Walking in Sicily

By Gillian Price

ISBN

9781852847852

Availability

Published

17 Nov 2014

Reprinted

2 May 2022

Edition

Third

Pages

256

Size

17.20 x 11.60 x 1.45cm

Weight

290g

Delivery & Returns

Free 1st Class postage on UK orders. European postage is £3 per item. Worldwide postage is £5 per item. If you're not happy with your purchase for any reason, we'll give you a full refund.
More information...

A walking guidebook with 46 graded routes in Sicily, including the Madonie and Nebrodi mountains, the Egadi and Aeolian islands and Mount Etna. Most walks take 3-4 hours, plus some short easy strolls as well as long mountain traverses. Interesting varied terrain, including river valleys, coastal walks, ancient ruins, volcanoes and mountain peaks.

Seasons

March to June is best; summers are very hot for walking; early Autumn is pleasant but late Autumn is the wettest time of the year

Centres

Access via Palermo, Naples and and other airports; most main towns would be good bases- Messina, Taormina, Catania

Difficulty

some of the walking may be arduous (Etna); routes of varying difficulty between half and full days

Must See

Mount Etna (though it may be closed to walkers); the Isola Egadi; Hellenic, Roman and Byzantine remains; and the wonderful food

ISBN

9781852847852

Availability

Published

17 Nov 2014

Reprinted

2 May 2022

Edition

Third

Pages

256

Size

17.20 x 11.60 x 1.45cm

Weight

290g

Overview

This guidebook includes 46 walks throughout Sicily and the adjoining Aeolian and Egadi Islands. Particular highlights include walks on Mount Etna, and through the Madonie and Nebrodi mountains. Walks range from 2 to 23km long, and are graded according to difficulty and terrain, so the right walk can be easily found, whether for a short family stroll around Medieval Erice, or the challenging trail that traverses the lava and ash-covered Mount Etna.
This guidebook combines detailed route description and mapping with fascinating insight into the history and geology of Sicily and the many points of interest along the way. Whether the active volcanic rumblings of Stromboli, or elaborate coastal forts, to prehistoric cave paintings; Sicily is home to some of Europe's greatest natural and historical wonders.
The guidebook also includes practical information on travel to and around Sicily, the best time to go, as well as accommodation advice, information on facilities along the way, and a useful Italian-English glossary. The result is an ideal companion to explore all that Sicily has to offer the walker.

Table of Contents

CONTENTS

Map Legend

Overview Map

Introduction

Background

Walking and Maps

Parks, Reserves and Protected Areas

When to Go

What to Take

Emergencies

Reaching Sicily

Travelling Around Sicily

Accommodation

Telephones

Food and Drink

Tourist Information

Flowers and Trees

Wildlife

The Northeast Coast

1 Taormina and the Castello Saraceno

2 Castelmola

The Alcantara River Valley

3 Monte Mojo

4 Francavilla and the River

Monte Etna

5 The Craters of Monte Silvestri

6 Monte Nero degli Zappini Loop

7 Schiena dell’Asino

8 The Monti Sartorio Circuit

9 Monte Nero Circuit and Grotta dei Lamponi

10 Monte Etna: The North–South Traverse

Monti Iblei and the Southeast Corner

11 Wondrous Pantalica and its Necropolises

12 The Pantalica River Walk

13 Cava Grande del Cassibile

14 Noto Antica

15 Riserva Naturale di Vendicari

16 Isola delle Correnti

17 Cava d’Ispica

Antiquities in the West

18 The White Cliffs of Eraclea Minoa

19 The Stones of Selinunte

20 Mozia and its Lagoon

Le Isole Egadi (Egadi Islands)

21 Favignana by Bicycle

22 Levanzo and its Cave Paintings

23 Marettimo’s Coastal Path

24 Marettimo’s High Level Circuit

The Glorious Northwest

25 Marvellous Medieval Erice

26 Riserva Naturale di Monte Cofano

27 Riserva Naturale dello Zingaro

Palermo Surrounds

28 Palermo’s Monte Pellegrino

29 Monte Iato

30 Piana degli Albanesi

31 Bosco della Ficuzza

32 Rocca Busambra

Le Madonie (Madonie Mountains)

33 Cefalù and its Rocca

34 Isnello to Gratteri

35 Pizzo Carbonara

36 Piano Cervi

37 Vallone Madonna degli Angeli

38 Piano Sempria Sentiero Natura

I Nebrodi (Nebrodi Mountains)

39 Biviere di Cesarò

40 Floresta to Randazzo

Le Isole Eolie (Aeolian Islands)

41 Vulcano’s Gran Cratere

42 Lipari’s Castello and Southern Headlands

43 Lipari’s San Calogero Spa

44 Salina’s Monte Fossa delle Felci

45 Stromboli – Ascent to the Volcano

46 Stromboli Loop

Appendix I Italian–English Glossary

Appendix II Further Reading

Updates

August 2022

Walks 45 and 46 on Stromboli

Recent storms and consequent mud slides mean access to the island may be a problem for the time being. Check before embarking on the trip out.

August 2022

Walk 41

Vulcano's Gran Cratere: of late there has been an increase in gas emissions and when levels make it dangerous for visitors, the crater path is off limits. Check locally and don't take any risks.

August 2018

Route Updates

Walk 26 -

Monte Cofano. The coastal walk under the steep parts of the mountain is closed due dangerous rock fall. The pass across the saddle is still open. (Thanks to Andrew Lumsden)

June 2018

p84 Walk 11: 2nd paragraph - turn left (east) at the second fork for the 'Oratorio Bizantino'.

p86 Walk 12: annual winter flooding means the route may change so stick to the old railway line if in doubt and return the same way.

(Thanks to Andrea Grimshaw)

p158 Walk 28 - the map is no longer available

p174 Walk 31 Access: the AST bus to Ficuzza departs from Palermo's Stazione Centrale railway station

p249 Walk 46: CAI path markers are reportedly gone or illegibile.

The Walk: From Scari turn L past the Liberty Lines office to Via Roma.

(Thanks to Sandra Bardwell)

Reviews

Linda, July 2014

My husband and I had a completely different experience as tourists in Sicily as a result of having your hiking guide. It MADE our trip. Thanks for the excellent work!

Henry, by email, November 2014

"Everyone in our walking group ha[s] acquired a copy of your excellent guide Walking in Sicily... Without exception the walks we adopted and in some cases adapted from your book provided stunning views and an amazing diversity of scenery and vegetation. We were bowled over by the magnificent trees, especially in the Madonie range, great oaks, sycamores, holm oaks, beech and, of course, the giant holly by the Rifugio Crispi... The consolation for the long climb up past the Stations of the Cross was happily a superb lunch at 'Al Saraceno' restaurant.

The lunch made a splendid finish to what everyone agreed was one of our best ever walks, especially for those who never dreamt that Sicily offered so many treasures - scenery, wine, food, charming little hill towns, the list could go on .. So, thank you, Gillian, for all your good advice and for an inspirational book."

Downloads

Gillian Price

Gillian Price has trekked throughout Asia and the Himalayas, but now lives in Venice. Gillian has steadily explored the mountain ranges of Italy, and Corsica, and brought them to life for visitors in a series of outstanding guides for Cicerone. She is an active member of the Italian Alpine Club (CAI) and Mountain Wilderness.

View author profile