyards and then follows a stream bed to return to Linguaglossa. Lunch features home cooking in a restored farm house. The afternoon walk follows the now abandoned rail line through rugged countryside to return to Linguaglossa to relax in the spa, or enjoy a cool drink in the piazza before dinner at a local trattoria. Breakfast, lunch, dinner and hotel included.
Day 4 – Tuesday – Taormina: This morning we leave for Taormina and a rewarding hike along the breathtaking “Via dei Saraceni,” which since prehistoric times has connected Taormina to the neighbouring village of Castelmola. The huge view takes in the mainland of Italy to the East, and Toarmina and Mount Etna to the West. Coffee break in Castelmola and then walk down to Taormina via its castle. Once in Taormina, we will lead you to our favorite gelateria to enjoy one of Sicily’s greatest pleasures, a pistachio or almond “granita.” You’ll have free time to explore Taormina’s main shopping streets, evocative alleyways, and Greek theatre. We leave bustling Taormina and head for our next little haven, La Corte del Sole, a recently-renovated ‘masseria‘ (country manor house) located between the sea and the baroque town of Noto. Transfer time is about 1 hour and 45 minutes. Upon arrival enjoy a swim or just lounge by the pool before meeting for an aperitivo. Dinner and overnight La Corte del Sole. Hotel, breakfast and dinner included.
Day 5 – Wednesday – Hiking Noto region: This morning we enjoy breakfast with a view of the coast and then transfer to Noto Antica – the ancient town of Noto – which was an important town until 1693 when it was completely destroyed by a powerful earthquake. Our trail takes us down into an impressive canyon which is dotted with the ruins of ancient water mills and tanneries which were developed by the Arabs during their 250 year occupation of the area in the 8th – 10th centuries. A beautiful family run masseria serves us a light but very refined lunch. A short afternoon walk descends a spectacular canyon along the ancient Noto road. Return to the hotel for some down time by the pool. We reconvene for a short drive to visit ‘new’ Noto (a UNESCO World Heritage site) whose layout and buildings are the quintessential expression of Sicilian Baroque. Evening is the perfect time to visit Noto as the setting sun bathes the honey coloured tuffa stone in a golden light. Dinner at one of our favourite restaurants in Sicily, the Crocifisso, whose signature dish is a sesame and pistachio encrusted tuna steak. Yum! Overnight La Corte del Sole. Breakfast, dinner and hotel included.
Day 6 – Thursday – Vendicari Today we head towards the sea instead of the mountains to enter the Vendicari natural reserve. Our coastal walk takes us to the evocative ruins of a 17th century “tonnara” (seasonal tuna-fishing village ) that was active until 1944. At the end of the walk a quick van transfer to the ancient fishing village of Marzamemmi for lunch. The village boasts a charmingly quaint piazza and another old tonnara where you can purchase a host of unique Sicilian culinary products direct from the producer. Transfer to historic Siracusa, which features the tiny island of Ortigia, and its captivating baroque neighbourhoods, piazzas, and seaside promenade. The 4-star Hotel Alfeo is our home for the next two nights. Tonight is a free night so you are free to choose where you wish to dine. Your guides will have plenty of suggestions. Overnight Siracusa. Breakfast and hotel included. Dinner not included.
Day 7 – Friday - Discovering ancient Ortigia: Start the day by experiencing Siracusa’s bustling farmers market then meet local guide Liliana for a guided walk through Ortigia’s 3000 years of history. Choose between a free afternoon exploring Ortigia or one last hike in the Anapro valley (40 minute van transfer) which features “Pantalica”, an intriguing prehistoric and paleo-Christian settlement (13th-8th centuries BC) with a remarkable ‘beehive’ necropolis made up of over 5,000 rock tombs scattered along the cliff face. Our final dinner together is at a friendly family run trattoria which is a favourite with the locals. Overnight Siracusa. Hotel, breakfast and dinner included.
Day 8 – Saturday – Departure: We offer an early morning transfer to Catania airport to correspond with flights departing after 10:00 am. Otherwise, there are frequent buses to Catania airport or you can take a taxi. If you want to stay on in Sicily there are rental car companies in Siracusa and Catania. There are also frequent buses to Palermo. Breakfast included.
Useful links
UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Italy has more sites in the list than any other country!
General Information
Qualifications: This trip is rated moderate with some short challenging uphills We usually walk 3 – 4 hours per day, divided between morning and afternoon. Some days have a shorter option. The day we hike from Taormina to Castelmola we ascend and descend the ancient stone staircases linking the two villages. The hiking on Etna is easy, while on day Day 5 we descend into a gorge along a rocky path. As long you take your time and go at your own pace, the walks are not too difficult. Trip Cost includes: All accommodations (7 nights in 4-star hotels and B&B); 7 breakfasts, 3 lunches and 5 dinners; all luggage transfers from pick up on Sunday to trip end at Catania airport; bilingual Customwalks guide(s) to accompany the tour and lead you on the walks; Volcanologist guide on Etna, guided walking visit of Ortigia with licensed city guide, all park entrances, all transfers as noted in the itinerary.Getting there this will redirect you to our “Getting to the Trip” page).Booking: e-mail us to receive a booking contract (or use the “Reservation” page). Insurance: We highly recommend the purchase of Trip Insurance. We recommend “Travel Guard” to our American clients, just click on the logo below, while Canadian residents can click here. Australian, New Zealander, and British travelers, please consult your insurance brokers.
 We look forward to having you join us for the trip of a lifetime! |
