With over 5,000 kilometres of walks and trails, Sicily offers a wealth of walsk and trails to explore in spring.
Mount Etna is a UNESCO site
There are many natural, historical and cultural attractions that extend beyond the summer seaside, providing authentic and sustainable experiences, from mountains and coastlines to quiet villages and breathtaking landscapes. Sicily is home to four regional parks, ranging from the Nebrodi and Madonie Parks – ideal settings for trekking and cycle tourism – to volcanic landscapes featuring Mount Etna, Europe’s largest active volcano. This UNESCO site is unique in its variety of experiences and landscapes: at an altitude of over 3,000 metres, the volcano is snow-capped for several months of the year, offering the chance to ski on its northern slopes. The volcano also offers opportunities for trekking, cable car and jeep excursions, and contrasting landscapes of lava, woodland and snow.
Two fascinating religious routes
Set against this backdrop is a network of trails criss-crossing the entire island: between the Madonie mountains and the Tyrrhenian coast, the Via dei Frati The Way of the Friars - Visit Sicily, 166 kilometres long and comprising five stages, winds its way through sanctuaries and medieval villages; Moving inland, the Way of St James Way of St James in Sicily - Visit Sicily is the route that follows in the footsteps of one of the saint passing through art cities and rural landscapes in six stages.
There is also a Sicily by Water trail
The Magna Via Francigena The Magna Via Francigena - Visit Sicily connects Palermo to Agrigento for 180 kilomtres that can be covered on foot or by bicycle, on a journey through thirteen municipalities that brings together archaeological, artistic and natural sites. And last, but by no means least, Sicily by Water Sicily by water: a nature trail through canyons, rivers, and springs - Visit Sicily showcases routes through canyons, springs and river environments.
Trails and paths for all levels of walkers
The Alcantara River Park Alcantara River Park, with the famous Alcantara Gorges, offers unique canyon scenery surrounded by basalt columns and "gurne," small circular pools formed by river erosion where it is still possible to spot kingfishers and brown trout. The Pantalica Nature Reserve Pantalica Nature Reserve, Anapo Valley, and Cava Grande Stream - Sicily Region - ORBS Portal, in the Syracuse area, is a UNESCO site combining nature and archaeology, featuring trails through canyons, an old railway line and a 13th-century BC necropolis dotted with over 5,000 "grotticella" grotto tombs. For further information on the trails and paths: visitsicily.info and the regional web map of the routes.
