The Mountains of Sicily

An excellent walking holiday through very quiet but fascinating countryside. A good pair of boots was essential as although much of the walking was on tracks these were often very rough and eroded. The views were fantastic; we had good weather throughout the week despite our trip being in mid October. English was much more widely spoken than we had expected making communication much easier. The Agrituristica Bergi was very congenial and relaxing and the food particularly fresh & tasty - we could have happily stayed here for longer.

This is an enjoyable trip, with excellent mountain views and a feeling of remoteness in the first half. 

The holiday was thoughtfully planned, giving a wonderful taste of NE Sicily, the holiday notes were thorough and the walking routes easy to follow, although occasionally needed reading carefully to be sure we had followed the route accurately.

The walks included an interesting variety of landscapes with frequent wonderful views. The accommodation was a good mix from the slightly more basic to the luxurious, all with their own distinctive Sicilian flavour. Would definitely recommend a walking holiday with Inntravel.

I found the walks to be comfortable in the main and challenging in a few places. However, we were blessed with good weather, and the going would have been much more difficult in adverse weather conditions.

This was a great holiday and Sicily is the perfect antidote to angry Brexit Britain. The Madonie mountains are like the land that time forgot. The woodland is surprisingly mixed and beautiful and this is likely to be the only walk we ever take where we were accompanied by the gentle snuffling of black pigs in the undergrowth! The food was really good and so was the welcome at all the hotels. We enjoyed the contrasts of hilltop towns, remote mountains and Mediterranean heat near the sea. It felt like we did and saw a lot but with plenty of rest time too. Lovely, thank you.

Relais Santa Anastasia is a lovely place to stay. We found having an extra night so we could enjoy the beach in Cefalu was well worth-while.

Hotel Bergi was the best.

The accommodation and the food offered was great. 

Santa Anastasia was a lovely bit of luxury at the end of the week. 

Best walk days were day 3 (great climb up and lovely views from the top) and on day 4 the route from Pomieri to Refugio Crispi.  

Do not underestimate how quickly the weather changes in the mountains nor the severity of the mountain storms. We got caught out on day 1 and had to retrace our steps in a thunderstorm. 

A compass is useful due to the poor management of the signposting, and an ability to count your steps!

There are some steep ascents and descents so we found our walking poles very useful !

Use insect repellant - expecially on day 5, the long day. We were attacked by horseflies all the way from Refugio Crispi to Bergi.      

This was our 3rd Inntravel trip and yet we thoroughly enjoyed it. In some respects it was the most challenging trip of the 3, mainly due to the heat (we went end of August) and the rocky terrain under foot both up and downhill. However the views were worth the effort as they were breathtaking.

We experienced incredibly tasty food throughout the whole trip and at all 4 hotels. The room at Hotel Pomieri was very basic and unfortunately we had noisy neighbours however the hotel staff especially Giacomo the barman were extremely welcoming.

We had a couple of issues with the route instructions but worked these out eventually, the instructions were mainly easy to follow and the walks exhilarating.

We would recommend taking waterproofs - we had sunshine forecast all week but had an unexpected thunderstorm we weren’t prepared for. A jacket with a hood would also help as a barrier with the at times incessant flies - please don’t let this put you off, they came in bouts mainly after the storm rather than being constant and did not ruin by any means ruin the holiday. 

The hotels were superb and the area and walking on offer likewise. The holiday was ruined by extreme poor notes. That is the first time we have felt this about an Inntravel holiday

We had expected a more arid landscape but the Madonie Hills were luscious, very green and covered in so many vibrantly coloured wild flowers, including sweet peas and wild peonies. Our holiday was at the beginning of June and started with temperatures that were more Spring than Summer. Good walking weather, but demanding layers of clothing you may not anticipate. Very quickly the temperatures rose and as you walk to Bergi the landscape changes. We walked in temperatures in excess of 30c, there was less shade and it is difficult not to become dehydrated, despite drinking plenty of water.

All the hotels were good, with excellent local food and wine but for us the highlight was Azienda Bergi and we were very pleased to have booked an extra night there.

It was an enjoyable holiday, just a few uncomfortable moments on day 5. Hotels on the walking holiday were very varied but enjoyable in different ways. Everyone was friendly on the walking holiday, and the scenery and wild flowers were beautiful. Cefalu felt like a completely different aspect of the holiday but was equally lovely. Also really enjoyed walking Palermo.

