Sentiero Italia

The Sentiero Italia in Sicily starts from Trapani, a city famous throughout the world for its fascinating salt pans, namely Marsala and Mozia (museum island), Sicily’s largest lagoon and nature reserve.

We continue on to Erice (TP), part of The Most Beautiful Villages of Italy circuit, from the top of which there is a breathtaking view of the entire valley. Called the “City of 100 Churches”, it finds its symbol in the majestic Castle of Venus.

The third stop on the Sentiero Italia in Sicily is Custonaci (TP), “City of the Marbles and the 100 Quarries” and Europe’s second largest marble basin; fourth, San Vito Lo Capo (TP), part of the wonderful Zingaro Nature Reserve, where you can admire the Uzzo and Horses Cave.

The fifth stage of the Sentiero Italia takes us to Castellammare del Golfo (TP), famous for the ancient Tonnara di Scopello, one of the unmissable places in Sicily for lovers of nature and fishing traditions.

Archaeology enthusiasts should not miss a visit to Calatafimi Segesta (TP), where they can immerse themselves in the extraordinary Archaeological Park of Ancient Segesta, one of the most important Greek sites in the Mediterranean, with a detour to nearby Alcamo and the Bosco di Alcamo Nature Reserve.

A dive into the Albanian culture of Sicily? We get there with the eighth stage of the Sentiero Italia, which takes us straight to Piana degli Abanesi (PA). Here, the Arbëreshë ethno-linguistic minority, which moved here from the 15th century onwards to escape Turkish persecution, still maintains typical customs and traditions.

We continue along the Sentiero Italia in Sicily to discover Cefalà Diana, in the province of Palermo, a locality famous for its ancient thermal baths, of Islamic origin and still perfectly preserved, and then we reach Ciminna (PA), a locality famous for its churches and the cult of San Vito.

Eleventh and twelfth stops along the Sentiero Italia are Montemaggiore Belsito (PA) and Scillato (PA), respectively. The first was an important medieval seigniory, a period of which it preserves the Basilica and a series of noble palaces; the second is part of the Madonie Park and is crossed by an evocative trek through the Valley of Mills.

The stops in Petralia Sottana (PA) and Montalbano Elicona (ME) catapult us into the atmosphere of typical medieval villages, one being a Touring Club Orange Flag, the other, among The Most Beautiful Villages in Italy.

Zafferana Etnea, the fifteenth stop on the Sentiero Italia in Sicily, takes us to the province of Catania, to discover the natural beauty of Mount Etna Park and the Illice di Carrinu, the island’s largest monumental holm oak. Also not to be missed are the Brancati Literary Prize and the now famous Ottobrata of typical flavours.

Continuing along the Sentiero Italia, we reach the province of Messina and the localities of Mojo Alcantara, at the foot of the mountain of the same name in the Alcantara Valley, where the Peach Festival and the Mojo Fair are held, and Novara di Sicilia, a village famous for its Abbey and Castle.

The penultimate stop along the Sicilian Path of Italy, Santa Lucia del Mela (ME) offers us a regenerating break at the Maressa Refuge and the Postoleoni Lake, a natural oasis not far from the medieval village where the castle stands.

Finally, we arrive in Messina, the final stage of the Sentiero Italia in Sicily, with the crossing of the Nebrodi Park and the inevitable visit to the city, amidst works of art, monuments and typical products.

For more information visit the Sentiero Italia CAI website.

Regional web map of paths and routes for soft mobility realised by LabGis Osservatorio Turistico della Regione Sicilia, in collaboration with FIAB Sicilia and CAI Sicilia.