Wilderness Travel 2017 Catalog of Adventures

Hiking in Sicily GREEK AND ROMAN RUINS, COASTAL AND MOUNTAIN HIKES

LEON WERDINGER

Our intriguing journey explores Sicily’s vibrant cultures and extraordinary heritage. PHOTO: CHAD EHLERS

Sicily is a sun-drenched world all its own, with a fascinating 3,000-year-old history and flourishing traditional culture. On this captivating island, you’ll hike coastal trails above a turquoise sea, explore ancient Greek ruins in Siracusa and Taormina, and head into Sicily’s wild inland mountains, a pastoral world of tiny farms and villages. Our adventures include a breathtaking hike on Mt. Etna, the rock tombs of the Pantalica Gorge, and the phenomenal mosaics of the Villa Romana del Casale. Along the way, you’ll feast on fragrant cuisine infused with a tangy mélange of flavors—wonderful frutti di mare, arancini, caponata . This is Sicily! Days 1-4 Palermo / Segesta / Zingaro Nature Reserve / Monreale / Cefalú Our exploration of Segesta’s stunning Greek temple is followed by a cove-to-cove hike above isolated beaches at Zingaro Nature Reserve. After a hike through vineyards and fruit orchards, we visit Monreale’s 12th century cathedral, one of Europe’s medieval treasures, to see its dazzling Greek and Byzantine mosaics. From the seaside town of Cefalú, we head to the Madonie Mountains, where Sicily’s deeply rustic culture still thrives, for a hike through oak, maple, and holly woodlands.

HIGHLIGHTS • Hike the spectacular coastal trails of Zingaro Nature Reserve, the mountain gorge of Pantalica, and on fiery Mt. Etna • Explore Neolithic rock tombs, the gilded mosaics of Monreale, Norman cathedrals, the Greek temple of Segesta • Discover seaside Cefalú, the ancient amphitheater of picturesque Taormina, amazing mosaics of Villa Romana del Casale, a World Heritage Site • Delight in Sicily’s unique cuisine, fresh from the land and sea • Overnights in fine hotels and a charming agriturismo DETAILS • 11-day trip begins in Palermo and ends in Catania • 10 nights small inns and hotels • All meals included except 1 lunch and 4 dinners

ALESSANDRO SAFFO

Days 5-8 Piazza Armerina / Pantalica Gorge / Siracusa View the extraordinary mosaics of the Villa Romana del Casale, then enjoy a cooking class and wine tasting at a local winery. A hike in the Pantalica Gorge reveals thousands of rock-hewn Neolithic tombs adorning the canyon walls, and in Siracusa, we explore breathtaking Greek and Roman ruins on foot. Days 9-11 Mt. Etna / Taormina Our hike on Mt. Etna leads across extraordinary lava landscapes, and in Taormina, perched high above two sweeping bays, we explore the town’s palazzi-lined streets and 3rd century BC Greek amphitheater, still in use today for concerts. Depart on Day 11. ON OUR WEBSITE VOLCANOES OF SOUTHERN ITALY Explore and hike the dramatic volcanic isles of Stromboli, Vulcano, Lipari, and tiny Panarea, as well as fiery Mt. Etna. Jun 12-22, Sep 25-Oct 5, 2017. From $5395.

DATES Apr 14-24, 2017 May 13-23 Jun 3-13 Sep 9-19 Sep 23-Oct 3 Oct 7-17

TRIP COST $5395 (11-15 members) $5895 (6-10 members) Single supplement: $890

TRIP LEVEL 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 A mix of moderate walks and hikes, some steep trails, 2-4 hours a day, altitudes up to 10,000 feet, van support, team of up to 3 Trip Leaders

FOR MORE DETAILS ON OUR EUROPEAN TRIPS, VISIT WWW.WILDERNESSTRAVEL.COM/TRIPS/EUROPE 35