7-day Madonie Mountains Walking Holiday
Self-guided Sicily walking tour
- Wonderful open landscapes dotted with medieval villages and hamlets
- Authentic accommodations in traditional farms
- Gorgeous flora and fauna
- A rich history brought to life in castles, churches and museums
- Cefalù, vibrant fishing town with a fabulous beach
- Warm, welcoming locals
- Mouthwatering Sicilian culinary specialties
The walks are along footpaths, mule tracks and some strade bianche, (small gravel roads). You will cross a few small hamlets and some larger villages.
Start: Petralia Sottana Finish: Cefalù
Arrive in Sicily and breathe in the warm island breeze and aroma of the outstanding local flora. If pre-arranged with us, a private transfer takes you from airport to your accommodation in Petralia Sottana, in the south of the Monti Madonie. Enjoy your first dinner in a local restaurant of your choice trying the many flavors of the tasty regional cuisine.
Today’s walk It is a quite easy walk through Petralia's hills from where it is possible to enjoy superb landscapes over the southern side of Sicily, inclunding Mt. Etna. Some stretches of the route are on clayey terrain which can be challenging in case of rain. The elevation is fairly gradual; there is only one steep stretch. The walk can start in Portella Ferrone (wp17) with transfer organized by the accomodation; the walk is then shortened of 2 km and the steep stretch to wp14 is avoided.
Challenge: 5 hours, 16 km / 10 mi, 734m ascent, 713m descent
A morning transfer will take you to the start of the walk in Gangi, a medieval hilltop town often lauded as one of the most beautiful villages in Italy. The walk starts off on a fairly steep route crossing the typical Sicilian rural landscape and passing by ancient masserie and panoramic views of the surrounding countryside, characterized by rolling hills, verdant valleys, and the distant silhouette of the Madonie mountain range.
Arriving in Geraci Siculo, you'll find another enchanting medieval town with a rich history and vibrant local culture. Known for its well-preserved Norman castle ruins, Geraci Siculo offers a charming end to your hike.
Challenge: 4 hours, 12 km / 7,5 mi, 484m ascent, 278m descent
The walk from Geraci Siculo to Rocca di Gonato is a delightful journey through the heart of Sicily's Madonie Mountains. Along the way there are spectacular views of the mountains and the coast. On a clear day, it is also possible to
see the islands of the Aeolian archipelago. Along the way it is suggested a short extension to reach the Church of Saints Cosma and Damiano.
Once you arrive at the destination you can relax and enjoy its natural beauty and serene environment.
Challenge: 5 hours, 15 km / 9,5 mi, 433m ascent, 677m descent
Bid adieu to the lovely Madonie Mountains an descend to the hills around Castelbuono. A short and easy descent brings you to Agriturismo Bergi. Here you can spend the afternoon relaxing into the village of Castelbuono. Do not miss a visit to the nearby medieval village of Castebuono. Stroll along ancient narrow streets and squares for a true taste of small-town Sicily.
Challenge: 5 hours, 13 km / 8 mi, 206m ascent, 635m descent
After breakfast, a short transfer takes you to the bus stop in Castelbuono where you board the bus with your luggage to Cefalù. Check in at your hotel and explore the town’s breathtaking Norman Cathedral and awe-inspiring Byzantine mosaics. Climb the ancient fortifications of the Rocca or go for a refreshing swim on the long sandy beach in front of the hotel. To end this fabulous walking trip celebrate with a delicious dinner in one of Cefalù’s many fine fish restaurants.
Challenge: 1.5 hours, 3 km / 3 mi, 207m ascent, 203m descent
The tour ends after breakfast, unless you have booked extra services with us. To get to the airport you can go either by train or taxi.
All accomodations are carefully selected because of their location, atmosphere and/or unique services. Accommodations range from a simple but friendly small town hotel, to an old monastery to a luxurious estate or agriturismo.
We choose comfortable **/*** hotels , B&B and agriturismi where all rooms have private en-suite bathroom. All rooms are en-suite.
