Spend unforgettable hiking holidays on the island of Sicily

Although the island is still what you might call in its infancy with regard to hiking and hiking tours, nature lovers might appreciate walking the magnificent countryside with its fantastic panoramic views without encountering crowds of tourists.

There is Mount Etna, Sicily’s landmark and Europe's largest volcano, the mountainous hinterland, the northwest, where a lush green hilly landscape waits to be discovered,... You can go on quite a number of unforgettable trekking tours.

Please mind that signposting is not always the best and that a bit of hiking exercise in advance might not be bad.

Hiking on Mount Etna

The area around Mount Etna is particularly fascinating and scenic. Hiking up the mountain, you meet with spectacular views of a landscape characterized by black lava rock and fertile ground and of the Mediterranean Sea. Here are some interesting tours.

Guided hiking tour

Inexperienced hikers are well advised to go on a tour of the volcano with a local guide and to set off early in the morning and when visibility is good. 
What you should definitely take along: hiking equipment, enough to drink, warm clothes for the higher elevations. 

Hiking to Monte Zoccolaro

An option for experienced climbers/trekkers: a hiking tour to the summit of Monte Zoccolaro (1,739 m). Starting point is the turning area below Refugio Zoccolaro. Difference in altitude is 920 m, finding your way is easy, the ascent is steep.

Particularities you encounter on your way are the so-called "dykes", quite bizarre-looking, vertical sheets of basalt rising from the rock. Your efforts of climbing up to the summit are rewarded with a breathtaking view.

Hiking on the northern slope of Mount Etna 

When hiking on the northern slope of Mount Etna, you get to admire bizarre fields of lava and ice grottos. The marked trails are, however, only found when visibility is good. Starting point is the Piano Cavoli parking lot. Flashlights and a warm coat/jacket are absolutely necessary, if you want to visit Grotta del Gelo with its stunning ice stalactites.  

Hiking near Taormina

From Taormina via Castelmola to Monte Veneretta 

Taormina, Sicily’s most famous mountain village, is the starting point of a beautiful and easy hiking tour along medieval mule trails up to Monte Veneretta. The trails are good to walk on, except for the back part on the top of Monte Veneretta, where it becomes a bit more difficult because there are no paths, no trails. When ascending to Castelmola, you already get to enjoy a spectacular view of Taormina, the bay of Mazzarò and Mount Etna.

Refreshment in the Alcántara Gorge

The tour starts at a medieval village in the hinterland of Taormina – Castiglione di Sicilia with its Norman fortress. You walk along clearly marked trails. However, you have to ford a river, which might even be welcome refreshment. On this tour, Mount Etna is within sight most of the time.

Hiking in southern Sicily

The Necropolis of Pantálica

UNESCO World Heritage listed Pantàlica is located in the hinterland of Syracuse; it is an impressive gorge landscape in the Monte Iblei. The unique shape of the gorge was formed by the Anapo and Calcinara rivers. There are over 5,000 chamber tombs dating from the 13th – 8th centuries BC.  

Cava Grande del Cassibile

Vacationers staying at the coastal town of Avola are not far, only 12 km, from the Sicilian Grand Canyon. The limestone gorge formed by the Cassibile river fascinates visitors with its lush vegetation and millennia-old chamber tombs. Towards the end of the valley, the gorge opens upon a view of the sea. The tour is rather demanding, the trails are partly very narrow. 

The Maddalena coast

A unique and magnificent 'piece' of Sicily lies hidden south of Syracuse. The peninsula of Plemmirio, which was declared a protected area in 2005, is an Eldorado of nature for hikers and divers alike. The tour starts at the lighthouse at the tip of the peninsula. 

Hiking in the area west of Palermo

Pilgrims’ trail to Santuario di Santa Rosalia

The pilgrims’ trail around Monte Pellegrino runs up to pilgrimage church Santuario di Santa Rosalia. The bones of the saint, who is said to have freed Palermo from the plague, were discovered up there. On your way up, you meet with breathtaking views of Sicily’s capital city and of the gulf of fashionable seaside resort Mondello.

Experiencing nature at Riserva dello Zingaro

The Sicilian people saved the area of today's nature reserve. They succeeded in preventing building development along one of the most scenic coastal sections. Round about 7 km of coastal stretch and ca. 1,600 ha of land were then declared Sicily's first nature reserve - Riserva dello Zinagro.

The easy, but quite long hiking tour, which starts at Scopello, should rather not be undertaken when it is very hot, even though it runs along the coast with fantastic bays you can stop at for a swim in the sea. Supplies cannot be acquired anywhere at the reserve, so take along enough to drink and to eat. 

You can also start on this hiking tour from San Vito Lo Capo; you are simply walking the other way round. 

Monte Cófano

Monte Cófano is located by the sea, rises from the landscape like the peak of a rock and is easy to recognize even from afar. You can hike around the mountainous headland on trails near the shore. If you are fit and experienced enough, you can also climb up to the peak.

Volcanic Lipari Islands

Picture postcard motif Lipari

On Lipari, your hike takes you up to the most popular picture postcard motif of the Aeolian Islands, the belvedere of the island’s capital, which opens upon a fantastic view of the sea. Your hike starts at the harbor of Lipari. As there is not much shade along the paths, it is important to take along enough to drink and some kind of headgear.

Vulcano - Forge of the God of Fire

Your hike towards the peak on the island of Vulcano is accompanied by smoking craters and fumes of sulfur. Your efforts of climbing up to the peak are rewarded with fantastic views of the other islands and from the highest point you might even, with a bit of luck, spot Mount Etna. Tip: Take along your swimwear and relax in the natural springs.

More hiking tours as well as more details about the hiking tours we have suggested are found in the Rother Wanderführer by Dorothea Sänger and Michael Gahr (only in German).