INNTRAVEL NOTE: These customers enjoyed our Palermo and Catania City add-ons after their Mountains of Sicily self-guided walking holiday.

We had a wonderful holiday and the wild flowers and butterflies were particularly spectacular. Despite the coldness of our room, the Hotel Pomieri was a particular highlight-excellent food and a very warm welcome. The Azienda Agrituristica Bergi was also a highlight with a very relaxed atmosphere and lovely food. We would recommend walkers bringing a compass and a pedometer would also be very useful in order to be able to follow the written walking instructions more accurately. The walks were excellent, reasonably strenuous but perfect for our level of fitness days, we saw noone at all, except maybe a fellow walker or two.

Glorious views and lovely walks. Hotel Pomieri is a bit basic but saved by a wonderful waiter and a log fire. Santa Anastasia - well worth upgrading to a better room. Visitors should ask to see the library. Whilst we were warned it could be cooler in the mountains, snow, morning temperatures of 2 deg, and wearing ALL one's clothing were not expected at the end of May.

The Modonie Mountains are  spectacular! We saw numerous wild flowers including bee orchilds, wild iris and peonies in flower. The views were wonderful from every walk. Our first night in the mountains was very cold; we needed all our clothes on at the same time!! The visit to the winery at Sant Anastasia was both interesting and informative.

Joining these two holidays in Sicily worked really well and we had a lovely, varied experience and felt we had explored Sicily more deeply than we otherwise might have done. The accommodation was well-chosen and provided variety.  The fact that Inn Travel adds possible excursions, including walks, to its Treasures of Eastern Sicily holiday added much to the experience and gave us alternatives to sight-seeing (there are a lot of churches to visit in Sicily the Duomo in Cefalu was the church highlight). Walking up Etna in a snowstorm was an unforgettable experience. 

INNTRAVEL NOTE: These customers enjoyed our Mountains of Sicily self-guided walking holiday followed by our Treasures of Eastern Sicily self-guided journey.

This was a reasonably challenging walk that was incredibly rewarding. The scenery was fabulous and late April a great time to see wildflowers including stunning orchids. We encountered few people on the middle days, but saw deer, snakes, lizards and lots of birds. Highly recommended.

Circular walk at Petralia Sottana was our favourite.  Suggest downloading an app such as viewranger so you can mark your route ahead - and check where instructions and signs are unclear.

We experienced a warm welcome at all the hotels en route.  Hotel Pomieri is situated in a stunning location and its faded charm definitely grew on us.  We especially enjoyed the relaxed, friendly atmosphere with guests chatting around the fire in the evening.  We would have liked to have spent another day at Agrituristica Bergi.  The food was delicious and featured lots of tasty home-grown produce. The Relais Santa Anastasia is beautiful; the service impeccable (possibly a bit too formal) and the food good.

The walks amid beautiful scenery were lovely, if sometimes challenging on rough, rocky paths.  The weather was perfect and at this time of year the wild flowers were stunning.  Orchids were plentiful, wild peonies and narcissi an unexpected treat.  We encountered foxes, Nebrodi pigs, wild boar, deer, an adder, amazing green lizards and numerous butterflies and birds including the elusive Sicilian rock partridge.

A word of caution - avoid any contact with the Pine Processionary moth caterpillars, a fascinating sight but their hairs contain a toxin which can cause extreme skin irritation.

If you are visiting Cefalu on a Sunday you will need to book a return taxi (35 euros) as the bus only runs Mon-Sat.

The mountains are just gorgeous! People we met along the way — both other hikers and locals — were so nice, and the food was delicious. We had a great time and enjoyed the balance of towns and country.

The Mountains of Sicily walk was a beautiful and varied landscape. The wildflowers in April were amazing. The accommodations were all different but charming in their own way.

Il Castello gives a warm enthusiastic welcome. The Pomieri hotel, though only 2-star was warm and offered a great space to sit in with a wonderful fire and spectacular mountain views. Really high-quality cooking of local produce. The Agrituristica Azienda Bergi offered a warm welcome Gaia was delightful, and imaginative generous meal. However, the room was cold and after a very long walk with foul weather blowing outside, nowhere to go and no means to warm up. In Anastasia the welcome was great and despite foul wind and weather everything enjoyable. We also made some good Inntravel fellow travelling friends! Overall, we wondered if the grading of the walks was a bit optimistic. We had a great time.

