Sicily walking tour in the spring: Palermo to Taormina

The challenge in organising a walking tour in Sicily lies in what to leave out rather than what to include but after more than a decade of taking walking tours around Sicily, we feel we've got the balance right.

There is not one but many different Sicilys: the Baroque splendours and crowded markets of Palermo; the magnificent solitude of the island's Greek temples and theatres; the timelessness of forgotten villages scattered through the green interior; the glamour and bustle of Taormina; the dreamy mirage of the Aeolian islands and the power and majesty of Mt Etna.

This relaxed fourteen day tour will take you off the beaten track and give you real insight into Sicily's diversity and the legacy of the civilisations that have taken root in its fertile soils since the dawn of time: the Siculi and the Phoenicians, the Greeks and Romans, the Moors and the Normans, the Spanish and the French.

A Hidden Italy special!

This walking tour in Sicily has a variety of walks including easy coastal strolls, longer mountain walks following unsealed country roads as well as more challenging ones such as the walk to the top of Vulcano in the Aeolian islands. Going in May means that we'll be able to enjoy the island's idyllic spring weather and abundant wildflowers as well as avoid the crowds of the busier seasons. In some cases it is possible to shorten the walk or to opt out and join the walkers for lunch.  Details for the individual walks are on the itinerary.

Accommodation is in very good, centrally located boutique hotels: a grand 4-star hotel in the heart of Palermo; a recently restored patrician palazzo in the heart of our sleepy village in the mountains; a 4-star hotel with generous gardens and a large swimming pool in Lipari and another 4-star hotel in Toarmina, with a fabulous rooftop terrace and beautiful views across the sea.  All rooms have en suite bathrooms and air conditioning.

One of the highlights of the tour is the exploration of the island's diverse and wonderous cuisine (some would say the finest in Italy): the rich ‘cucina povera' of Palermo; the fine country cooking of the interior; the excellent seafood of the Aeolian Islands and Taormina - all the ingredients rigorously seasonal and local.  We'll eat in fine restaurants, small trattoria's, enjoy picnic lunches, all exalting the best of Sicilian cooking.  Wine is included with all meals.

Born in Sicily and raised and educated in Australia, Carmelina returned to Italy for a brief visit in 1992 and has been there ever since. After 15 years of working in tourism throughout Italy (including stints running boutique 5-star hotels in Tuscany and the Italian Alps as well as managing and tour-guiding for several American and English walking companies) Carmelina returned to her native Sicily, setting up home near Cefalu.  She has been with Hidden Italy since 2010.  Click here for an introduction to Carmelina.

"Carmelina is a wonderful and generous guide.  We really felt her enthusiasm and passion for her country and feel that she really wanted us to share all those emotions.  ...she had friends in every town and was greeted so warmly .... her popularity was evident."