Sicily TravelNet can arrange customized day trips, shore excursions and private tours to hometowns in this area:
Augusta, Melilli, Ferla, Solarino, Buscemi, Barrafranca, Pietraperzia, Sommatino, Ravanusa, Palazzolo Acreide, Pozzallo

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Private car services
with driver guides and
English-speaking chauffeurs

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Plan your Sicilian trip with us. Personalized travel programs that best suit your interests
and budget

Escorted Sicily tours
Package tours of Sicily

Pantalica hiking tour

Pantalica is a perfect place for a day hike in Sicily. It is located on a plateau which lies between the towns of Ferla and Sortino in south-eastern Sicily and is surrounded by canyons formed by the Anapo
and the Calcinara rivers. The necropolis of Pantalica is one the
largest in Europe: it consists of over 5,000 tombs (most of them
dating from the 13th to 7th century B.C.) carved directly out of the steep sides of the canyon into small artificial caves.
Pantalica has been identified as the site of the legandary Hybla.
It was settled by the Sikels, a population of Italic origin, in the
13 century B.C but also shows vestiges of the Byzantine era

We approach the Nature and Archeological reserve of Pantalica (Unesco World Heritage Site) from the West through a spectacular access that in ancient times was of great strategic importance.
We walk along the main footpath commanding splendid views over the Anapo gorge below and reach a Byzantine village with rectangular rock-hewn dwellings and a small church cut in the rock where you can see traces of frescoes.
At this point you can continue along the footpath to reach the mysterious "Anaktoron" or palace of the prince - a megalithic building of large blocks, with diverse rectangular rooms- and the sparse remains of the legendary Hybla, the ancient capital of the Sicels named after their king Hyblon.
If you don't feel like walking, don't worry! We'll go back to the car and drive you there. Short stop for a rest at the small village of Ferla where we can admire the church of San Sebastiano.
A lovely stroll through lush vegetation along the old dismantled railway within the valley of the Anapo river will conclude our visit of one of the most enchanting places of the Mediterrenean

Tour type: private tour from Siracusa/Taormina/ Catania/ Messina hotel or a shore trip from Siracusa/ Messina/ Giardini Naxos/ Catania ports of call.
Chauffer- driven. On demand we can provide English speaking driver/ guide and/or licensed tour guide.

Time duration: 7 hours

Driving time: from Siracusa to Pantalica over 1 hour

Departure time: on demand

Meeting place for cruisers: Port of call pier: The guide/ driver will hold a sign with clients' name.
Meeting place for travellers: your selected hotel in Siracusa/ Taormina/Catania/ Messina

Tour cost: depends on the services requested (driver, English speaking driver, licensed tour guide, driver/guide). Please ask for a quote info@sicilytravel.net

Testimonial

Hi Michele! I want you to know that all of us on the tour think highly of Salvo, you and Sicily TravelNet.
I will be certain to recommend your tours to other cruisers on a website for cruisers that I visit a lot. Thanks again for all the help you gave us in planning this tour. We hope to return to Sicily and tour with you again because there's still so much to see.

Bev Shugg Barbeito