Italy, Sicily - Wild Sicily Trail Ride
An epic trail, which crosses the greenest and wildest part of Sicily, setting off from the northern Madonie Mountains in the territory of Cefalù and crossing the wooded Nebrodi Mountains to arrive at Mount Etna, one of the world's most active volcanoes.
The Program
Day 1 - Arrival:
Transfer from Palermo airport to arrive at Casa "Il Bosco", a charming restored nineteenth century country house, immersed in the wild countryside of the Madonie Park, with breathtaking views of the island's north coast and the Aeolian Islands. You will enjoy a dinner prepared with local produce and spend the night here.
Day 2: Casa "Il Bosco" – Geraci Siculo (hours of riding: 6)
After breakfast we will assign your horse and set off from Casa "Il Bosco" at around 8.30. We will begin the day riding through dense mediterranean vegetation with beautiful views of the Tyrrhenian Sea. We will pass close to the town of Castelbuono and stop for a picnic lunch by an old water mill. In the afternoon we will ride up through a beautiful cork oak forest to reach the enchanting town of Geraci Siculo, a majestic medieval village dominated by its castle ruins, once the seat of the Ventimiglia Barons, one of the most important feudal families on the island from the eleventh century onwards. Dinner and overnight at Hotel Donna Vi, equipped with a spa.
Day 3: Geraci Siculo – Monte Soprano (hours of riding: 7)
After breakfast we will set off at around 8.30 in the morning. We will ride along ancient pathways with beautiful views of the surrounding mountains and descend into a quiet valley, before climbing through rolling fields to reach the boundary between the three provinces of Palermo, Enna and Messina, reaching an altitude of about 1200m. We will then pass below the great turbines of a wind farm, where we can enjoy some good gallops, before descending into the forests of the Sambughetti-Campanito reserve, where we will stop for a picnic lunch. In the afternoon, we will continue on to the territory of Nicosia, followed by Cerami, before arriving at agriturismo Monte Soprano, a working farm with a swimming pool set on the slopes of the Nebrodi Mountains, where we will have dinner and spend the night.
Day 4: Monte Soprano – Villa Miraglia (hours of riding: 7)
On this day of the trail we will ride through the heart of the Nebrodi Natural Park, along the famous "Dorsale" (the Nebrodi Ridge), a long dirt track (about 100 kilometres long) which passes through forests and high mountain pastures. This is a place full of charm, with extraordinary views: the Tyrrhenian Sea and the Aeolian Islands to the north, and the island's hinterland to the south – Enna, Caltanissetta, Agrigento, Siracusa, Catania, and Etna towering above everything else. We will enter the Nebrodi Natural Park through beech woods in the territory of San Fratello, famous for its sanfratellani horses, a native breed which is very strong and hardy, with a very large head, and which you may catch a glimpse of grazing in the wild. We will stop for a picnic lunch in a shaded spot beneath centuries-old trees. In the afternoon, we will arrive at the Relais Villa Miraglia, where we will have a delicious dinner made with local Nebrodi products and spend the night.
Day 5: Villa Miraglia – Fucina di Vulcano (hours of riding: 8)
In the morning, we will continue along the famous "Dorsale" pathway through mountains, woods and lakes, in the midst of a strikingly beautiful landscape. First we will come to the Maulazzo Lake, dominated by Monte Soro, the highest peak in the Nebrodi mountain range (at 1847 metres) and covered in magnificent beech woods. We will then reach the famous lake Biviere di Cesarò, which is a resting place for migrating birds, before beginning our descent from the Nebrodi Mountains along panoramic pathways with views to Mount Etna. In the afternoon, we will ride through open countryside to reach La Fucina di Vulcano, a quality hotel with a swimming pool and magnificent views of Etna's western side, where we will have dinner and spend the night.
Day 6: Fucina di Vulcano – Chalet Clan dei Ragazzi (hours of riding: 6.5)
After breakfast, we will leave La Fucina di Vulcano at around 8.30 in the morning, and climb up Etna's western slopes, to the Pista Altomontana, riding through forests of beech and conifer trees. We will cross fascinating lava flows and, when visibility is good, enjoy breathtaking views of the Nebrodi Mountains and towards the island's east coast. We will stop for a packed lunch at a characteristic refuge hidden amongst Etna's beautiful woods, before riding on through otherworldly landscapes. We will have dinner and spend the night at Chalet Clan dei Ragazzi, immersed in a majestic forest of larix pines.
Day 7: Chalet Clan dei Ragazzi - Feudo Magazzeni (hours of riding: 6)
We will set off around 8.30 and depending on the season and the conditions, we will climb higher up the volcano through beautiful forests of pine and beech, to reach the site of Etna's last great lateral eruption in October 2002. We will ride along the 2002 lateral craters, following a series of pathways through a lunar landscape, before riding on through forests of birch, beech and larix pines to reach the impressive Sartorius craters, created during a major lateral eruption in 1865. After a picnic lunch, we will begin our descent on Etna's north-eastern side through enchanting and peaceful forests, to reach our final accommodation, Feudo Magazzeni, a beautiful historic property, recently restored and set amidst hazelnut groves, in the territory of Sant'Alfio. Dinner and overnight.
Day 8: Departure
After breakfast we will transfer you to Catania airport.
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