Day One – Meet at Catania Airport at 5.00 pm. From here we transfer to our hotel near Noto in southeastern Sicily. Our hotel, the 45 star Viila Favorita is a former country estate set amid orange groves near the Baroque town of Noto (a UNESCO World Heritage Site). 

Day Two – This morning we go to the Cavagrande del Cassibile where we walk in the quiet countryside of this plateau which is part of the Hyblaean Mountains. We follow a trail down a canyon where the river forms beautiful pools. In the afternoon the bus takes us to Noto Antica (Ancient Noto) an abandoned city dating back to the 5th century BC. Along the dusty trail we see Byzantine tombs, the huge defensive walls and ruins of a medieval castle dating back to the Norman and Aragonese times.
Later in the day we visit the Baroque centre of the town of Noto which has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The town is constructed of  soft limestone which, at sunset, has a warm honey-coloured hue.

Morning walk   Distance 7.5 km  Total climb 200m  Total descent 200m  Terrain: easy on a wide dirt road on the plateau then a little more challenging down a rockcut stairway in the canyon.      Afternoon Distance  2km    Terrain easy

Day Three -  Today we walk in the nearby nature reserve of Vendicari, a sparkling gem of unspoiled  Mediterranean coast scented with eucalyptus and wild thyme. It is salt marsh, punctuated with romantic ruins including a Swabian castle and criss-crossed with walking trails and huts for bird-watching. Coastal paths wind through juniper and wild asparagus and we may spot flamingos. Vendícari was once a port with a tower built to protect it against pirates in the 15th century but its history goes back much further. There are remains of ancient Roman fish-processing basins cut from the rock in which fish were salted to make garum (the powerful-tasting fish sauce which the Romans used like ketchup).  At the end of the day we have a stop at Marzamemi, a charming fishing village. Back at our hotel awaits a beautiful swimming pool, garden and sun terrace surrounded by almond and orange groves.
Distance 9km   Total climb 60m   Total descent 80m  Terrain easy and flat beach paths

Day Four –  We use this day to change locations but en route we do some sightseeing visiting old Syracusa which has been of great cultural importance in Sicily for twenty-seven centuries. Archimedes and Plato were born here. The city was founded by the Corinthians in 733BC, who 'grew' the city around the old town of Ortygia, an offshore island. With a local expert we visit a wealth of archaeological delights of both Syracusa and Ortygia, including the impressive ruins of the Greek Theatre ( 5th century BC), the ancient quarries called Latomie, the Temple of Apollo and the Duomo. There is free time in Syracusa  before continuing south to check into our second hotel in the seaside resort of Taormina. It was in Taormina, according to legend, where Ulysses sailed the rocky coastline and fought the Cyclops. Those one-eyed monsters hurled large rocks at Ulysses and legend says they are now the rocks along the beaches of Eastern Sicily.

 Day Five -  In the morning we explore the lovely resort town of Taormina and drive up to the quaint medieval town of Castelmola, perched high above the sea. From here we walk down terraced hillsides covered with almond and fig trees following an old mule track on an easy descent past mulberry and wild cactus pear trees down to Taormina's castle .In Taormina we visit the remarkable ancient Greek theatre (entrance included).   
In the afternon our bus takes us to Francavilla where a short walk allows us to explore the village with its ruined castle and Capucin convent.  We then continue to the Alcantara Gorge which was created three hundred thousand years ago but shaped by lava flows of the last eight thousand years which gives us a glimpse of Etna's geological influence on the surrounding countryside.
Morning distance 4km   Total climb 40m  Total descent 320 m  Terrain mainly a rock-cut stairway and mule track
Afternoon  distance 4 km  Total climb 100m   total descent 150m  Terrain easy dirt track

Day Six – Today we head to Mount Etna where we are led by a local geologist and vulcanologist who is passionate about the highest and most active volcano in continental Europe. The land here is very fertile thanks to the rich volcanic ash. We start our walk at 1770m elevation and reach 2050m with views of Mt Etna in the distance. Following a path around Mount Nero , we walk through the lava flow of 2002 and see a series of craters that were formed during the eruption that year. We picnic and continue our exploration of the region before returning to Taormina.
Distance 7.5km   Total climb 330m Total descent 350m  Terrain:  loose eroded volcanic material (easy for the first half of the walk) then challenging in the middle part where we walk along the ridge of new craters (avoidable with an alternative way with our second guide).

Day Seven - We hade to the Malabotta Forest Nature Reserve with its centuries old oaks called "Wises of the Woods" and also with megaliths of unknown origin sometimes called the "Stonehenge of Sicily". The strangely shaped rocks have names like "The Monk" or "The Eagle". Whether this was a sacred site for ancient people or just rocks sculpted by the wind is unknown. Later we see the ancient medieval town of Montalbano.

Day Eight - Morning transfer to Catania Airport. Arrival at the airport approximately 11 AM.  For those continuing to Western Sicily the guide will make arrangements for a local bus or train to Palermo.
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