We enjoyed our walk, our first ever organised walking tour, very much. Highlights were the day 3 walk from Hotel Pomieri and the walk to Agriturismo Bergi on Day 4. We were able to take our time with the walking so we could take plenty of photos and soak up the scenery. Spending the day at Cefalu on the last day was a great way to finish the walk. All the accommodation and meals were fabulous. One recommendation would be to wear long pants as many of the plants next to the paths are spiky.

A Fabulous holiday, excellent walking without the problems of luggage carrying and finding accommodation. Lots of Highlights - stupendous views, lunatic villages at the top of mountains, autumn colours, flowers and fungi, dung beetles, watching the clouds come up the valley from Pomieri, the Roman bridge, bits of Roman road, the megalithic temple at Cefalu and the wonderful Duomo (not to be missed).

Another excellent Inntravel holiday. The routes were varied, with fabulous views, we saw wild pigs and stags. We loved the hospitality of the Sicilian people. Santa Anastasia was a lovely treat at the end.

Highlights for me were the extremely friendly people we met at the hotels, both staff and other guests, the excellent food and the wonderful views of the nature reserve including encounters with magnificent 600-year-old oaks and chestnut trees, wild pigs and deer. I would thoroughly recommend a visit to the Villa Romana de Casale, for its superb Roman mosaics, which can be arranged with the taxi driver as an extra detour on the way back to Catania.

The walks in good weather were spectacular.  On last walking day a better description of the route as it appeared to be level but was quite up and down.  Also some of the paths are dangerous and need reviewed. 

The walk up to Cozzi Ipsi was the star walk of the trip, followed by the first half of the walk from Pomieri to Bergi.

All hotels and food were a treat and all very different in their own way. Would have probably liked to have spent an extra night at Bergi

We thoroughly enjoyed our first walking holiday with Inntravel and will go again. Too many highlights to mention. Looking forward to the next one. Have recommended to friends and colleagues.

The highlights were the hotels at Bergi and Santa Anastasia. Petralia Soprana is a gem to wander round. 

We enjoyed the peace and quiet and solitude of the Madonie Park (Mountains of Sicily) - we were lucky enough to see three Bonelli's eagles as well as wild boar, rock partridge and Nebrodi black pigs. On Treasures of Eastern Sicily, a highlight was Villa Romana del Casale - outstanding mosaics!  Well worth the detour. We recommend the Osteria del Seby in Ortigia - it was suggested by the hotel. As usual with Inntravel we had a wonderful holiday - thank you!

INNTRAVEL NOTE: These customers combined our walk The Mountains of Sicily with our Discovery Journey Treasures of Eastern Sicily

This was our first walking holiday and it was wonderful! Spectacular scenery and wonderful food at all the locations, were just some of the highlights. Pomieri was such a memorable place - from the most uncomfortable bed I've slept in for a long time, to stunning night time views of the milky way, delicious food and wild boar roaming the car park! We met some lovely people on the same itinerary, it was great to compare each day's experience with the help of good wine and amaro. We arrived in Petralia at the end of September - the weather can be very variable, from glorious blue skies and perfect walking temperatures, to chilly winds and low cloud - don't leave your fleece at home!

Don’t do this one if you’re a non meat eater, and like to be warm and comfortable after a long days walk

