TYRRHENIAN TREK

To the west of Palermo, couched between the towns of Scopello and San Vito Lo Capo, lies a truly spectacular stretch of Sicily’s coastline. Over the centuries the most talented of sculptors, the wind and waves, have jointly chiselled a veritable masterpiece of design and colour out of the solid limestone rocks. Rugged silvery cliffs drop into the azure waters, tenebrous caves crouch silently among the vivid green Mediterranean scrub, white pebbled beaches gleam in the dazzling light of the Sicilian sun.

First established as a nature reserve in 1981, Lo Zingaro is one of the island’s most sought-after travel destinations. A paradise for hikers and bathers alike, this protected area also attracts nature lovers, botanists and ornithologists with its unique flora and fauna. A favourable terrain and a humid microclimate allow around 650 species of plants and wild flowers to thrive. These include laurel, thyme, broom, Erica, orchids and the treasured dwarf palm, the symbol of Lo Zingaro itself. Peregrine falcons, kestrels, buzzards and eagles are among the thirty-nine different bird species that nest in the reserve. The area has also turned out to be a priceless source of knowledge for archaeologists, as attested by the 10,000-year-old human bones and artefacts unearthed inside the Uzzo Grotto, one of the first prehistoric settlements in Sicily. These findings are now kept in the Museo Archeologico Regionale Antonio Salinas in Palermo.

In the morning you will meet your private guide and driver at your accommodation in Palermo and set off for Scopello. From here follow the coastal footpath and enjoy hiking across seven kilometres of unspoiled nature. Your guide will animate your walk with a fascinating account of the history of Lo Zingaro. For centuries the area was inhabited by small communities of farmers and served as an ideal hideout for smugglers and bandits who used the grottoes as storage space for their loot. Five tiny museums scattered along your trail will provide information about rural and fishing activities once carried out locally as well as the natural specimens that blossom here.

As you make your way along the path, you will find it hard to resist a dip in one of the paradisiacal bays. Soak up the views of the Sicilian seascape and relax to the sounds of the lapping tide as you bathe in the jewel-toned waters of the Tyrrhenian Sea.

After the hike your chauffeur will pick you up and drive you back to your accommodation in Palermo.