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from £1,640 or €1,900
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20 – 27 April
28 September – 5 October
Included – All riding, full board accommodation, luggage transfer & airport transfers.
Excluded – Flights, drinks & tips.
Getting There
Arrive Palermo and depart Catania.
Transfer
Please arrive before 5pm if possible, it’s about a 2-hour transfer to the first night accommodation in an old farmhouse.
All our horse riding holidays hold a price guarantee. We believe in your piece of mind on price when you book one of our horse riding holidays and will refund the difference should you find the same horse riding holiday elsewhere at a lower price.
Experience a true immersion in the heart of Sicily, a melting pot of ancient civilisations. This is a fascinating journey on which you discover the true depth and richness of the island’s history, culture and agricultural heartlands.
Riding alongside Alex & Lizzie, they will personally guide you through the enchanting landscapes, giving you first hand experience of the culture, staying in local agriturismo hotels, farmhouses and guesthouses along the way and eating some of the most delicious, authentic Sicilian food along the way.
Alexandre Morello & Lizzie Reeves – Partners
Alex is a true expert when it comes to Sicily’s natural wonders, biodiversity, history and culture. Over the years he has explored and organised countless horse-riding trails across Sicily. He’s an insatiable explorer who loves discovering new paths through his beloved Sicily and sharing them with our clients.
Lizzie has ridden many trails around the world but fell in love with the truly unique experience of trail riding in Sicily. She was born and grew up in London and studied French and Italian at Oxford University, before doing a post-graduate diploma in law. She worked for some time as a solicitor and specialised in international arbitration, before settling in Sicily full time to follow her true love of the island, horses and Alex.
Sicily has a good climate for riding almost all year round, amazing natural beauty and varied landscapes. Sicily is also truly unique in terms of its accessibility to riders. The island benefits from a vast network of trails and country lanes and an open countryside approach to land ownership, which means that there is access to almost all of the island on horseback, including its most remote and wildest corners. This also means that road riding during the trail is kept to an absolute minimum.
Over the centuries, Sicily has absorbed the influences of all those who have occupied the island, from the Greeks to the Arabs and the Bourbons. The charm of Sicily’s complex and unique identity is undeniably captured in its people, who could be defined as nothing other than “Sicilian”, and whose character is as intriguing and enchanting as the island’s history. The island’s richness and complexity also shine through in its cuisine, which combines centuries-old different culinary traditions and influences.
Deep Sicily: Horses – Sicilian Local Breed, with some Arab Crosses / 14.2hh – 16hh
Deep Sicily: Level of Riding & Pace – Intermediate to Advanced. You must be able to canter in control in open space and have and independent seat and hands.
Tack – English Style
Deep Sicily: Weight Restriction – 85 kg / 13.4 stone / 188: Group Size – Maximum 10.
The accommodation is a mix of Agritourism Hotels, B&B’s & Farmhouses, that have been chosen for their location, warmth and charm.
The food is delicious, every effort is made to offer local, authentic dishes, cooked with love and passion and are simply beautiful to eat.
Horse Riding Holidays at Madonie Trails are part of the Zara’s Planet collection of Horse Riding holidays Italy.
