Walking the Highlights of Western Sicily Walk

Name: Walking the Highlights of Western Sicily Walk
Brand: Exodus
Rating: 3.5 (2 reviews)

2 reviews

Activity Level

Easy & Moderate

Activity

Walking & Trekking

Overview

Discover Sicily’s sapphire waters, hidden sandy coves and unexplored islands

Starting at the Moorish village of Scopello, this seven night walking holiday allows you to uncover the secrets of one of the most remote areas of Sicily. The national parks and unexplored islands are the perfect place to appreciate the peace and tranquillity and explore the cultural highlights including ancient ruins, medieval churches and prehistoric caves.

Key Information

Trip Code: W07MR
Ways to Travel: Self-Guided Holidays
Countries: Italy

What's Included

All breakfasts
All accommodation (see accommodation section)
All baggage transport
Walk transfers on days 3, 4 and 7
Headwater navigational app

5 days of Walking & Trekking

Pace:

Approximately 4-6 hours walking per day

Terrain:

Walks follow mainly stony coastal paths with some paved tracks with daily ascents/descents of up to 700m.

Day 2: 14 km / 8.7 miles
Day 3: 15 km / 9.3 miles
Day 5: 11 km / 6.8 miles
Day 6: 10 km / 6.2 miles
Day 7: 11 km / 6.8 miles

Highlights

Turquoise seas, coral-lined grottoes and unspoilt sandy beaches
Exotic Mediterranean flora: orange groves, dwarf palms and olive trees
Medieval churches, ancient villages and pre-historic caves
Visit the 2,500-year-old temple at Segesta
Fantastic bird spotting opportunities

Itinerary

First Destination: Scopello
Next Destination: Trapani

Meals included:Breakfast

Meals included:Breakfast

Meals included:Breakfast

Meals included:Breakfast

Meals included:Breakfast

Meals included:Breakfast

Meals included:Breakfast

Meals included:Breakfast

First Destination: Scopello
Next Destination: Trapani

Arrive at your hotel in Scopello where we brief you on your walking week before dinner. You spend three nights here.

Meals included:Breakfast

Wind your way up through asphodel, wild fennel, dwarf palm, pomegranate and citrus trees to amazing viewpoints overlooking the stunning coastline of tiny sandy coves lapped by sapphire waters.

Meals included:Breakfast

There’s a short transfer (10 mins) this morning before you set off on a winding uphill path past dwarf palms, holm oak and eucalyptus on the flanks of Monte Inici – with luck you can spot buzzard, peregrine falcon or the Sicilian rock partridge which is a protected species here. The vistas open up over Scopello and the Zingaro reserve, before a final uphill push, rewarded with truly outstanding views onto the Gulf of Castellammare. Descend to the gorgeous and quintessentially Sicilian town of Castellammare with its Aragonese castle and maze of medieval streets.

Meals included:Breakfast

Transfer to the 2,500 year old temple of Segesta and the marvellously preserved theatre, then on to the hilltop town of Erice with its winding marble streets, old city gates, medieval churches, ancient squares and stunning Norman castle. Continue to Baroque Trapani and the 4* Room of Andrea.

Meals included:Breakfast

It’s a 50 minute crossing to Levanzo where a coastal path, bright with lilac scabious, leads past deserted stone farm houses and olive trees to the Grotta del Genovese – admire the marvellously well preserved 11BC cave paintings and engravings lining the cavern walls. Back in Trapani, why not grab a granita at the Torre di Ligny at sundown to savour the location’s stunning sunsets!

Meals included:Breakfast

Take the hydrofoil (30 minutes) to the largest of the Egadi islands, Favignana, with its pretty bays framed by azure seas. From the cluster of whitewashed houses in Favignana town, head uphill to the panoramic 15th century Castello di Santa Caterina, from where there are superb 360 degrees vistas of Favignana and the other Egadi islands on a clear day. Return to the port via the Neogothic Palazzo Florio and the golden sands of Spiaggia Praia.

