Grade

Adventurous

Hotel Accommodation

Included

Airline Ticket

Not Included

Season

All Year

Walking Holidays

East Side

Local Staff

Included

Transfers

Included

This is a Private Tour

Season: all year available on request
7 nights/8 days

Syracusa (4 nights) Taormina (3 nights)
Hotel Package: First Class Properties
Airline Tickets: not purchased by us

Land: Catania airport – East Side
Leave: Catania airport – East Side

Day 1 – Catania airport > Syracusa
Day 2 – Syracusa Half Day Walking Tour
Day 3 – Syracusa > Hike and Swim Cavagrande Canyon > Syracusa
Day 4 –Syracusa > Hike Pantalica Necropolis and Anapo Valley > Syracusa
Day 5 – Syracusa > Ragusa Ibla, lunch with locals and Modica > Taormina
Day 6 – Taormina > Etna Hike and Descent on the Volcano Ash > Taormina
Day 7 – Relax in Taormina
Day 8 – Taormina > Catania airport

Featured Licensed Local Guide Recommended for the above tour
-Syracusa, half day | Already Included in the tour costs
The rates for the above services are available on request.

Level of Difficulty: Challenging Hiking Tour. Very good fitness required. Mostly accessible paths
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Price includes the following:

  • Qualified Hiking guide (Italian and English)
  • Private vehicle with AC

What to wear and bring with you:

  • backpack for your personal items
  • Comfortable clothes suitable for hiking, a rain/wind jacket, a change of clothes, beach bikini (for the summer)
  • A change of clothes in case of rain or in case of swim
  • Hiking Boots (and water sandals – no flip-flops useful to swim in Cavagrande)
  • Sunglasses & sun cream
  • camera or smartphone if you want to take photos
  • A spirit of fun and adventure

LEGEND AND IMPORTANT INFORMATION
TOUR DETAILS & BOOKING INFORMATION

BLOG: Walking Holidays

Day 1
Catania Airport > Syracusa
Private vehicle and Italian speaking chauffeur disposal: transfer in only
Welcome to the warm, beautiful and pleasant island of Sicily! Upon arrival at Catania Airport please proceed through the Passport Control and collect your luggage inside the customs area.

Then meet the driver showing a sign with your name and a short drive takes you to Syracusa.
Day 2
Syracusa Half Day Walking Tour
Private taxi disposal: from Ortigia to the Archaological Park and return
English speaking guide disposal: half day from h 9AM
Today meet the local guide at hotel and catch on a taxi to move to the Archaeological Park (Admission fee: not included), highlights of which are the Greek Theatre, the Roman Amphitheatre and the Paradise Quarry.

Then back to Ortigia, the heart of the city center. This delightful pedestrian small island, connected with Syracusa by the Umbertino Bridge, is home to the wonderful Cathedral built on the site of an ancient Temple of Athena as can clearly be seen from the original Doric columns that were incorporated into the building’s main structure. Also on this square is the beautifully symmetrical Baroque Palazzo Beneventano and the church of Santa Lucia, the town’s patron saint. Later to the colourful daily Street Market, which sells a fantastic array of fruit, vegetables, fish and meat.

This afternoon is at leisure
Day 3
Syracusa > Hike and Swim Cavagrande Canyon > Syracusa
Private vehicle and English speaking driver disposal: full day from h 8AM
Dress Code: dress in layers, use hiking boots and beach facilities
Km: 8 | 450 mt elevation gain
Today departure for Cavagrande, a protected Natural Reserve in the province of Syracusa. Visiting Cava Grande is a great way to discover the hidden landscapes of the Hyblaean Mountains. The viewing platform offers a wonderful view over the gorge with its imposing limestone walls that plunge into the depths of the valley. This is the most fascinating canyon, cut tinto the limestone rocks by the river Cassibile, which formed natural swimming pools where hikers can have a refreshing bath. There are also two ancient rock villages, dating back to the X-XI century BC, with graves in several caves and grottoes. The flora includes endemic species, tropical ferns, spurges, wild orchid and a plant you wouldn’t expect to grow in Sicily: the snowdrop.

Time at leisure to swim in the Cava Grande natural pool.

This afternoon we then return to Syracusa.
Day 4
Syracusa > Hike Pantalica Necropolis and Anapo Valley > Syracusa
Private vehicle and English speaking driver disposal: full day from h 8AM
Dress Code: dress in layers, use hiking boots
Km: 16 | 500 mt elevation gain
Today departure for the rocky necropolis of Pantalica, one of the most impressive Unesco's world heritage sites in Sicily but also one of the most difficult to reach. It's a prehistoric archaeological site, belonging to the late bronze age --13th - 8th century B.C.-- and it contains a huge rocky cemetery consisting of thousand of graves digged in the walls of the Anapo canyon. The tombs are overhanging the Anapo Valley. Pantalica is worthy a visit also for it's wild natural panoramas. The whole area is inside the Anapo Valley nature reserve, a paradise for trekking and hiking with a lot of different pathways. Pantalica is the plateau over the canyons formed by the creeks Anapo, Bottigliera and Calcinara. This small rivers have digged impressive rocky walls: a great panorama but also a good defended position for the ancient populations of Sicily.

This afternoon we then return to Syracusa.
Day 5
Syracusa > Ragusa Ibla, lunch with locals and Modica > Taormina
Private vehicle and English speaking driver disposal: full day from h 8.30AM
Today we drive to Ragusa Iblaone of the most picturesque towns in Sicily. The view from the upper town over Ragusa Ibla on its own separate hilltop is quite breathtaking. One of the UNESCO-listed Baroque towns of south-eastern Sicily, Ragusa is also one of the principal filming locations for the Sicilian Detective Saga Il Commissario Montalbano (Montalbano Inspector), a series which has done wonders for publicising the beauty of this area.

