Pre-Arrival
Catania 2 nights, including a guided tour of town
Post-departure
2 nights lazy sea resort life, hotel right by the sea, half board included
Combine with: Eastern Sicily, Western Sicily
7 nights accommodation, all meals, local guide every day, tour leader, all visits and entrance fees.
These islands sat undisturbed for centuries north off the Sicilian coast.
Now everyone knows about their wild and dramatic beauty.
The sea is truly cobalt-blue, they are a corner of paradise, hiking around here means discovering another aspect of natural beauty behind every corner.
They are protected as a Unesco World Heritage Site.
Whitewashed villages, black-sand beaches, active volcanoes, the sea and the views will enchant you and stay with you.
Arrive at Catania airport and transfer to your hotel
Orientation briefing and welcome stroll and aperitivo!
Fine dinner and overnight.
Our walk of today, “The Path of Obsidian and Pumice”. The trail leads along the flow of the last big eruption that happened on the island at about 700AC. The entire soil is of obsidian, a black lava stone which looks like glass. The trail continues by crossing the crater of Mt. Pelato with typical Mediterranean bushes. Walk until the edge of the actual caves of Pumice, an impressive scenery. Descend the slope used by the excavators. Enjoy a local lunch.
Free morning to roam the island or Lipari town, lunch at the hotel and afternoon transfer by boat to Stromboli island to observe the lava flows of the most active of all volcanoes. A nice boat tour around Stromboli with light dinner on board. Stops are made at Punta Lena, Ginostra, day light lava flow, Strombolicchio, Scari, night lava flow. Fine return to hotel at 11 pm and overnight.
Salina is the greenest of all islands. The famous Malvasia wine is grown here. Climb Salina’s highest peak along switchbacks, through evergreen woods. A walk that demands some effort but you will be rewarded with incomparable views onto the green island and Alicudi and Filicudi.
Walk along the ancient sulphur mines, they are full of geysers that are intensively monitored by volcano experts to predict another “awakening” of the volcano. Walk to the summit of the volcano, then to the volcanic area of Lentia, and to the natural springs by the seaside, continue to the Volcano Centre where the monitoring of the volcano’s activities is illustrated.
Begin the walk in Quattropiani at the old mines of Caoline which dominate the old volcanic buildings of the Western coast of the island. Continue along the walls of Timpone Pataso, to the Tholos of San Calogero, the only remaining testimonial of Miocene architecture outside of Greece, and reach Pianoconte for a sumptuous farewell lunch.
Transfer to Catania airport for departure.
