3. Southern Italy: Sicily 2, Western Sicily and the Egadi islands

This is a Grade 3 walk.  The walks follow well marked trails along good paths over generally undulating terrain, with spectacular sea views each day.  They range from 8 to 15 kilometres. On Day 2 and Day 4, you'll need to take ferries to and from the start of each walk (tickets included in the tour cost).  You will have plenty of opportunity to swim along the way.  Click here ofr the itinerary.

Please note that it can be very hot in Sicily in the summer (July/August) and there is limited shade along the walks (early starts can help mitigate this!).

The self-guided itineraries are rewalked and the notes updated each year.

The accommodation is in very comfortable, family-run 3-star hotels.  The superior rooms have en suite bathrooms, terraces and ample breakfasts are included.

The first hotel is in the centre of the main town of the Egadi Islands, only 50 metres from the seaside and a short walk from the port.  It is in an historical building that has been recently restored.  You'll spend four nights here.  The second hotel is in the centre of a small fortified hamlet a short walk from the seashore.  You'll spend two nights here.  Both hotel's have excellent restaurants.

As far as Sicilians' are convinced that the best things in life include good company, family life, sunny days and above all, good food.  Sicilian food is completely hybrid, reflecting the island's extraordinary history.  From Greece came the the traditional country dishes around Syracuse and Ragusa; the Arabs introduced sweet and sour; the Spanish a Baroque taste for excess; the French introduced the onion, while Swiss chefs influenced their desserts with cream and stuffing.  Eating and drinking in Sicily is synonymous with a delicious journey back in time!

On the coast, the cooking mixes staples like pasta, tomato sauce and fresh vegetables with local specialities like the abundant freshfish, including tuna, sardines swordfish, with chillies, olives, pine nuts and capers.  The Arabic influence is clear through the couscous and rich sweets and desserts like marzipan and cassata.

Generous breakfasts are included each day (you'll need them for your walks).  Hidden Italy will provide you with a curated list with descriptions and locations of three to four restaurants for each town/village you visit (from fancy to more relaxed).  This information will be on the Hidden Italy walking App and you will be able to book your meals directly through the App.

To guide you through this wonderful walk, you will receive:  the Hidden Italy roadbook (an eighty-page A5 booklet that includes comprehensive daily walking notes accompanied by detailed maps, updated and revised each year);  access to the exclusive Hidden Italy App to complement the roadbook (the App is downloadable to Apple and Android devices and features information about the routes: maps, GPS tracks, altimetric profiles, etc; GPS navigation on all the routes; an alert function if you stray off the track; and an emergency function);  twenty-four-hour phone support from our Florence-based Operations Manager.