Great walking, challenging at times with varied scenery and the added factor of experiencing true Sicilian hospitality in both the more simple and the luxurious Relais hotels made this holiday fantastic. We extended the holiday, hiring a car at Cefalù and travelling via Monreale, to Scopello , walking an extended version of the Inntravel coastal hike. We've been to Scopello with Inntravel before, super hotel and location. The next day we walked from the Grotta da Malgiapane on the other side of the peninsular, incredible..this is a village built inside a cave which was deserted mid 20 century which has been  totally restored as a living museum. The walk from the caves is brilliant. Then we continued our drive to the wonderful, Relais at Nubia, in addition to the salt museum we had a day on Levanzo where visited a prehistoric cave with art from 12,000BC which was once again brilliantly situated on a great walking track. The next day we progressed to Selinute, via Marsala. This site is very exciting . It is similar to Agrigento but far quieter. We stayed at a brilliant hotel right opposite the archaeological park ..the Temple of Herra...brilliant value, huge room and super hospitality ...also the best ever fish restaurant EVER, called Boomerang...7 fish courses ...no menu ...you should try it ....this made the perfect add on to the mountain part of the holiday, and the journey back to Palermo was so easy. I recommend your company to everyone. Due to all your painstaking research you have given us truly splendid insights into remote areas we would never have explored and hotels we would never have known existed. Also this holiday we kept catching up with fellow Inn Travellers which we enjoyed.

Thanks once again 

On  cycling day 2 we only went as far as Mozia because of electrical storm and torrential rain, but found this very worthwhile as it is a fascinating little island full of fascinating archeology. Best cycling on days 3,4 and 5; less traffic on roads and more interesting countryside. Segesta and the theatre were well worth visiting.

When we arrived in Petralia Sottana to start walking, we went to the museum, and were given a tour of it by a very knowlegeable and enthusiastic guide; a highly recommended experience.

Highlights of the walking in the Madonie Park were the early days through some fascinating mountain country, with varied terrain, trees and plants. We would like to see more of this area.

INNTRAVEL NOTE: These customers combined our Sicily's Western Corner cycle with the Mountains of Sicily walking holiday.

The walk lived up to expectations, a magic world of ancient and rare trees. The giant holly trees were worth the climb. The penultimate day is a very long downhill but luckily we had good weather unlike the following days when the storms hit. Eastern Sicily fascinating. Villa del Casale so crowded you can barely see the mosaics. It is surrounded by tat and you are blasted with pop music which destroys the ambiance. Ragusa and Notto well worth a visit. The museum at Syracuse is wonderful especially the strongroom in the basement with jewellery and coins. The outdoor archaeological museum a little under-whelming, no directions, surly staff and nothing to aid the imagination. A visit we particularly enjoyed was to Scicli where they film Inspector Montalbano. A beautiful small town full of churches and palaces and without masses of tourists. When we went they had an open day when schoolchildren showed us around. Best visited from Relais Cavalonga. 

INNTRAVEL NOTE: These customers had a 3-night stay at the Hotel Pricipe di Villafranca, in Palermo, before undertaking our Mountains of Sicily walking holiday and before going on to do our Treasures of Eastern Sicily Slowmotion journey.

The hotels Agrituristica Bergi and Relais Anastasia were excellent in every way. one waiter (Giacomo, at Hotel Pomieri) was wonderful - efficient, remembered everyone's names and preferences, and was fun.

My third Inntravel walking holiday - and another excellent one. After The High Dolomites last year, I was looking for something slightly less demanding and warmer - and this fitted the bill excellently. The September weather was perfect, usually in the mid-20s, the scenery stunning and the locals very friendly. I would have probably benefitted by studying more Italian, as English isn't too widely spoken, but communication generally went well. As always, the food was excellent, particularly at the Relais Santa Anastasia. Rooms were generally good - not massively modern in some cases, but everything was clean and worked as advertised. Hotel Pomieri was the most old-fashioned, but the owner and staff were very kind and helpful. Unlike some other routes on previous trips, the ones through Madonie National Park weren't always that well kept - quite a few broken signs and markers, despite plenty of rangers patrolling the area. Occasionally this led to some confusion when trying to follow the walking notes, but generally, things made sense. Definitely bring or borrow walking poles for the Day 3 circular walk around Pomieri, as approaching and returning from the main valley area was quite tough. Two of the hotels had outdoor pools, which soothed sore feet at times. Do make a point of properly exploring Petralia Sottana and taking the diversion to Castelbuono. Cefalu was great too, but be warned that the castle/temple is pretty tough going if you're only dressed for a casual stroll around the town. It's a mini hike on quite poor paths, considering it's meant to be a tourist site and cost 4 Euros to enter. One tip I discovered by accident - if like me, you take a really early flight, you could be at Petralia Sottana around noon and have plenty of time to do the short walk option to Petralia Soprana from the Day 1 itinerary. So I effectively got an extra walk for free! All in all, recommended, but keep your wits about you when a sign or waymark you were expecting can't be found!