You can find below the standard hotels of this trip. If a hotel is fully booked, then we will book a similar one for you and inform you about the alternative booked.
Extra overnight: You can book additional night(s) at any of the accommodations along the way.
Hotel Il Castello is housed in ancient Norman Castle dated back to 1062. It offers well-furnished rooms with free Wifi, satellite TV, private bathroom and rustic style. Staff is courteous and helpful. Highly recommended the restaurant. Buffet breakfast with homemade products.
The Masseria Rocca di Gonato is a rural tourism located in the Regional Park of Madonie. Rooms are well-finished, comfortable and essential with private bathroom. Cuisine is good and proposes dishes with local products. Italian breakfast with homemade cakes.
Agriturismo Bergi is a part of the Farm Azienda Agricola Bergi that produces and commercilizes quality biological products by Sicily from years. Rooms are well-finished, elegant and welcoming with private bathroom, air conditioning/heating and TV. The cuisine offers typical dishes from Sicily and the buffet breakfast is both savoury and sweet.
Hotel Riva del Sole is located along the seafront of Cefalù and it offers a panoramic terrace overlooking the sea. Hotel offers spacious rooms, clean and well-finished with free Wifi, TV, private bathroom. International breakfast is rich and various of sweet and savoury products.
You can start on any day of the week, subject to availability, between April 1st and July 25th, and between September 1st and October 31st.
The best solution for this trip is flying in to Palermo Punta Raisi Airport (PMO), but Catania Airport (CTA) has good connections, too.
We highly recommend booking an early flight on arrival.
From the airport PMO, you first need to reach Palermo train station by bus. From Palermo bus station (located in front of the train station), busses run directly to Petralia Sottana. Check times and prices on www.saistrasporti.it.
From Catania airport (CTA), you can reach the train station by bus. Once there, take a train to Palermo, and then a bus to Petralia Sottana.
On departure from Cefalù, take a train to Palermo Centrale and then a bus connection to Palermo Punta Raisi airport (PMO).
If flying from Catania (CTA), take a train from Cefalù to Catania Centrale (with change in either Messina or Palermo), and then a bus to the airport.
Train timetables available on www.trenitalia.com.
GPS tracks are available on request.
Included
- 7 nights' accommodation in **/*** hotels , B&B and agriturismi with breakfast
- Luggage transportation from hotel to hotel
- 2 dinners (1 in Gonato and 1 in Castelbuono)
- 1 packed lunch (in Gonato)
- Transfer Petralia from Sottana to Parco Avventura Madonie (day 2)
- Transfer from Petralia Sottana to Pomieri and from Pomieri to Petralia Sottana (both on day 3)
- Transfer Castelbuono-Castelbuono bus stop
- Digital detailed route notes and maps in English
- Access to the trip on GUIBO navigation app
- 24-hour telephone assistance
Not included:
- transfers to the starting location and from the arriving location of the tour
- luggage transfer from Castelbuono to Cefalù (clients go there by bus with the luggage)
- lunches and dinners, if not otherwise stated
- visits and entrance fees - tips
- personal expense
- possible sojourn taxes
- everything that is not mentioned in the "What is included" section.
- Tourist taxes
Optional Services:
These services can be added to the ones included in the base price of the tour:
- Single room supplement
- Half Board supplement
- Transfers to reach the starting location or to leave the arriving location of the tour, which will be quoted on request.
- Shipment of trip docs to the first accommodation
11-05-2019
"The spring flowers, the milking of the cows and cheese making at Rocca Di Gonato, the mists rolling in at Pomieri - a perfect escape from life in the city. Each accommodation had it's own personality and unique charm. We were impressed with the ActiveNav app but consider it as a safety net rather than the primary means of navigation. We preferred the written route notes as they were more descriptive and encourage the visual engagement with ones surroundings.
The email communications with Victoria, Anna and Barbra were excellent and gave us a sense of personal engagement with S-cape "
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7-day Madonie Mountains Walking Holiday
Contact
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Opening hours: Mon-Fri 9:00am – 6:00pm (CET)