Walking in Sicily: Short and long distance walks (Cicerone Guides) [Paperback]

Gillian Price (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 2010 | Series: Cicerone Guides

Exploring this breathtaking island on foot is a journey through time. Sicily offers wild valleys pitted with Greek and Roman temples and ancient ruins - reminders of long-gone peoples. Mule tracks and age-old pathways have survived and reserve a wealth of surprises, starting with the carpets of brilliant wildflowers. Landscapes are grandiose. Olive groves thrive alongside citrus orchards, never far from snow-clad mountain ranges presided over by imposing volcanoes - ranging from extinct and visitable, through to placidly smoking, and to constantly active giants Etna and Stromboli from which fiery rivers of lava issue. In dramatic contrast is the string of peaceful offshore islands set in turquoise waters, which are pure Mediterranean in character.Sicily's stunning range of scenery, combined with its mild winters and hot dry summers, make rewarding walking holidays feasible all year round. Visits are facilitated by good road access and an excellent network of public transport. Accommodation is plentiful, as are memorable eating places with rich Mediterranean fare.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Gillian Price was born in England, and has travelled through Asia and trekked the Himalayas. From her home in Venice, she is now exploring the mountain ranges of Italy to produce a series of outstanding guides for Cicerone. Gillian is an member of the Italian Alpine Club and the Outdoor Writers' Guild.

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Cicerone Press Limited; 2nd edition (January 1, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1852843950
• ISBN-13: 978-1852843953
• Product Dimensions: 6.5 x 4.6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #946,765 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #56 in Books > Travel > Europe > Italy > Sicily

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Should be titled, "Getting Lost in Sicily", May 21, 2010

By 

R. Langkos (River Falls, WI USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Walking in Sicily: Short and long distance walks (Cicerone Guides) (Paperback)

I just returned from Sicily where four of us -- hikers with many years of experience walking in various places around the world -- used this "guide" for walks in Southeastern Sicily. All four of us found this to be one of the worst walking guides we've ever used. The one useful part of the guide is identifying parks and preserves for walking, however we could have found all of those with a simple map. The actual descriptions of hikes were fraught with inaccuracies in distance, landmarks, etc. It's a great gift if you want to have a laugh watching your friends tramping back and forth across streams trying to find nonexistent trails or tangled up in brambles when a so-called trail simply disappears. We didn't find it so amusing and had much more fun following the trails mapped out by park and preserve officials. Keep your rucksack lightweight: don't bring along this guide on your next walking trip in Sicily.

5.0 out of 5 stars Walking in Sicily, April 23, 2011

By 

F. Schultz (PA USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Walking in Sicily: Short and long distance walks (Cicerone Guides) (Paperback)

This book covers 46 walks in Sicily ranging from coastal walks to walks in the more hilly or mountainous interior terrain. Several walks are on the Egadi and Aeolian Islands, off the western and northern coasts of Sicily, respectively.

This review is of the second edition, published in 2006 by Cicerone. It is 256 pages and would fit easily in a large pocket. Cicerone publishes guides for walking, trekking, climbing, and cycling.

The book begins with an introduction containing a brief history of Sicily, comments on the island's geography and landforms, and a few remarks about the Mafia in Sicily. There are suggestions about what to take with you to Sicily as well as how to get there and brief discussions about accommodations, telephones, and food and drink in Sicily. Additionally, the flowers, trees, and wildlife of Sicily are discussed.

The heart of the book are descriptions of the various walks. For each walk the approximate time to do the walk is given, as well as the distance, and the difficulty of the walk, graded 1-3. There are directions to the walk's starting point, both by public transportation, as well as by driving. Each walk description includes a sketch map of the area, although a few walks are grouped together on the same sketch map. For each walk, there are listings of more detailed maps that are available. The narrative for the walks mentions major sights along the way, either manmade or natural. When appropriate, there may be some historical or cultural information about the vicinity. Most walk descriptions also include a color photo.

The book is very appealing and certainly makes me want to return to Sicily and do some of these hikes. The author has a good writing style and appears to know Sicily well. She is English, but is married to a Venetian and works as a translator and free-lance writer. She has written other guides for Cicerone including walking guides to the Dolomites, the Central Italian Alps, and Corsica; and guides to treks in the Appenines, the Italian Alps, and the Dolomites.