We completed this holiday in early September 2018. We were concerned about the heat but it was fine in the Madonie Mountains but very hot when we got down to Castelbuono. As always, we enjoyed the walk very much especially the mountain parts. The tracks can be rough in some places as detailed in the notes with some scrambles even on old Roman roads which have been washed out around Bergi. The accommodation in Bergi and Santa Anastasia was excellent and we were greeted at Agrituristica Bergi with water and a smile after a long day and big drop of about 1000m. Arrival at Santa Anastasia made it all worthwhile. Throughout, the people were very friendly and supportive including Pomieri and Petralia Sottana. The notes for Cefalu and Palermo were also extremely useful. The taxi services were excellent and timely. This is a fairly tough walk for Grade 2 mainly due to the condition of the tracks after very heavy rains this summer 2018. A beautiful walk but carry plenty of water to get you through.

Excellent holiday. Good variety of hotels. As the weather was very hot, the walks were quite tough, but this is only to be expected. Considering how there could be so many opportunities for a holiday with so much logistical detail to go wrong, everything was very smooth and faultless. This is our 4th Inntravel holiday in about 7 years. I am sure we will book again with Inntravel. Well done.

I enjoyed the trip overall. I love the format which allows you to enjoy the less travelled road, slow down the hectic pace of life and just ’smell the roses’.

A couple of notable points:

The service aspect of Pomieri was excellent, the dining room managed by Giacomo was personal and warm. The dinners were homely in the best possible way, just delightful. Equally so Mr Gangi, the reception manager. Mr Gangi even offered to take us for quick drive to one of the local lookouts.

The rooms, particularly the bathroom which are old and need a good scrub in the showers, are not so special, but the personal service made up for the lack in the room. I wish them well.

The Bergi welcome was wonderful, we were met with a very welcome cold water drink as we arrived. The food was delicious, the picnic very good.

Sant Anastasia was what you might expect from a 4/5 star establishment. A good way to end the trip.

Regarding Il Castello, if there is any alternative accommodation I would take it. 

They are the complete contrast to Pomieri, they have no sense of service whatsoever. 

The dinners were ordinary at best,the picnic consisted of a small hot dog bun with some filling and a piece of fruit, generally, pock marked and/ or with holes in it. The feeling is that this would have been fruit to be thrown out, but they gave it to us.

Also you should arrange a picnic for both days in that location, they are both day walks. No water was left in the room as your voucher indicated. The overall impression here was a total lack of service and indeed contempt. Btw we arrived by bus to Petralia, it would be useful to have directions to the hotel particularly noting the need to drag luggage along.

Tea making facilities in all the rooms would be nice.

Wonderful scenery - Sicily is amazing! Hotel Pomieri owner and staff delightful. The walk took in some differing landscapes from rocky paths to sunlit tree lined tracks. Fresh air was abundant and the daily walks guaranteed a good sleep at night.

We had some excellent days walking with hills to ourselves other than the families of wild boar and fallow deer and of course the tinkle of cow bells.  The best way I know to recharge the batteries!

The "Mountains of Siciliy" was excellent.  Beautiful views, challenging but do-able hiking. The staff at the Pomieri accommodation was specially welcoming with their warmth and abundance of local history.

Highlight: A guided tour of the monastery at Catania

Pomieri was a most strange hotel, really rather weird (in a nice way)

Treasures of ES - a journey full of treasures - architectural, historic, scenic and gastronomic, greatly enjoyed

Mountains - bigger mountiaans than we expected, stunning selection of wild flowers and butterflies

INNTRAVEL NOTE: These customers did two itineraries; the Treasures of Eastern Sicily Slow Motion journey and The Mountains of Sicily walking holiday.

The friendliness of all the hotel staff was a treat as was the variety of food. While the standards maybe have varied, the quality did not; and each place had its own charm. I did not think I would like staying two nights at a hotel with the lost of less linear distance travelled.  I, in fact, would seek it out on future trips. We enjoyed meeting others on the route and learned much about other Inntravel trips from them. Wildflowers were in full display, and one might want an identification key. I think our party of four would have paid for a naturalist for a half day to help us see the flora better. Scenery was great and communications worked well. Most of the folks hiking were using cell phones for pictures (not me). There were great pictures everywhere, and this hike would be good for outdoor photographers.

