Walking Tour

An Itinerary on foot, with a normal difficulty, long around 5/6 km per day. It's a union of art and nature, seen with walker's eyes.

1st day: Ragusa Ibla (Route on foot: 3-4 km.)
Arrival at Catania airport, transfer by bus to Ragusa, accommodation in hotel and lunch. In the afternoon, visit of Ragusa Ibla, the old part of the town, which preserves a typically medieval and baroque town-planning structure; it is one of the most charming places in Sicily, where sneering masks and baroque pomposities assault the visitor who penetrates the labyrinth of little streets which characterizes this splendid town. Return to the hotel, dinner and overnight stay.

2nd day: Ispica Caves (7-8 km.)
Breakfast at hotel. Departure by bus for Ispica Caves ( about 33 km. far from the hotel), a very important archaeological site where it is possible to study the evolution of the first human settlements. It preserves dwellings from the neolithic, the Greek, the Byzantine, the Christian and the medieval periods. There are a lot of caves rich in rocky paintings, of Siculian Byzantine necropolises and of Christian catacombs. You will walk along the Caves, until you reach the Catacombs of Larderia, the northern end of Ispica Caves. Along the route you will have a rest for a picnic in the neighbourhood of a castle, and taste typical local products. At the end of the visit, you will return to the hotel. Dinner will take place at a masseria , which is a few kilometres far from the hotel, where you will attend the manufacture of cow milk ricotta and of caciocavallo, two typical local cheeses. Return to the hotel for the overnight stay.

3rd day: Mount Etna
Breakfast at hotel. Departure by bus for an excursion on mount Etna (about 130 km. far from Ragusa), the highest active volcano in Europe. The bus will go up to the height of 1900 m. and from there you will continue with a 4x4 jeep. Break for a picnic and continuation of the excursion. At the end, arrival at Acireale/Taormina, accommodation at hotel, dinner and overnight stay.

4th day: Alcantara Gorges (8 km.)
Breakfast at hotel. Departure by bus for Alcantara Gorges, the most spectacular reach of the river which separates the province of Catania from that of Messina. Formed as a consequence of an enormous lava-flow coming down from mount Mojo, the most eccentric crater of Etna, they are the outcome of the constant erosion of water, which has laid the basalt columns, result of the cooling of the lava-flow, bare. The whole course of the river, which is 48 km. long, has been proclaimed natural reserve in 1991. Lunch at a restaurant and continuation of the walk. Return to the hotel, dinner and overnight stay.

5th day: Lipari (6-7 km.)
Breakfast in hotel. Departure for Milazzo by bus, then, by ferry-boat , after a two hours' navigation, you will reach Lipari, the largest of the seven Eolie Islands, which are called "the seven sisters". At the arrival, the group will be taken to the hotel. After the accommodation in the reserved rooms, you will pass through the streets of the town centre admiring the artisan workshops, the ficus trees and the cascades of geraniums which hide the old villas, usually whitewashed, according to the local style. Lunch in a typical restaurant, where the genuine traditions of the local gastronomy based on capers and tomatoes, made tasty by sun, are preserved; the guide will provide you with a detailed explanation of their process of manufacture. In the afternoon, you will walk along the path which goes to Piano Conte, until you get to San Calogero thermal baths, and will go down to Quattropani, from where you will have a wonderful view of the island of Salina. Along the road, you will admire the stretches of pumice quarries, streaked with obsidian-flows, a volcanic stone so shiny that it almost looks like a black diamond. At the end, you will return to the hotel in Lipari for dinner and overnight stay.

6th day: Vulcano Island (8 km.)
Breakfast in hotel. Departure by ferry-boat to Vulcano, considered, according to a medieval legend, the ante-room of hell. You will walk along the paved path which takes to a grand and spectacular funnel, having a diameter of 500 metres, known as the Big Crater, and continue to Vulcanello. After having admired this charming landscape, you will begin to walk down until you reach a typical restaurant for lunch, where you will have the opportunity to taste the typical product of the island, "pecorino" (a kind of cheese). Return to the hotel at Lipari, dinner and overnight stay.

7th day: Salina Island (10 km.)
Breakfast at hotel and departure by ferry-boat for Salina. Compared to the others, this island is more peaceful, less crowded by tourists and still very attached to rural and seafaring traditions. You will reach Leni, situated at 300 m. above sea level, by car or by minibus, then you will walk along the path which takes to Fossa delle Felci, from which you will enjoy a breathtaking view of the Eolie archipelago. Picnic along the route. By car or minibus you will go downhill to visit one of the artisan workshops where the "Malvasia" , a typical local liqueur, called " the Gods' nectar", is producted; the guide will explain its process of manufacture. Continuation to the lake of Punta Lingua, where the ashen-grey herons rest during their flight to Africa. After having tasted the famous "granite"(grated-ice drinks), you will go back to Lipari. Dinner and overnight stay at hotel.

8th day: Milazzo
Breakfast at hotel. Departure by ferry-boat for Milazzo, stop in the little Norman town of Forza D' Agrò to drink a refreshing glass of almond milk and arrival at Catania airport.

These are only some of our proposals.
Here the complete list of our Tours: I Castles and fortress; The holy week; The Baroque in Sicily; The Sicilian Liberty style; Sicily in the outdoor markets; Archaeology and Baroque, The Arab- Norman Sicily; Sicily on horseback; The Nature cycling; Naturalistic Tour; The flavours road; Sicilian open houses; The Salt road; Archaeology and Nature; Learning Arts and Crafts (stays withpainting, mosaic, local baskets courses) .

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