A tour with guaranteed variety: in six days, you will ride from the Madonie Mountains with their white, steep rock faces and green forests to the Nebrodi Mountains with their many lakes, rivers, endless forests, and flat plains that are perfect for galloping, and on to Mount Etna. In the Madonie and Nebrodi nature parks, you will also encounter large herds of goats, sheep, and cattle that live here in a semi-wild state. The lava fields, craters, and caves of Mount Etna are just one of the highlights of this fantastic horseback riding tour. The volcano is particularly fascinating because it is always active, but poses no danger: like a bottle of champagne, the four craters at the top bubble away incessantly. The volcano has been a source of fascination for explorers and tourists for decades. From the north of the volcano, you ride to the east side, discovering lava fields of varying ages. The newer lava flows are still completely bare, while some are already covered with low forests. Indulge in the diversity of Sicily – including its culinary delights, of course!
Itinerary
Etna Nature Park Horseback Ride
Day 1: Arrival in Catania and transfer (approx. 2 hours) to a beautiful agriturismo. Dinner at the excellent restaurant of the house with traditional cuisine.
Day 2: You are invited to take part in a short briefing with the guides, during which the horses will be introduced and you will be shown how to approach them. After being assigned your horses, you will set off to discover Mount Madonie. You will ride through forests and fields and cross some rocky paths until you reach an ancient Roman road that leads up to the old village of Petralia Soprana. An old trazzera (large roads built under Spanish rule to facilitate the transport of livestock during transhumance) takes the riders to the picnic area. Here you will meet the minibus that will bring your lunch. After a light lunch and a short siesta, you will remount your horses and ride to the next accommodation. After a few hours in the typical landscape of the High Madonie, the first day ends in a former baronial estate, now used as a country hotel. Depending on the time and weather, there is the possibility to use the swimming pool. This is followed by a gourmet dinner.
Day 3: After breakfast, you will saddle up and leave behind the vast grain fields that characterize the area and begin the ascent towards the Nebrodi Mountains. A wide road leading up high hills and crossing the Sambuchetti - Campanito nature reserve will take the group to the picnic area. After a pleasant siesta, you will ride down Monte Soprano until you reach the farmhouse of the same name. Here, depending on the time and weather, you will have the opportunity to use the swimming pool again. The accommodation is not just a hotel, but also a large farm renowned for its excellent meat and cheese production. For this reason, you will have the opportunity to sample local products during dinner, which is cooked by the mama.
Day 4: In the morning, the group will ride to Capizzi, an ancient village at the gates of the Nebrodi Park. You will take a short break in the town and then continue the ascent to the Dorsale dei Nebrodi road, a wide path that runs along the mountains and through majestic forests. You will follow this path for the next two days. You will take a packed lunch with you for a picnic among ancient beech forests, impressive landscapes, and breathtaking views of Mount Etna and the Aeolian Islands. You will arrive at the Villa Miraglia Resort. It is an island of comfort in the middle of nowhere, at the summit of the Nebrodi Mountains. A gourmet dinner, cooked by chef Gianluca Barbagallo, with his reinterpretation of local cuisine based on seasonal products.
Day 5: During these days, riders will be completely immersed in the mystical beauty of the park with its forests and mountains. Remaining at the same altitude, you will cross the second part of the ridge and come across four lakes: Maulazzo, Biviere, Cartolari, and Trearie. While crossing the woods, you may also encounter some of the Sanfratellani horses: powerful, predominantly black creatures that live in the Nebrodi area. As on the previous day, a packed lunch will be provided for the same reasons. In the afternoon, we will pass through several places where you will feel as if you could touch Mount Etna with your finger. We will then continue via the Masseria dell Azienda Foreste Demaniali to the place where the horses will spend the night. You will be taken to the Hotel Fucina di Vulcano by a short transfer.
