Sicily on horseback Coast to Coast

Stunning Sicily on horseback Coast to Coast 6 days trekking

Sicily on horseback, from the north to the south coast. A fantastic adventure! This trail offers unparalleled immersion in Sicily’s complex history and agricultural heritage, its legends and magic.

Day 1: Arrival

You will 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” – Rifugio Marini (hours of riding: 7)

After breakfast you will be assigned your horse for the trail and we will set off from Casa “Il Bosco” at about 8.30 in the morning. Beginning the day with a beautiful climb up through wild Mediterranean vegetation and woods, with fantastic views of the Tyrrhenian Sea. Continuing through woods of oak and cork to the territory of Isnello. After a picnic lunch, ascending the northern slopes of Pizzo Carbonara, Sicily’s second highest mountain at 1979 metres, riding through lush forests to reach Piano Battaglia, a mountain station located at the heart of the Madonie Park, where you will enjoy a dinner prepared using typical local produce and spend the night at Rifugio Marini.

Day 3: Rifugio Marini – Agriturismo Feudo Catuso (hours of riding: 7)

Set off after breakfast about 8.30 am. Following a route through the mountains in the heart of the Madonie Park and reaching high altitudes from where you will begin to see Sicily’s interior. Then descending towards the historic town of Polizzi Generosa and stopping for a picnic lunch, before continuing along ancient paths through agricultural land to reach Agriturismo Feudo Catuso, a 13th century restored farmstead. Here you will enjoy a dinner made with local produce and an overnight stay.

Day 4: Agriturismo Feudo Catuso – Agriturismo Mappa (hours of riding: 7)

Breakfast and 8.30 am start, the trail takes us into the heart of Sicily’s interior, its “breadbasket” since time immemorial, which is criss-crossed by “trazzere“, ancient royal pathways, established by the Bourbons in the 18th and 19th centuries to ensure free movement of livestock and people across the island. Passing the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Bilici, at the geographical centre of the island, before riding on past the train station of Marianopoli and through endless fields of wheat and hay, to reach Mappa, the former residence of the Princes of Spadafora, equipped with a swimming pool. Here you will enjoy a delicious dinner and spend the night.

Day 5: Agriturismo Mappa – Agriturismo Principe di Aragona (hours of riding: 7/8)

Breakfast then leaving Mappa at around 8.00 am, you will ride through fields to the territory of the ancient, picturesque village of Sutera, which is considered one of the oldest settlements in human history and retains many traces of its prehistoric origins. Continuing on through the beautiful Monte Conca nature reserve to reach the valley of the River Platani, one of western Sicily’s main waterways, you will stop for a picnic lunch and continue your ride through woodland and open fields to reach Agriturismo Principe di Aragona, a restored farmstead equipped with a swimming pool, where yo will have dinner and spend the night.

Day 6: Agriturismo Principe di Aragona – La Casa di Bacco (hours of riding: 7)

Breakfast then leaving at around 8.00 am to ride through rolling agricultural land to arrive at the Macalube di Aragona, to see the strange phenomenon of small mud volcanoes formed by methane rising up through the earth and creating craters. After a picnic lunch, you will ride on towards the small town of Giardina Gallotti and continue through olive groves and vineyards to reach your accommodation for the night, La Casa di Bacco which is set amidst its vineyards and equipped with a swimming pool, where you will enjoy a rich dinner prepared with local produce and sample the hotel’s wine.

Day 7: La Casa di Bacco – Luna Minoica (hours of riding: 7)

Breakfast then leaving at around 8.30 am, riding through the countryside of Agrigento with its olive and almond groves and wonderful views of the Mediterranean coast. you will stop for a picnic lunch near the town of Realmonte, then continue on to the the coastal reserve of Torre Salsa, one of Sicily’s most beautiful and best preserved coastlines, before concluding the trail on the reserve’s beautiful beaches. Dinner on the beach, a short walk from Luna Minoica, a high quality hotel where you will spend the night

Day 8: Departure

Breakfast and transfer to the airport

Sicily on horseback Coast to Coast 6 days trail ride

Level: Comfortable at all three paces (walk, trot and canter), with experience of hacking out in the open
Max 10 persons. A luxury six-day trail ride
Languages Spoken: English, French, Italian & Sicilian

Meals: Evening meals consist of authentic Sicilian cuisine prepared with local produce. A typical evening meal will include a variety of starters, a pasta course, a meat/main course, dessert, wine, water and a digestif. Picnic lunches are provided by a support vehicle (together with tables, chairs and cutlery) and include fresh bread, salads, cheeses, olives, charcuterie, Sicilian specialities, wine or other drinks on request, coffee or tea.

Tack: Comfortable English saddles, with a sheepskin cover, or Western saddles on request. Guests are not required to groom or tack up the horses.

Key information/requirements: Between six and eight hours in the saddle per day. You must be comfortable at all three paces (walk, trot and canter) and physically fit. This programme is aimed at intermediate and advanced riders and it is not suitable for beginners or riders with only limited experience. The terrain is varied and there may be long trots and gallops along the way.