Personal highlights:

• lunch at Trattoria Da Salvatore in Petralia Soprana - the antipasti is a meal in itself, all local cooking and very reasonable;
• the first part of the walk from Pomieri to Bergi, as you wind up into the mountains with no sign of habitation;
• staying at the Relais Santa Anastasia, possibly our favourite hotel;

Tips for other travellers:

• be prepared for some stiff walking (we are all in the age range of 68-78 and were about at our limit on some days);
• upgrade to a De Luxe room at Relais Santa Anastasia if you can - there is a big difference from the standard room;
• spend an extra day at Relais Santa Anastasia and visit Castelbuono for coffee and cakes at Fiasconara in the Piazza Margherita, visit the castle and see the extraordinary Palatine Chapel of St. Anne and have lunch at Nangalarruni, which does amazing things with mushrooms;

This is a great holiday with lots of variety, allowing us to see another side of Sicily that most people never see. The weather was pretty rough for the first couple of days reminding us how different it can be up in the mountains! We needed woolly hats and gloves. Everyone we met was kind and courteous and made every effort to speak English when our minimal Italian let us down! The food was ample but often not inspiring. Sometimes it was excellent. We couldn't get into the recommeded restaurant in Petralia Soprana and went into Lu Carme on the off chance and had one of the best meals of the holiday. Do try it. The hotels were varied and, with perhaps the exception of Hotel Pomieri, very comfortable. The walking was tremendous (and we can see why we stayed in Hotel Pomieri!) pretty arduous but well worth the effort. We loved the huge quantity of flowers and we also saw deer and wild pigs. Just one note, one of the party picked up a suspected tick bite and is now being treated for possible Lyme disease so worth heeding the advice to wear long trousers. Arriving hot, sweaty and tired at Relais Santa Anastasia was a joy - what a beautiful place to relax after all that hard work! Thank you Inntravel for another excellent holiday.

INNTRAVEL NOTE: We have been in contact with the customer, who has happily confirmed that they have not contracted Lyme disease.

We have done a number of Inntravel walks and this was certainly one of if not the best: Some of the walking was a bit rough, but much of it was high level contouring on grassy plains dotted with a few trees and lots of wild flowers, which was very pretty in itself and was open enough for the views over the Madonie mountains and, later the sea to be open much of the time and simply splendid. All the hotels were good: The Castello comfortable and the food pleasant. The Pomieri, where the rather battered rooms and the barn like common areas, was compensated for by the amazing position, the very nice dinner and the idiosyncratic but excellent service. The Berghi comfortable and good food and the Anastasia where the restaurant was truly excellent. Overall a very good value holiday: you should do more in Sicily.  

Personal highlights included the long walk from Hotel Pomieri, to Azienda Agrituristica Bergi, remarkable for its beauty, spring flowers, and peace and quiet. The teamwork, friendliness of the staff and quality of the food at Hotel Pomieri was also just great. Wow, is about all I can say about the Relais Santa Anastasia - a very worthwhile flourish at the end of some sometimes challenging walking. I don't know if it is possible to source maps with a greater level of detail than 1:50000, but I would try to do so next time. Make sure you remain warm enough in the evenings in the mountains as the temperature gradient at this time of year can be quite steep.

This was mostly an absolutely stunning walk, especially the two days based both around and from the Hotel Pomieri in the midst of the Madonie mountains. So quiet, rural and unspoilt with the most amazing views. We did a superb extension to the summit of M.S. Salvatore and enjoyed a glorious ridge walk with unparalleled views. We descended via both the P.zo del'Inferno and the C.zo del Filatore which provided an interesting map reading challenge as the path is hardly waymarked and is through a dense and steep wood (thank goodness for our compass). For most of the descent the Sentiero della Pace was unmarked which surprised us as it appears as a main route on the map. This finished an excellent days walking.

Didn't see any other humans on walks most days.

Super walking, both point to point and circular excursions. Absolutely stunning flowers and wild herbs/vegetables (e.g. fennel).

All foods provided included many locally picked herbs, vegetables and fruits - quite vegetarian - quite wonderful.