dossier
Highlights of Sicily Walk
Day 1: Arrive in
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Day 2: Mount Etna 3.5mi/5km/3 hrs
A short drive gets us into Mt Etna’s lunar landscape. We explore the dormant Silvestri craters first, walking around the rim of the largest of these. Then by cable car and jeep up to around 3000m, as close as safety allows to the active craters - fingers crossed that it’s a day when they’re belching out stones, and lava is flowing! After lunch, a stroll through Aleppo pines overlooking lava filled valleys - look out for golden eagles circling overhead.
Day 3: Castelmola and
We drive to Taormina, from where we walk to pretty Castelmola with its medieval castle and main square dominated by a curious multi-tiered cafe. Returning, a path lined with figs, olives and prickly pears gently descends to Taormina's castle. Great views across to Calabria on the mainland as we follow stone steps down from here to the old centre. There's free time to explore the famous cliff top Greek theatre and Roman Odeon before returning to our agriturismo in time for an aperitif on the terrace before dinner.
Day 4: Siracusa
We head south to ancient Siracusa (Syracuse), which once rivalled Athens as the most beautiful city in the Greek world. Aside from the unique adjacent Roman amphitheatre and Greek theatre, there’s a massive sacrificial altar and a cavern with remarkable acoustics that Caravaggio dubbed ‘the Ear of Dionysius’. After lunch in the old town Ortygia, we explore its twisting alleys and Euryalus Castle, designed by Archimedes. We arrive at our bagliohotel near Ispica in time for dinner.
Day 5: Ispica Gorge Walk 3mi/4km/2 hrs
This morning we follow a path lined with pomegranate and Chinese persimmon to explore Cava d’Ispica gorge, a honeycomb of caves that have been used as Neolithic graves, Christian catacombs and medieval dwellings. Some tombs, banked on top of one another, are even ‘high rise’! After lunch, we visit ancient Ispica with its Centoscale(actually 240 steeps steps cut into the gorge, used as a hide out in times of siege) and Santa Maria della Cava church with its Byzantine frescoes.
Day 6: Vendicarl Reserve and Baroque Noto 7mi/11km/3 – 4 hrs
Today we explore the wetlands of Vendicari, Europe’s most southerly nature reserve. In spring and autumn it’s a rest stop for 256 different species of migrating birds, including flamingos. We walk along paths lined with juniper, wild thyme and sea holly to spot them, finding other surprises along the way including salt pans, a Phoenician port and a former tuna fishery. After a picnic we descend into the Paradiso Gorge passing ancient catacombs with crumbling pilasters to reach the river floor. Time for a mid-afternoon dip here before heading back to the hotel.
Day 7: Baroque Noto and Noto Antica 7km/3.5hr
We first visit Baroque Noto, a “new town’’ of churches and palaces, with one of Italy’s most beautiful squares. Then, winding through pine forests bright with poppies and oleander, we choose our scenic picnic spot. In the afternoon we follow a herb scented path to explore the melancholy ruins of Ancient Noto, suspended in eerie silence between two gorges.
Day 8: Leave
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