Sunflower Books: Landscapes of SICILY: WALKS AND CAR TOURS

Sicily, 3rd edition (2009) ; updated 7/12/2009

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Updates for walks and car tours (drives) on Sicily given below supplement those provided in the guidebook. It is vital that this Update is read in conjunction with the text of the book, but note that the Update applies only to the edition stated and not to any earlier editions. (If you have an older edition of this book and want to "upgrade" to the latest edition at half price, click here.)

Information has been forwarded to us by users of the book, and Sunflower Books offers the data in good faith but cannot be held responsible for any misleading or inaccurate content in the Update. Unless indicated otherwise, what appears here has not been verified by the author or publisher, so please allow due caution when new or amended routes are suggested. Each piece of information is dated; bear in mind that some of the older observations may have since been overtaken by events or further changes. If, during your holiday, you are using the current edition of the guide and are able to provide any additional updating to add to this page, we will be pleased to hear from you. Please send information, preferably in hard copy, by post, to Sunflower Books, PO Box 115, Exeter EX2 6YU (or if you prefer, by e-mail to mail@sunflowerbooks.co.uk).

Walk 3 : One can park on either side of the road near the bend signs. From the bend, descend to the right and after about 75m, take the right-hand track, cobbled initially. Do NOT rely on red/white flashes (we saw only 1, but saw a few red dots). Where path narrows, follow green painted poles. At 1h15min, the track [sic] is NOT stepped, but a few steps are encountered later in the descent. The path is easily passable but has fallen trees + branches on it. The descent to saddle is IMPOSSIBLE. We tried without success as area is heavily overgrown (in May) & gave up as slope became dangerous. Retraced steps to start . (User, 7/09)
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Walk 6: At the start, there was no sign of the STAR office. Timing is a little ambitious: the fork at 45min is very easy to miss. You will have just passed a tall lone pine on the left, and the fork is by a cairn with 2 sticks at the top of an ascent. No sign of any yellow painted posts. At approx. 1h 25 mins, ignore a track to the right in the woods. (User, 7/09)
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Walk 7: Excellent for flowers in May. The access road is at least 4km long. Even if a barrier is up at start, do NOT go through to park beyond as later the barrier will be found to be down & locked. Between the 1h15min and 1h50min-points, the timing is inaccurate - it took us almost twice as long (including time taken to check map, route and compass). But It does not take as long as 20min to descend to Rifugio Saletti (2h10mins to 2h30min). There is NO available drinking water here - the only tap has clear notice to that effect. We thought this walk nearer to 17 or 18km than 13km long. (User, 7/09)
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Walk 8: Information for the start is wrong. The supermarket is much further north (approx. 200m).There is NO sign for Hotel Parco dell'Etna. One should turn into a road "SP Villa Etrusca etc" (it has a bar on the corner) & keep straight on at a junction to pass a small garage with a Renault sign... At the 48min-point, there is NO signpost, but you will pass a shrine on the left about a minute after turning. Approaching Case Zampini, there is a small shrine on the left about 5 mins before the house. It was not easy to find the mule track, but it is just before an L-shaped wooden seat and has red dot on the end of the fence; the mentioned gate is much further along the descending grass /lava track. (User, 7/09)

Walks 21, 22, accommodation: The hotel/albergo Madonie has closed. Instead I would the following, both in or near Polizzi Generosa:
Ai Templari, Piazza Castello 7, tel/fax 0921 688173, mobile 340 5272933, www.ristoranteaitemplari.it. Five cosy rooms with heating in an old castle in the middle of the old town of Polizzi Generosa, great cuisine (restaurant closed on Mondays)
Agriturismo Giardino Donna Lavia, Contrada Donna Laura, tel/fax 0921 551104, www.giardinodonnalavia.com, about 5 km from Polizzi Generosa on the SS 643 in direction Scillato, turn-off at km 8,900. Former summer retreat of monks, now a secluded farmhouse with very nice rooms and excellent cuisine. (Author, 12/09)

Walks 20, 21, 26: We have just come back from western Sicily and followed these three walks without trouble and they gave us fantastic scenery. (User, 10/09)

Walk 23, accommodation and Shorter walk: The shorter walk has to be abandoned, because the Tenuta Gangivecchio went bankrupt, and Charles and Shirley Saccamano are going to move away. The hotel/restaurant is going to stay open till summer 2010. The new buyers want to revamp everything, but it will take time. In the meantime I can recommend Casale Villa Rainò, 3km northwest of Gangi, a nice farmhouse with rooms and good cuisine: Contrada Rainò, tel/fax 0921 644680, www.villaraino.it. (Author, 12/09)