Meals included:Breakfast

A scenic lift to the foot of Monte Cofano is followed by a gentle ascent through twisted olive trees with breathtaking views over the Bay of Bonagia. Descending, you reach an old tonnara (tuna factory) where nearby coves with sapphire waters are perfect for a dip. Then a cliff path fringed with red valerian and field gladioli leads into the village of Cornino for a late lunch before we meet you and take you back to your hotel.

Meals included:Breakfast

If you have pre-booked a transfer through Headwater, you will be picked up by taxi for the drive back to Palermo airport in time for your flight home.

Meals included:Breakfast

Dates & Prices

Walking the Highlights of Western Sicily Walk

Skip the hassle: We’ll handle your trip from start to finish, with competitive flight prices, deposit-only payments, and full ATOL protection available.

Call us: 020 3733 5948

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Accommodation

Hotels

Your hotels are each special in their own contrasting ways. In the sleepy village of Scopello, you stay at the 4* Baglio di Scopello, with its tempting outdoor swimming pool, perfect for a post walk dip, whilst in Trapani, your accommodation is the 4* Room of Andrea, located in the spectacular Palazzo Platamone, and boasting superb views from its roof top pool.

All prices are based on 2 persons sharing, so if there is an odd number of people travelling in your party or you are travelling alone, there will be a compulsory supplement for a single room for the tour duration. For a solo traveller there is an additional charge to cover transfer costs. Please call for further details.

Essential Information

This holiday follows mainly stony paths with some paved tracks and frequent ascents and descents, some of which are steep and uneven; walking boots are essential throughout. The route is suitable for anyone looking for walks of 4-6 hours and confident with daily ascents/descents of up to 700m. Walkers don’t need specific hiking experience, however, good health and a reasonable level of fitness is required.

This is a self-guided tour, as such there will be no group or tour leader and you are free to complete the walks at your own pace.

You may find our Fitness Training Guide a useful reference:

http://www.exodus.co.uk/assets/pdf/Exodus_WT_Fitness_Training_Guide.pdf

Your trip normally starts at our hotel in Scopello on the afternoon of Day 1 of the itinerary. Hotel check-in times are normally from around 4pm.

We can book your flights from London to Palermo, as well as your transfers from Palermo to Scopello and Trapani to Palermo; please contact us if you’d like us to organise this for you.

Italy

Travellers from the UK, US and EU normally do not need a visa to enter Italy. Please note, visa requirements often change and it is your responsibility to obtain any required visas for this trip. Therefore, we recommend that you check with the nearest embassy or consulate of your chosen destination(s), including any countries you may be transiting or transferring through.

Some local governments provide guidance on what visas their citizens need. To help, we’ve gathered a selection of useful links below.

• Australia: www.smartraveller.gov.au/destinations/europe/italy
• Canada: www.travel.gc.ca/destinations/italy
• United Kingdom: www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/italy/entry-requirements
• USA:  www.travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Italy.html

Please note: it is compulsory to carry ID with you at all times in Italy.

Daily breakfast included.

Sicily’s typically southern Italian cuisine is interspersed with many more exotic dishes reflecting the island’s jumbled cultural past. Italian dishes like pasta alla norma (made with tomatoes, aubergine and grated ricotta) are often found on menus along with couscous (a north African speciality), or even pasta con le sarde (a pasta dish dating back to Phoenician times made from sardines, raisins, pine nuts, fennel, saffron, parsley and capers).

The Arabs introduced citrus groves to the island and a popular drink today is granita made with crushed ice and lemon. This was traditionally drunk with sweet bread dipped in it as a lunchtime snack by Sicilian peasants.
Fish is of course also abundant. Local specialities include pesce spada alla ghiotta (swordfish cooked with tomatoes, capers, onion, celery and potatoes) or tonno fresco alla brace (grilled fresh tuna).

