THE MOST BEAUTIFUL CLIMBING CLIFFS IN SICILY

Day 1 Palermo to Catania
From Palermo we cross Sicily to Catania. We visit Catania, the second largest city in Sicily. Forged by volcanic activity, its urban planning is surprising.
Like some of Sicily’s other highly baroque cities, Catania was rebuilt after the great earthquake of 1693. We stroll along the elegant Avenida Etnea and discover the Duomo, whose decorative elements are carved from the black basalt of Mount Etna, as is the famous elephant carrying an obelisk on its back. Then we’ll succumb to the irresistible temptation of the pastries offered in the old-fashioned tea rooms: the delicious Minne di Sant’Agata, typical of Catania, or, of course, cannoli, Sicily’s most famous pastry.
In the evening, we’ll dine at a small restaurant in Catania and spend the night at the hotel.
Day 2 Catania market – Etna cliffs
Early in the morning we discover Catania’s impressive fish market, a veritable concentration of smells and tasty products of traditional Sicily.
Then it’s off to the foot of Etna to begin our climbing holiday on a basalt cliff. This is a special kind of climbing where you have to learn to read the rock, position yourself well and, above all, trust your feet.
Even if we don’t do any great things on the first day, this first approach to climbing will be very useful for the rest of the trip. And climbing on the basalt of Etna is unique!
After this first climbing session, we’ll take a short excursion to higher altitudes, through the rugged, lunar landscapes of Mount Etna, Europe’s highest active volcano at 3,400 metres.
Overnight in a small mountain hotel on the slopes of Etna.
Day 3 Climbing near Syracuse – Palazzolo Acreide
Climbing on a well-equipped rock face in a real Sicilian canyon. The easiest routes are on large grey walls with well-marked holds, while the more difficult ones are overhanging or roofed.
A Sicilian pearl of baroque architecture, Noto was completely rebuilt after the earthquake of 1693. While many Sicilian towns were badly damaged, Noto was completely flattened. The architect Giuseppe Lanza was commissioned to rebuild Noto. Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Noto offers a wonderful Baroque spectacle, thanks to the majesty of its palaces, the harmony of its squares and the play of perspectives they create.
Then we’ll move on to Syracuse, the city of Archimedes.
We’ll enjoy Sicilian dishes in an excellent restaurant, where we’ll choose our fish from the stalls or from the lobster tanks. The waiters will be happy to prepare our plates so that we can enjoy the fish with ease.
Day 4 Visit to Ortigia – Climbing on the cliffs and the necropolis of Pantalica
Climbing in one of the narrow valleys that surround Syracuse. The limestone here is carved into incredible shapes. The routes are coloured yellow or red ochre and offer a wide variety of climbing techniques. We spent an unforgettable day climbing.
An ancient path takes us to the Pantalica Nature Reserve, where there are almost 5,000 tombs, testimony to an amazing burial custom that began 3,000 years ago.
These troglodytic necropolises, which have been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, are dug out at all heights, turning the cliffs into a veritable cheese factory.
Day 5. Ragusa Ibla – Baroque cliffs
A short trip to another ‘cava’, climbing on routes as majestic as ever. Slight overhangs in the shade for indoor climbers or technical walls for outdoor climbers.
After a good session, we took the opportunity to enjoy an Italian ice cream and visit Ragusa.
Ragusa Ibla is one of the seven late baroque towns in the Noto Valley and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Ibla is full of beautiful churches, such as the Chiesa dell’Itria, whose bell tower is decorated with floral ceramics from Caltagirone. There’s also the church of San Giuseppe with its curved façade, the baroque balconies of Palazzo Cosentini and many other buildings to admire.
Day 6: Cava Cliff or Deep Water Soloing or Psicobloc – Syracuse Archaeological Park
A day with two different experiences: we’ll go deep water soloing in a psicobloc with a waterfall in the sea, or we’ll continue sweating on a cliff.
We could, for example, choose a beautiful crag in another valley, with overhanging routes for continuous, athletic climbing, or very nice vertical pitches for sustained, technical climbing. This is option 1.
The Syracuse peninsula is lined with high cliffs and caves overlooking the sea, where there is a wide variety of psicobloc opportunities. There’s a whole range of difficulties on extremely grippy limestone! The seabed is deep and offers great potential for deep water soloing. There are also some very nice crossings for a very interesting and less strenuous psicobloc, and this is option 2.
Visit the remains of the Greek city of Syracuse: the Greek theatre, the altar of Hieron II and the Roman amphitheatre. As passionate climbers, we’ll focus on the various latomies, magnificent ancient quarries. The most famous of these is the Ear of Denys, which is exceptionally high and has remarkable acoustics.
Day 7: Sporting cliffs of the Hyblean Mountains – Return to Palermo
Climb another cliff, this time near Syracuse. The limestone here is as beautiful as ever and we make the most of our week’s climbing to pick up some new routes.
Back to Palermo. We take advantage of the late afternoon to visit Palermo’s magnificent buildings. Our walk takes us from the Arab-Norman Cathedral to Piazza dei Quattro Canti, where Palermo’s four historic districts meet. We continue our visit to the Baroque and Norman churches, Piazza Pretoria with its fountain, the most famous in Sicily, the monumental gates and, of course, the old palaces that give Palermo its charm.
Day 8: The markets of Palermo
A visit to the markets of Ballaro and Capo is a must before leaving Sicily.
The stalls are incredibly colourful and the street food is delicious. It’s also a great opportunity to pick up some wonderful Sicilian delicacies such as Bronte pistachios, Pachino sun-dried tomatoes, Nebrodi black pork sausages, Sicilian cheeses and, of course, olive oil.
Departure from Palermo by boat or plane.
At the end of your stay, you can book an extra night.