Walking In Sicily

Our trip starts today in the seaside town of Giardini Naxos, our base for the week. Once a quiet fishing village, Giardini Naxos is now a popular resort, known for its beaches and panoramic view of the bay and surrounding hills with Mount Etna in the distance. Its position is ideal for accessing the endless hiking opportunities and varied scenery of eastern Sicily. The beautiful hilltop town of Taormina, famous for its remarkable ancient theatre, is situated in the hills above Giardini Naxos and can be easily accessed by public bus. Our tour leader plans to meet everyone in the hotel reception at 6pm for a welcome meeting followed by the chance to go out for dinner for those who wish. There are no other activities planned today. Should you miss the welcome meeting, the tour leader will inform you of any essential information as soon as you catch up. If you'd like an airport transfer today, you'll need to arrive into Catania Fontanarossa Airport (CTA), which is around a one-hour drive from the hotel.

Today we travel to 1,770 meters by bus, where the well-marked walking path to the Monte Sartorius craters begins. We'll explore the craters from this lateral eruption, then continue through the beautiful birch and pine forests, stopping for lunch along the way. After approximately three hours, we'll arrive at Monte Conca at 1,900 meters, where we'll take a coffee break at a cozy wooden chalet. If anyone prefers not to continue, the bus will be available for pickup at this point. For the rest of the group, we'll proceed after the break along the ski pistes up to 2,050 meters, offering a view of the 2001 eruption's fissure. We'll navigate the recent lava flows, alternating between the woods and open areas, down to the rebuilt Piano Provenzana, the site of the destroyed departure point. For those with energy to spare, we'll also visit the remnants of the once-grand hotel entrance. The bus will be ready with the rest of the group to return to the hotel at the seaside. Today's moderate grade 10-kilometre/6.2-mile walk is expected to take around 4 hours with a total ascent of 500 metres/1,640 feet and a descent of 250 metres/820 feet.

This morning we'll drive (around 90 minutes) to Milazzo on Sicily's north coast from where we'll take a ferry to the beautiful island of Lipari, around 30 kilometres offshore. Lipari is the largest of the seven islands in the Aeolian archipelago, said to be named after Aeolus, the mythical ruler of the winds. Above the town stands an imposing castle, and excavations here show that the island has supported a civilisation for over 5,000 years. We'll take a tour of the island by minibus, with stops along the way at several sights and viewpoints including the harbour town of Canneto. At the end of the day, we'll return to mainland Sicily by ferry and drive back to our base in Giardini Naxos.

Our walk today is a little closer to home. We'll drive just 20 minutes to get to Taormina, starting point for todays walk. The views from here are breathtaking - from the Strait of Messina and all along the Ionian coastline south to Syracuse, Mount Etna and the Alcantara Valley. Following old mule tracks through unspoilt Mediterranean scrub, we'll walk in the footsteps of Freida Von Richthofen, the wife of author D.H. Lawrence. It's said her amorous adventures with a mule handler here inspired the novel Lady Chatterley's Lover. Today's included lunch is actually a traditional Sicilian granita brunch. Granita is a classic Sicilian specialty, refreshing, lightly sweet, and typically served with a soft brioche bun. It's a beloved local tradition, especially during the warmer months. You'll have the chance to choose your flavour of granita, such as lemon, almond, or coffee, paired with warm brioche just as the Sicilians enjoy it. It's a light but authentic meal experience that showcases the island's culinary heritage. Today's leisurely grade 8-kilometre/5-mile walk is expected to take around 3 hours with a total ascent of 250 metres/820 feet and a descent of 350 metres/1,150 feet.

