Sicily

Sicily rewards walkers in ways that few Mediterranean destinations can match. The landscape shifts dramatically across the island, from the volcanic craters and lava fields of Mount Etna to the pristine coastal paths of the Zingaro Nature Reserve, where trails wind between sea cliffs and hidden coves above turquoise water.

At the heart of the island, the Magna Via Francigena traces an ancient pilgrimage route connecting Palermo to Agrigento across 186 kilometres of inland Sicily. This is a different side of the island entirely: hilltop villages, rolling valleys, Norman castles and landscapes that have changed little in centuries, finishing at the Valley of the Temples in Agrigento, one of the finest Greek archaeological sites in the world.

Off the coast, the volcanic Aeolian Islands add another dimension, with trails climbing to active craters above a shimmering sea. Sicily's food culture, shaped by centuries of Greek, Arab and Norman influence, ensures that every evening more than compensates for the day's effort.