La Dolce Vita Wine Tours

Sicilian Saunter

A Wine & Hiking Tour on Sicily’s Western Shores

Trip Notes:

Hiking Level of Difficulty

These hikes are generally 2 to 3 hours. During the course of the week, they alternate between easy and flat, and challenging and hilly. Our easy days are either on country roads (Day 1, the only day with van support) or else on footpaths on a flat island. Our medium day is near the archaeological park of Segesta, where we hike on gravel roads and wooded paths, with one climb. Our more challenging days are in two nature preserves, where we're on rocky paths and have a few climbs and descents. For these days, walking sticks are helpful, and shoes with good treads are essential. For those unable to do the more challenging hikes, we can provide shortened alternatives.

Airport

Palermo (known as both Falcone-Borsellino Airport and Punta Raisi Airport), located 22 miles west of the city

Pre-tour

Plan to land in Palermo a day before the tour begins; that’s necessary to be at our starting point on time. To get from the airport to the city, you can take a cab (50+ Euros) or a Prestia e Comandé bus (5.80 Euros). The latter runs frequently and makes multiple stops in town, including the Politeama Theater (40 min) and the main train station (55 min).

For your pre-tour hotel, one possibility is the 4-star Mercure Palermo Centro (see map). This is located in the city center, a couple of blocks from the Politeama Theater, the Prestia e Comandé bus drop-off. There are many other hotels in this vicinity as well. For other options, email us or consult a good hotel search engine, such as TripAdvisor.com or Venere.com.

Meeting point

In Palermo city center, in front of the Mercure Palermo Centro hotel (see above).

Departure day

Shuttle to Palermo airport by 11:00 a.m. Contact us if your flight requires an earlier arrival.

Trip extensions

SICILIAN SAUNTER focuses on the western side of the island, where the major historic wine regions are located. The eastern side of Sicily, however, is where you’ll find many of Sicily’s most famous archaeological sites. Thus, if you wish to spend some extra time in Sicily pre or post-tour, you could easily devote 4 to 5 days to touring this area by car. (Public transportation leaves much to be desired here.) Pick up your rental car at the airport, then do a loop trip, covering sites such as the following:

Caltagirone, a town founded by the Arabs and famous for its ceramics (caltagirone means land of vases in Arabic)

Piazza Armerina and Villa Romana del Casale, a Roman patrician Roman residence with sophisticated and well-preserved floor mosaics

Taormina holds one of the most celebrated ruins in Sicily: the Greek theater, on a summit overlooking the sea. (Concerts and theatrical performances are still held here.)

Mt. Etna, the highest and most active volcano in the world. Hiking excursions are available up the 11,000’ slope, which the Greeks believed to be Vulcan’s home. (Visit Etna from your base in Taormina.)

Siracusa, a Greek colony with many ancient ruins, including the largest open theater in Europe; also famous for its Sicilian Baroque architecture

Return to Palermo

Italian train schedule

Click here for the Trenitalia schedule in English. Be aware that the schedule is posted just a few months in advance, so if you’re looking for long-range dates, try something sooner, if only to get an idea of departure frequency and trip length.

Weather

When packing, check check www.weather.com. Go to “Palermo, Italy” to get a general idea of temperatures and forecast. In late September, expect summer weather, with daytime temperatures in the 80s and nighttime temps in the 70s.

Reading

Articles by La Dolce Vita Wine Tours cofounder Patricia Thomson:
"Marsala: Meditate on This," Tastes of Italia, January/February 2011
"Nero d'Avola's Path to Greatness"Living La Dolce Vita (blog), June 7, 2011
"Grillo the Great," Living La Dolce Vita (blog), September 18, 2011
"Q&A;: Donnafugata's Jose Rallo on Nero d'Avola," Living La Dolce Vita (blog), May 20, 2011