Walking in Sicily. Gillian Price

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Walking and Maps

      Walking for pleasure is still not widely practised in Sicily and guarded curiosity will often greet ramblers, as getting around on foot has long been equated with hardship. Signposting and way­marking are rare luxuries on pathways. As a consequence, commercially produced walking maps are few and far between, with the exception of those covering the popular Aeolian islands in addition to the Etna and Madonie Parks. Details of any useful exemplars or local material are listed in the individual walk headings, while useful terminology can be found in the Glossary (Appendix 1). Each route comes complete with a comprehensive sketch map, for which the legend can be found before the Introduction. The main landmarks shown on each map are also indicated in bold in the walk description.

      Individual headings include an overall difficulty rating for the route.

       Grade 1 means an easy stroll, suitable for all.

       Grade 2 is a little strenuous, with reasonable distances and/or climbs and drops involved. A basic level of fitness is required.

       Grade 3 is akin to an alpine trek. It may involve occasional problems with orientation, as well as exposed or particularly arduous stretches. Some experience and extra care is recommended, along with suitable equipment.

      Distances are given in both kilometres and miles, together with overall height loss and/or gain (ie how much you descend and/or ascend), but only when this exceeds 200m. Measurements in brackets given during the actual descriptions refer to altitude (metres above sea level).

      Total timing for the walk is also given in the heading and does NOT include any stops, so always allow more time when planning your day. Timing given en route is cumulative unless otherwise specified.

      Note: when ‘path’ is used it means just that; ‘track’ is used for a wider path, usually vehicle width; and ‘roads’ – surfaced or not – are open to traffic.

      For visitors who prefer to walk with other people and an experienced guide, the Italian Alpine Club CAI (a volunteer but well-qualified organisation with a branch in virtually every town in Sicily) arranges group walks most weekends throughout the year. Non-members are welcome on many of the excursions. The Palermo office is Tel 091-329407 or www.clubalpinoitaliano.org. Moreover the Catania branch Tel 095-7153515 or www.caicatania.it per­io­d­ically takes small groups on an interesting four-day Etna trek.

      Mention must be made of the Sentiero Italia project, a mammoth 6000km walker’s route traversing the whole of Italy from Sardinia, via Sicily, the Apennines and the Alps, all the way to Trieste. Some work has been carried out on the pathways in Sicily, with waymarking and signposting on the initial 45km in the Palermo area. The question of accommodation is yet to be resolved, but in the meantime sections can be followed on a day basis. Information on this route can be obtained from the Italian Alpine Club.

Parks, Reserves and Protected Areas

      With a plethora of diverse pressing problems to deal with on the island, the environmental movement in Sicily did not get off the ground until the 1980s. A landmark demonstration in 1980 to halt the construction of a coastal road between Scopello and San Vito Lo Capo on the northwesternmost cape led to the establishment of the Riserva dello Zingaro and heightened awareness of the issues at stake. A string of noteworthy parks and reserves was set up in the wake of the action thanks to appropriate legislation, though it is proving to be a particularly slow and cumbersome process. The Parco dell’Etna, Sicily’s first regional park, saw the light of day in 1987; the Parco delle Madonie dates back to 1989; the extensive Parco dei Nebrodi was set up in 1993; while the newest, the Parco Fluviale dell’ Alcantara established in 2001, is currently finding its feet while its borders are still being debated. A fifth is rumoured for the Sicani region in the centre-west. More specific information is given in the introductions to each park area. Moreover, www.parks.it is a good source of information.

      Exploring the Silvestri craters (Walk 5)

      Furthermore, a host of nature reserves (77 in actual fact) often known as riserva naturale orientata, mostly under the auspices of the very capable State Forestry Department of Sicily, the WWF (Global Environment Network) as well as the Italian Alpine Club (CAI), protect some remarkable sites in the provinces of Siracusa, Trapani and Palermo for a start. Generally speaking picking flowers, camping, fishing and dogs are forbidden in protected areas. Marine reserves govern activities such as spear fishing in the Egadi islands. In all some 23% of the whole of Sicily, corresponding to some 6000 sq km, is given over to protected areas.

      Groundwork through schools and community-based initiatives is carried out to sensitise local people and prevent them from regarding the protected area solely as an imposition or only in terms of restrictions and prohibitions. Drawing up a workable management plan can take time, and only when it has been implemented can work start on facilities for visitors – funds and staff permitting.

When to Go

      Sicily’s climate is typically Mediterranean with hot dry summers and mild rainy winters. It could almost be summed up as having only these two seasons, as the others only appear fleetingly. Fortunately the marvellous range of altitudes and landscapes mean the island can be glorious at any time of year. On the coast temperatures average out at 19°C (13°C inland) and rarely drop below 10°C even in midwinter, except during the once-in-a-blue-moon snowfall. Generally, March through to June is the best time to go walking in Sicily as the countryside exhibits brilliant carpets of green with extraordinarily dense, and unfortunately short-lived, masses of wild flowers.

      Rocky steps at Pantalica (Walk 11)

      In summer, from June onwards, when parched conditions have set in across the lowlands and the island is roasting with temperatures that soar above 30°C under the effect of the blistering scirocco wind straight from Africa, the mountain ranges come into their own with deliciously cool conditions, as do the breeze-blessed islands. Late July–August is understandably the busiest time for visitors and high-season prices apply.

      Strangely, the sea tends to be chilly for swimming until well into the summer but luckily retains its warmth through to the autumn months, when visibility is usually at its prime throughout Sicily. Daylight Saving Time in Italy lasts from the beginning of April to the end of October.

      As already mentioned, late autumn–winter is the season when Sicily receives its lion’s share of rain, usually desperately needed by the farmers after the near drought conditions of a protracted summer. This is the time of year when sudden downpours cause stony, arid river beds to swell and become fiumare (the term for a seasonal watercourse), and the land starts soaking up moisture in preparation for the imminent explosion of green.

      Walkers on the old railway track at Pantalica (Walk 12)

What to Take

      In terms of footwear, as the majority of these Sicilian routes follow decent country paths, in most cases nothing more than a good pair of gym shoes is needed. Sandals (with a good grip) are suitable in several cases. However, the exceptions are the volcano routes, notably on Etna and the island of Stromboli, which demand walking boots СКАЧАТЬ