Please Ask About
Day 1
You will arrive at Casa “Il Bosco”, a charming, restored nineteenth century country house, immersed in the wild countryside of the Madonie Park, with breath-taking 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
After breakfast you will be assigned your horse for the trail and we will set off from Casa “Il Bosco” at about 8.30am The day will begin with a beautiful climb up through wild Mediterranean vegetation and woods, with fantastic views of the Tyrrhenian Sea. We will continue through woods of holm oak, cork and downy oak to the territory of Isnello. After a picnic lunch, we will begin our ascent on the northern slopes of Pizzo Carbonara, Sicily’s second highest mountain at 1979 metres, riding through lush forests of oak, holm oak and beech trees 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
We will set off at around 8.30am, riding along paths and lanes through the park to reach Portela Mandarini, an important crossroad between ancient transhumance routes through the mountains. We will then ride through a wild and unspoilt area to arrive above Geraci Siculo, a medieval hilltop town, and one of the highest in the province of Palermo, from where we can admire spectacular views of the surrounding countryside, where we will stop for a picnic lunch. In the afternoon we will descend along an ancient “trazzera” to reach the valley of the river Rainò, tributary of the River Pollina, on the eastern boundary of the Madonie Park. W.e will spend the night at Agriturismo Casalvecchio and enjoy a delicious dinner prepared with produce straight from the farm
Day 4
After breakfast, we will leave Casalvecchio and ride through pastures and along old pathways with beautiful views towards the centre of Sicily, before entering peaceful woods and stopping for a picnic lunch. In the afternoon, we will ride on through farmland to the village of Sperlinga, a fascinating place characterised by troglodyte dwellings, some of which are still in use today, and its unique castle, which is carved into the rock. We will visit the village and its castle, before a short ride to reach Baglio San Pietro, a restored farmstead dating from the seventeenth century and equipped with a swimming pool, where we will have dinner and spend the night. Our accommodation sits on the edge of the town of Nicosia, one of the most important towns in the province of Enna.
Day 5
After breakfast, we will set off at around 8.30 in the morning. We will begin the day by descending into the valley of the Salso Cimarosa River, which we will then follow, immersed in unspoilt nature and surrounded by the impressive peaks of the Erean Mountains. We will stop for a picnic lunch near the small town of Nissoria. For most of the afternoon’s ride, we will follow an old railway line, out of use since the 1950s. We will follow the railway line to the town of Assoro, crossing impressive bridges, before winding down on the other side of the town through dramatic scenery and passing through several tunnels. We will have dinner and spend the night at Agriturismo Lo Sperone, an old farmstead which has been restored, surrounded by citrus groves and equipped with a swimming pool.
Day 6
We will set of from the farm at around 8am and cross rolling hills, riding through endless fields of grain and forage. After about three hours, we will reach the breath-taking and little-known Castello di Pietratagliata, a castle perched precariously atop a jagged rock, first documented in the fourteenth century, whose origins are shrouded in mystery and legend. We will stop here for a picnic lunch. In the afternoon, we will ride on through agricultural land, climbing to take in beautiful views of the surrounding countryside, reaching as far as Mount Etna on a clear day. We will then continue along sandy tracks through woods of eucalyptus and pine to reach Torre di Renda, an old structure which was formerly the local bishop’s residence, in the territory of the famous medieval town of Piazza Armerina, equipped with a swimming pool. Dinner and overnight
Day 7
After breakfast, we will leave the hotel at around 8.00 in the morning and descend a scenic valley to arrive after about one hour at the Villa Romana del Casale, one of the most important historical sites in Sicily and boasting around 3500m² of spectacular mosaics dating from the fourth century. After visiting the Villa Romana, we will ride north through rolling farmland and stop for a picnic lunch in the woods. In the afternoon, we will ride through peaceful eucalyptus forests and reach the Lake of the Olivo Dam. We will continue through woods, followed by rolling fields of wheat and hay, to reach Agriturismo Il Mandorleto, based in an old agricultural hamlet and famous for its production of almonds, one of the most important ingredients in Sicily’s culinary tradition. Delicious dinner and overnight.
Day 8
Breakfast and transfer to the airport.
Zara’s Planet Horse Riding Holidays Guarantee:
All our horse riding holidays hold a price guarantee. We believe in your piece of mind on price when you book one of our horse riding holidays and will refund the difference should you find the same horse riding holiday elsewhere at a lower price.
If you are having trouble finding exactly the right horse riding holiday for you from our horse riding holidays collection, please contact us directly using the form below and tell us in your own words what you would like to do and we will use our extensive knowledge to make sure we find that perfect horse riding holiday.
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