Walking the Highlights of Western Sicily Walk

Experience Overview

Starting at the Moorish village of Scopello, this seven night walking holiday allows you to uncover the secrets of one of the most remote areas of Sicily. The national parks and unexplored islands are the perfect place to appreciate the peace and tranquillity and explore the cultural highlights including ancient ruins, medieval churches and prehistoric caves.
Profile
— 7 nights accommodation in 4* hotels — 5 days circular walking — Low altitude and well-marked paths — Self-guided holiday.
At a Glance
— 7 nights accommodation in 4* hotels — 5 days circular walking — Low altitude and well-marked paths — Self-guided holiday.
Trip For You
This holiday follows mainly stony paths with some paved tracks and frequent ascents and descents, some of which are steep and uneven; walking boots are essential throughout. The route is suitable for anyone looking for walks of 4-6 hours and confident with daily ascents/descents of up to 700m. Walkers don't need specific hiking experience, however, good health and a reasonable level of fitness is required. This is a self-guided tour, as such there will be no group or tour leader and you are free to complete the walks at your own pace. You may find our Fitness Training Guide a useful reference: http://www.exodus.co.uk/assets/pdf/Exodus_WT_Fitness_Training_Guide.pdf
Group Description
As this is a self-guided holiday there is no group and no leader. A local representative is on hand to assist you and will meet you at the beginning of the week to go through the routes and point out particular places of interest. Your luggage is transferred and route directions and maps are provided in our app. The app contains an emergency telephone number. In an emergency, the local representative is normally able to dispatch a taxi. They may wish to charge for this service. Please note: the walking and luggage transfers included in this tour are subject to a minimum of 2 people (in total) booked on the departure. A supplement (payable in advance) to cover these transfers and sole occupancy of a room will apply if only 1 person travelling on a departure date.
Eating Drinking
Daily breakfast included. Sicily's typically southern Italian cuisine is interspersed with many more exotic dishes reflecting the island's jumbled cultural past. Italian dishes like pasta alla norma (made with tomatoes, aubergine and grated ricotta) are often found on menus along with couscous (a north African speciality), or even pasta con le sarde (a pasta dish dating back to Phoenician times made from sardines, raisins, pine nuts, fennel, saffron, parsley and capers). The Arabs introduced citrus groves to the island and a popular drink today is granita made with crushed ice and lemon. This was traditionally drunk with sweet bread dipped in it as a lunchtime snack by Sicilian peasants. Fish is of course also abundant. Local specialities include pesce spada alla ghiotta (swordfish cooked with tomatoes, capers, onion, celery and potatoes) or tonno fresco alla brace (grilled fresh tuna). Sicily is famed for its desserts. Why not try cannolo, a crunchy pastry tube filled with ricotta cheese and studded with candied fruits, pistachio and chocolate? Or cassata, the Arab influenced cake made with ricotta cheese, candied fruit and chocolate pieces. Sicily is not traditionally famous for its wines, so it is surprising to learn that the island boasts one of the largest wine producing areas in the whole of Italy. Look out for the Etna DOC label and Corvo di Salaparuta. One of Sicily's most popular wines is Alcamo Bianco - a soft white which goes well with fish dishes.
Transportation
Luggage transfers between hotels are included and are subject to al least 2 people (in total) booked on the departure. Your transfers are included on days 3, 4 and 7 . If you have booked a flight inclusive package, your airport transfers are included.
Joining Instructions
Your trip normally starts at our hotel in Scopello on the afternoon of Day 1 of the itinerary. Hotel check-in times are normally from around 4pm. We can book your flights from London to Palermo, as well as your transfers from Palermo to Scopello and Trapani to Palermo; please contact us if you'd like us to organise this for you.
Weather Information
Sicily has a good all year round climate, with plenty of sunshine and warm/hot temperatures. The summer departures ought to have daily hot sunshine and temperatures can reach 30 to 35 degrees Celcius. The earlier and later departures are likely to be cooler with a slightly higher chance of rain. In late summer there is the possibility of heavy thunderstorms, but these are usually short-lived.
Spending Money
You will need money for lunches, dinners, local taxes (€6), snacks and drinks and any sites you wish to visit. Lunches can be inexpensive if you buy produce from local markets or shops and make a picnic. However, if you stop at a café you can easily spend €15. We would recommend budgeting for €10-15 for lunches and €20-40 for dinners depending on what type of restaurant you eat in. Allow an additional €10 a day for any extras. Please allow approximately €68 for entrance fees to the Zingaro Nature Reserve, Segesta, the ferry to Favignana and Levanzo, and admission to the caves.

Highlights