Walking in Western Sicily

We rendezvous at Palermo airport in the afternoon and transfer by minibus (1 hour) to our agriturismo near San Giuseppe Jato.

We eat a fine home-cooked dinner in the agriturismo.

Ficuzza was the hunting ground of the Bourbon King Ferdinand and in the nineteenth century he built a magnificent hunting lodge here.

Our walk today is in the hunting grounds of the King and the shadow of the Rocca Busambra. It is an excellent site for bird watching enthusiasts, with some of the large raptors soaring over the Rocca and the woodland of Ficuzza filled with songbirds.

After our walk we transfer to the Masseria near San Giuseppe Iato.

Evening meal and overnight in San Giuseppe Iato.

We head into the city of Palermo to visit the beautiful Palatine chapel.

After a visit to the Norman Palace we head up to Monreale and after lunch in the town we visit the stunning cathedral.

In the afternoon we return to the Masseria for our evening meal and overnight.

Today’s walk takes us from Piana degli Albanesi up to the Grotta del Garrone and down to Strassato. The walk takes in some fine views of the countryside across to the Rocca Busambra and Ficuzza where we walked the previous day.

At the end of our walk we are transported ah hour or so along the coast to the beautiful fishing village of Scopello which will be our home for the next two nights

Evening meal and overnight in Scopello.

Rocca Busambra in winter

We begin our walk just a couple of kilometres from the sleepy fishing village of Scopello, at the entrance to Parco dell Zingaro. Our walk follows the shore through the typical Mediterranean macchia and we are blessed with views over the azure sea towards Palermo.

Our walk ends at the exit to the park at San Vito lo Capo where our transport will be waiting for us to take us back to Scopello.

Evening meal and overnight in Scopello.

After breakfast we depart from Scopello to drive to Cefalù (2 hours).

After lunch and having checked in to the hotel, we are free to explore Cefalù.

There is an opportunity to walk up the Rocca for those who wish. Or if you prefer, just to relax on the beach or stroll through the town’s charming historical quarter.

Walking in Levanzo

Levanzo

Parco dello Zingaro

We drive to Piano Battaglia (1600m) from whence we climb the second highest peak in Sicily after Mt Etna – Pizzo Carbonara (1979m above sea level). On a clear day, the views from this peak are spectacular and we get vistas over the Nebrodi, the Aeolian islands and much of the west of Sicily.

After our descent, we drive back down to Cefalù.

Evening meal and overnight in Cefalù.

Departure from Palermo airport.

For those who are joining our Eastern Sicily walking tour, there is a chance to spend the morning in Cefalù before travelling on to Milazzo by train (2 hours) in the afternoon.