Compare Walking in Eastern Sicily by Esplora
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| Trip |
0 | Poor
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| Duration | 8 days |
| Price From | Check price |
| Price Per Day | Check price |
| Highlights |
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| Trip Style | Small group tour |
| Lodging Level | Premium |
| Physical Level |
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| Travel Themes |
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| Countries Visited | |
| Cities and Attractions |
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| Flights & Transport | Ground transport included |
| Activities |
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| Meals Included | N/A |
| Description |
Our Eastern Sicily walking holiday combines some light walking with some of the most interesting sights of the Eastern side of the island of Sicily. The walking is not strenuous and we typically cover distances of 5-10 kilometres, on a gentle gradient, per day. It is therefore suitable to travellers who like to keep active while they are holidaying, but may not want the full rigours of an full walking tour. |
Day 1: Arrival and onward to Milazzo
We rendezvous at Catania airport in the afternoon and transfer by minibus on a short drive (2 hours) to our hotel in Milazzo.
We eat a fine sea-food dinner in one of Milazzo’s more intriguing trattorie.
Day 2: Walking in The Peloritani Mountains
The Peloritani Mountains are the spine of the triangle of land which makes up the North East corner of Sicily. They are thickly wooded and sparsely inhabited, with deep gorges and pine and oak forests.
We drive via Messina to Dinnammare, the highest point of the Peloritani accessible by vehicle, with its stunning views north over the Tyrrhenian sea and the Aeolian islands and south over the Straits of Messina and the Aspromonte mountains in Calabria.
From there we walk along a well-marked track with some stunning views as far as Etna and the Capo Milazzo. In the Spring and Autumn, we often get fabulous views of large flocks of migrating birds – particularly Honey Buzzards as they cross over the Straits of Messina.
In the late afternoon we return to Milazzo and there is time to visit the castle before supper before we head out to eat in a nearby trattoria.
Day 3: Lipari and the Aeolian islands
We get up early to catch the hydrofoil to Lipari. We make a short walk on the island with some spectacular views over to Vulcano and Salina. There will be time to visit the archaeological museum (one of the best in Sicily) in Lipari town before we catch the return hydrofoil to Milazzo.
On return to Milazzo we transfer to Castelmola for evening meal and overnight.
Day 4: Monte Santa Venere and Savoca – in the steps of the Godfather
Overnight and evening meal in Castelmola.
In the morning we walk to the top of Monte Venere with beautiful views over Etna.
After lunch we drive a short distance to Savoca. This small hilltop town, close to Taormina, provided the locations for some of the Sicilian scenes in the Godfather movies. Although ostensibly set in Corleone, Corleone was considered too developed by the time Coppola was filming for them to be considered as locations for his films. Both towns have remained almost untouched and are a stirring location even for someone left otherwise unmoved by the iconic seventies mafia movies.
We make sure too, that we stop for a granita at the famouse “Bar Vitelli”.
Day 5: Mt. Etna – the largest Volcano in Europe
Evening meal and overnight in Siracusa.
This morning we drive to Etna (1 hour). There will be a chance to see the Chestnut tree “of the hundred horses” – reputedly 3000 years old and the oldest tree in Sicily – after which we take a walk on the slopes of Etna to Pietracannone overlooking the Valle del Bove).
After a picnic lunch we transfer to our hotel in Siracusa (about 1.5 hours).
There will be free time in the afternoon to relax and enjoy Ortygia.
Day 6: Siracusa
Evening meal and overnight in Siracusa.
We start the day with a walking tour of historic Ortygia, strolling through the streets enjoying the stunning Baroque and Renaissance architecture and rubbing shoulders with Greek Mythology. We stop by the cathedral, which can lay claim to being the oldest Christian building in the world (it was converted from the enormous Doric temple of Athena).
After lunch we pay a visit to the Archaeological sites of Siracusa: one of the largest and best preserved of all Greek theatres in the whole of the Hellenic world and a remarkable cavern known as L’Orecchio di Dionisio – which, according to legend, was used as a prison by the tyrant Dionysius and allowed him to eavesdrop on his captives.
Day 7: Walking in Pantalica
Evening meal and overnight in Siracusa.
The valley of Pantalica is home to a fascinating necropolis with over 5000 tombs dating from the 13th to the 7th centuries BC.
We spend the morning walking along an old railway track and through a beautiful hidden valley before a short climb to a picnic lunch among the rock tombs. After lunch, there is time to explore the famous “Anaktaron” (the supposed house of the one-time ruler of Pantalica) before returning to Siracsua in the late afternoon.
Day 8: Departure
Departure from Catania airport.