Sicily is famed for its desserts. Why not try cannolo, a crunchy pastry tube filled with ricotta cheese and studded with candied fruits, pistachio and chocolate? Or cassata, the Arab influenced cake made with ricotta cheese, candied fruit and chocolate pieces.

Sicily is not traditionally famous for its wines, so it is surprising to learn that the island boasts one of the largest wine producing areas in the whole of Italy. Look out for the Etna DOC label and Corvo di Salaparuta. One of Sicily’s most popular wines is Alcamo Bianco – a soft white which goes well with fish dishes.

Sicily has a good all year round climate, with plenty of sunshine and warm/hot temperatures. The summer departures ought to have daily hot sunshine and temperatures can reach 30 to 35 degrees Celcius. The earlier and later departures are likely to be cooler with a slightly higher chance of rain. In late summer there is the possibility of heavy thunderstorms, but these are usually short-lived.

As a certified B Corp, we’re on a mission to improve our social and environmental impact across all our adventures.

We do this through our innovative Thriving Nature, Thriving People plan.

This ‘nature positive’ approach is designed to help nature and communities thrive in harmony through practical solutions, such as reducing carbon and waste on our trips, supporting conservation projects through the Exodus Adventure Travels Foundation, and rewilding 100 square metres for every Exodus traveller.

Reviews

Add new review

Jo Ann Ely

Added November 2023

October 2023

I was very disappointed with our Exodus Trip. The Canadian webpage says that you will be staying in Hotel la Tavernetta, which is a 4-star hotel in Scopello. And that you will be in Daniela's B&B in San Vito Lo Capo. We didn't stay in either of these hotels. I didn't find out that we were not staying in either of these hotels until I had paid in full. I emailed several times once I got my itinerary to ask why. I was told the website had just not been updated. Well, it is still not updated. I chose Exodus as I heard that they chose upgraded hotels and were a cut above other travel operators. Then right off the bat, the hotels were disappointing. I have travelled a fair bit - but mostly independently - so this was the first time using a tour operator. It is much more expensive to use a tour operator - and I truly do not see any value that was provided. It could have been so much better than it was.

Thoughts on Group Leader

n/a

Advice for Potential Travellers

Get as much information before you trip as possible. There is a need to plan out your day and truly understand the walk.

adam wardman

Added April 2018

secrets of sicily: an amazing experience!

This was a wonderful break. You stay at a number of very beautiful places: Scapello, Marettimo and San Vito La Capo. The walking is enjoyable but not too challenging. There are many opportunities to enjoy the food and culture of this part of Sicily; for example the town of Erice and the ancient site of Segasta. We also had a chance to spend an evening in Trapani and i would really recommend this too. I hadnt done self-guided walking before but really enjoyed it. We went in April and the weather was super. Not too hot so perfect for walking and little rain.

Most Inspirational Moment

The days on Marettimo were just awesome. Its a tiny place. a few hundred people, one bar and restaurant open (sure more open in the summer). The residence you stay in was lovely and the walks lead to amazing views. We particualr enjoyed walking along the coast to the Norman Castle, but it was also lovely going in the restaurant Il Veliero; the menu consisted of laocal pasta dishes and the catch of the day: so charming, friendly and delicious.

Thoughts on Group Leader

As it was self-guided we only met him once. He was very friendly and positive about Sicily. They were very helpful when bad weather was forecast for Marettimo. Rather than have us stuck on the island (as the boat may not have run) they organised for us to transfer to Trapani early and spend the evening there.

Advice for Potential Travellers

We ended our trip with a few days in palermo. This was fantastic and i really recommend it; a great way to round off the trip. Also try cous cous if its on the menu, eat lots of ice cream, visiting the tuna factory at Scapello is worth the walk, the B and B at San Vito La Capo is in quite a secluded spot which is lovely (the views from the garden at brekie are wondeful) but you may want to buy some supplies/snacks to take on your walks.

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