Today you're free to relax on the beach and/or visit Taormina which is just 4 kilometres away and easily accessible by public bus or taxi. Perched on a cliff overlooking the Ionian Sea, this pretty town is home to many historic churches and plenty of lively bars and cafes, as well as a Graeco-Roman theatre which is famous for one of the most iconic views in Sicily - that of snow-capped Etna acting as a backdrop to the remarkably preserved columned stage. It was a favourite place during the days of the 'Grand Tour' and was frequented by Goethe, Edward Lear, D.H. Lawrence, and many others. If enough people are interested it's also possible to organise a trip to the scenic mountain towns of Savoca and Forza D'Agro, where the film The Godfather was shot.

We'll head south and inland today to explore the Pantalica Gorge, a deep limestone ravine that has been carved out by the Anapo and Calcinarra rivers. The gorge is also a UNESCO-listed World Heritage Site and is home to over 4,000 burial chambers. Peppering the sides of the canyon, the necropolis was built between the 13th and 8th centuries BC. For several centuries before Greek colonization, Pantalica was undoubtedly one of the main sites of eastern Sicily, dominating the surrounding territory. We'll enjoy a moderate hike into and along the bottom of the gorge which is home to a flourishing variety of flora including holm oak, wild sage and thyme, giant fennel and plane trees to enjoy a picnic lunch beside the Anapo River. Descending the path involves some steep sections, so we take our time being careful not to slip on loose stones. After our walk, we'll drive on to visit Syracuse on the east coast. During the Greek Classical Period, this city was the largest in the ancient world - even bigger than Athens. Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it's also notable as being the birthplace of antiquity's greatest mathematician, Archimedes. We plan to take a stroll on the island of Ortygia where you'll have free time to visit some of the ancient landmarks including the site of the mythological spring of Arethusa and Temple of Apollo. Today's 8-kilometre/5-mile moderate grade walk is expected to take around 3.5 hours with a total ascent and descent of 450 metres/1,476 feet.

Today we'll head a short distance inland to discover some of the typical sleepy mountain towns on the lower slopes of Etna's northern side. Our first walk is around 6 kilometres/3.7 miles and starts just outside of Linguaglossa. It follows an old farm trail to join the route of an abandoned railroad through the countryside on what was the main route between Linguaglossa and Castiglione di Sicilia until the 1970s. We'll pass through several tunnels along the way, so a torch will come in handy. Perched on a hill, with its small, red-roofed houses seemingly clinging to the slopes, the origins of charming Castiglione date back to the 11th century. We'll have free time here for a wander in the historic centre. We have a long celebratory Sicilian lunch planned as our farewell celebration, in true local fashion. Enjoy an authentic culinary experience in a beautiful piazza, with freshly prepared local dishes and Sicilian wine. Savor the flavours of the region in a relaxed, picturesque setting-a perfect way to toast the end of our journey together. Next, we'll drive on to nearby Francavilla di Sicilia, where our second, shorter walk of the day (3 kilometres/1.9 miles) commences, close to the ruins of a Norman castle. A circular trail takes us on a hike around the rock the castle sits on, to the Santa Catarina well, and then back to the town. We'll have time for a coffee here before boarding our minibus for a short drive to a panoramic terrace with views of the Alcantara Gorge, a spectacular geological feature running for around 800 metres whose basalt walls are up to 25 metres high in places. Our first walk today of around 6 kilometres/3.7 miles is graded leisurely and expected to take around 2 hours, with a total ascent of approximately 200 metres/656 feet and a descent of 150 metres/492 feet. The second walk of around 3 kilometres/1.9 miles is graded leisurely and expected to take around an hour, with a total ascent/descent of approximately 80 metres/262 feet.

Our trip ends this morning after breakfast in Giardini Naxos. There are no activities planned today, so you're free to depart at any time. If your flight is departing later in the day, luggage storage facilities are available at our hotel. For anyone departing from Catania Fontanarossa Airport (CTA) today, your tour leader will provide you with a ticket for the airport bus which departs from Recanati bus station, a few minutes' walk from Hotel Villa Linda. This is a direct public service which takes approximately one hour and departs once an hour throughout the day commencing at 6.40am. If you'd like to use this service, the earliest your flight can depart is 10am.