Day 6: After breakfast, you will return to the place where the horses spent the night. It is a shorter day compared to the others, and also a little faster. You will ride down into the valley of the Flascio River and cross the Gurrida Lake Nature Reserve. Then you will ride up the slopes of the volcano through typical agricultural landscape to the Etna Park area. Here, in the Monte la Nave nature reserve, you will reach a large paddock where the horses will be released to roam freely. After lunch, there is a short transfer by minibus to the hotel for dinner and overnight stay. Gourmet dinner with recipes by chef Sandro Chiu. This will be the last dinner together with the guides.
Day 7: This is the last day of the horseback riding tour. As soon as you reach the large trail that circles Mount Etna, the ascent begins. Here, riders have the opportunity to admire the typical landscape of the volcano, which is constantly changing. Packed lunch for a picnic. Between more or less recent lava flows and conifer and beech forests, you will reach one of the side craters. The ascent of the volcano and the route you take will depend on weather conditions. Then you descend to the meeting point, where you will find the path that takes the horses home. After a short transfer, you will reach your final accommodation. Here, there will be time for a short break at the bar with the guides to say goodbye before departure. Then the guides and our horses will begin the journey home.
Day 8: Breakfast and transfer to Catania.
Etna Short Tour (5 days)
Day 1: Arrival in Catania and transfer to your first accommodation, an agriturismo in a great location on Monte Soprano. Depending on the season and weather, enjoy an aperitif by the pool overlooking Nebrodi Park or relax by the fireplace. The farm produces many of its own products, which you will taste during dinner and breakfast.
Day 2: Passing through forests, you will reach the village of Capizzi, where we will take a short break to admire the special view of Mount Etna and enjoy a packed lunch. Together with the village of Capizzi, you will leave civilization behind. You will immerse yourself in the wild nature of the Nebrodi Mountains. You will cross the valley of the artificial lake of Ancipa and begin to climb higher into the mountains. After lunch, riders will have more opportunities for a good gallop, as the path becomes wider and more comfortable once you reach the Dorsale, the ancient trail that crosses all the Nebrodi Mountains. Then you reach your second accommodation: an old forester's house that has been converted into a relais and is considered an amazing oasis of comfort in the middle of nowhere. The keywords here are relaxation, luxury, and good food. Here you can have a drink and time to shower and relax; then dinner will be served: the young chef will prepare a very special meal that combines gourmet cuisine with the ancient traditions of Sicilian cooking.
Day 3: Today is the day of the lakes, because on your way you will see 4 of the 5 lakes of the Nebrodi Mountains: Maulazzo, Bievere, Cartolari, Trearie. Amazing views of both the sea and Mount Etna and the wild nature will accompany you throughout the day. The morning will pass between short breaks for photos and gallops, breathtaking views and magical forests. You will take a packed lunch with you again. After lunch, the group will begin to ride down the slopes of the Nebrodi Mountains towards Mount Etna. The way down takes you through various forests until you reach a farm in the valley of the Flascio River. This is where the horses will spend the night. A short transfer will take you to your accommodation. The hotel is called Fucina di Vulcano and has a breathtaking view of Mount Etna. Dinner will be served in the hotel restaurant.
Day 4: Today is the day to climb Mount Etna. You will cross the Lago Gurrida nature reserve and the long road that circles the volcano until you reach the Etna Park. Here you will leave the road and ride along a wide path that leads through forests and old lava flows. The group will have the opportunity to ride some long and fast gallops. You will stop for lunch near an old hut in the forest, which is always open to anyone who needs it. There is also a water source. You will take a packed lunch with you today as vehicles are not allowed in this area.
In the afternoon, the trail leads to the large crater of the 2002 eruption, which is about 2000 meters above sea level. From up here, you will have a wonderful, breathtaking view of almost half of Sicily, the sea, and Calabria (the nearest part of Italy). Then you will hike down the slopes of the crater to reach Piano Provenzana, where you will meet the horse transporters who will pick up the horses. Once the horses have been collected, you will drive down to your accommodation in the mountains, which is about a 10-minute drive away.
Here you will have some time to spend together before the guides begin their journey home. Dinner at the hotel.
Day 5: Breakfast and departure.
Subject to change!