Lunch with local, an amazing meal experience to taste the real home dishes.

This afternoon departure for ModicaLike the other towns in the Val di Noto, was badly damaged in the 1693 earthquake and largely rebuilt in Sicilian Baroque style. Modica is custodian of a 400 year tradition of Sicilian chocolate-making. Being part of the Spanish kingdom for so many years meant that Sicily was often one of the first recipients of the new foodstuffs being brought back from South America. Cacao was one of these and today Modica still specialises in making granulous chocolate, often flavoured with chilli pepper, cinnamon or vanilla, that is based on Aztec methods and recipes. Chocolate shops abound and, for the real chocoholic, it is sometimes possible to watch the “chocolatiers” at work. Tasting of Modica chocolate is a must.

Later we drive onto Taormina, the world famous resort town of Sicily.
Day 6
Taormina > Etna Hike and Descent on the Volcano Ash > Taormina
Private vehicle and English speaking driver disposal: full day from h 8AM
Dress Code: dress in layers, use hiking boots and do not forget your coat/wind jacket
Km: 10 | 1100 vertical meters downhill | 400 meters of elevation gain

Cable Car Ticket: included one way | Return: fun descent on the volcanic ash
Note: this excursion is not accessible to cariopaths, asthmatics and people suffering from joint problems. To participate, you must be in perfect physical condition and be used to hiking on difficult terrain at high altitude
Today departure for the Etna Volcano. We arrive at Rifugio Sapienza and from here we catch on the first cable car up to 2.500 mt. Then walk on the volcanic sand, away from the crowds. This excursion is a trekking of around 10 km to visit Valle del Bove, a large horseshoe-shaped caldera on the active Sicilian volcano.

Our trail crosses fascinating places: it is a unique opportunity to observe the recent eruptive activity and the lava flow of 2001, you will also see a lava tunnel.

The most fun moment of this excursion is the descent on the fine volcanic ash, in the Valle del Bove caldera, over 900 meters of descent. The beauty of this painting, painted by the volcanic forces of nature, leaves hikers breathless. Hiking on the volcanic sand in the Valle del Bove caldera is an unforgettable memory that will remain in your memories.

This afternoon we then return to Taormina.
Day 7
Relax in Taormina
Today is at leisure for your independent exploration of Taormina: walk in the Corso Umberto Street, the core of the town. From here you can join the Greek Theatre (Admission fee: not included), built for the most part of brick, and is therefore probably of Roman date, though the plan and arrangement are in accordance with those of Greek, rather than Roman, theatres; It is one of the world’s most popular tourist attractions, so that Johann Wolfgang Goethe in his famous “Journey to Italy” wrote: “No theater audience has never had such a sight in front of him.” The highlight of today walking tour is for sure go up using the old steps up to the top of the theatre to admire an amazing view of the Taormina Bay and the Etna volcano, the view from here is amazing and unforgettable.

The balance of the day is at leisure.
Day 8
Taormina > Catania airport
Private vehicle and Italian speaking chauffeur disposal: transfer out only
Today transfer to the airport.
 
Contact us for more information
DEUTER has developed specials ystem tailored to the specific requirements of the various areas of application. We are pleased to introduce them as below specified:

DEUTER AIRCOMFORT
For maximum ventilation, we use small to medium-volume backpacks that are well suited to easier terrain. The permanently elastic spring steel frame forms the indestructible heart of the Aircomfort. It provides the airy mesh net with a stable tension, even when fully loaded, and creates a ventilation space between the backpack and back that allows the humidity to be extracted freely.

DEUTER AIRCONTACT
The easiest way to carry large weights comfortably is when the backpack and wearer form a single unit. Our Aircontact principle starts here: The carry system sits directly on the body, and the weight is kept close to the body’s centre of gravity. This guarantees full control and an effective load transfer. At the same time, the breathable Aircontact back pads ensure noticeably comfortable ventilation with every movement through a pump effect.

DEUTER AIRSTRIPES
In every riding situation, a bike backpack must firmly sit on the rider’s back. Our unique Airstripes system ensures a firm fit and ventilation: thanks to the low backrest it continuously circulates fresh air between the Airstripes pads with their ventilation channels and the wide AirMesh cover. At the same time, the weight is always kept close to the body. This prevents the build-up of centrifugal forces that could cause the backpack to break loose.



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Advantages of Hiking Poles
Most obviously, poles reduce the impact of hiking on knee joints and leg muscles. Arm and shoulder muscles support and relieve the leg muscles. With the basic "hands above the heart" position necessitated by the poles, circulation is improved and heart rate is reduced. The "rhythm" created by walking with poles leads to relaxed, more regular breathing and increased stamina.

A landmark study published by Dr. G. Neureuther in 1981 proved that use of "ski poles" while walking reduces the pressure strain on the opposite leg by approximately 20%. Furthermore, while walking on level ground, poles reduce the body weight carried by the legs by approximately 5 kg every step. Move to an incline, and that reduction increases to 8 kg. This translates into tons of weight -- yes, tons -- for even a two hour hike.

Jacquie Hunt, editor of a popular hiking newsletter, weighs in with additional health benefits: "An advantage that I found once I started using poles is that my hands no longer swell up when it is hot. Keeping your arms moving so the blood doesn't pool in the hands is a lot safer than keeping hands high on pack straps and risking a smashed face if you trip."


Finally, poles help many people with balance issues. We all have different comfort levels when balancing along puncheons, crossing streams, etc.; for some hikers, trekking poles are worth their weight in gold. They can certainly aid when crossing soft ground, and can be indispensible for tasks like river crossings, and scree running.

Book your Deuter Backapack and Gabel Pole with us!