If you love unspoilt nature and suggestive landscapes, we offer you a tour to discover the Sicilian villages, located in the mountainous areas of the Western Sicily, specifically in the Monti Sicani. Here you can find several nature reserves, among the most important that of Palazzo Adriano and the Valle del Sosio, visit these villages and natural sites by making excursions of all kinds: trekking, mountain biking and horseback riding.
If you are also passionate about historical-cultural tours or food and wine, this area of Sicily will not disappoint you. The wide pastures allow for the production of excellent traditional cheeses from sheep’s and cow’s milk, local cured meats produced by small farms as well as wines and vegetables at km 0.
The charm of Sicilian villages between history, culture and gastronomy
This area of Sicily, from Palermo to Agrigento, has an intense history and we find the Bourbonic castle of Palazzo Adriano from the 15th century, the medieval center of Prizzi , small villages of Arab origin such as Burgio, the archaeological sites of Sambuca di Sicilia, pilgrimages to the hermitage of Santa Rosalia in Santo Stefano di Quisquina and finally, scattered throughout the villages, it is possible to visit churches and monasteries dating back to the 16th century and many other places of interest.
The strong points of Sicily are without a shadow of a doubt, hospitality , beauty of the territory and good food. Every small village has its uses, its traditions and its typical dishes.
The villages to discover with Sikani Horse Trek
Sikani Horse Trek allows you to reach the most suggestive villages between Palermo and Agrigento, pushing you inside the territory with naturalistic horseback rides, in so you can explore places that otherwise would not be easily accessible.
You will thus be able to travel at a slow and relaxed pace the most beautiful places that the Monti Sicani have to offer, meet the shepherds with their grazing flocks and taste the cheeses prepared with care and mastery as tradition dictates. You will thus go to discover the uncontaminated territory, but you will also experience moments of conviviality.
Prices
Prizzi is one of the highest towns in Sicily, located on the Sicani Mountains, when the weather is good from the highest points it is possible to see the sea of Sciacca</i > and Etna. The village has a medieval appearance, with steep stairways, narrow streets, alleys and courtyards and has religious and gastronomic traditions also linked to culinary customs with genuine and km 0. For example, for the feast of St. Joseph on March 19, families prepare the traditional tables with altars adorned with first fruits such as oranges, artichokes and fennel</b > and you cannot miss the boiled rice seasoned with saffron, the pasta with sauce with asparagus and fried breadcrumbs, the fried food b> with wild fennel, cardoons in batter and for dessert the traditional “Sfince di San Giuseppe” seasoned with ricotta.
Hadrian’s Palace
Palazzo Adriano is a bit engraved in the memory of many of us, because it was the set about 30 years ago for Tornatore’s film Nuovo Cinema Paradiso. b> Do you remember the famous phrase “The Square is mine!”, with the fountain in the background? Today there is even a museum dedicated to the film.
In this village, the Church of Maria Santissima del Lume, the Castle, Piazza Umberto I with its famous fountain and the Oriented Natural Reserve of Palazzo Adriano and the Sosio Valley.
For your gastronomic tour do not miss the “gidata“, crushed bread with vegetables, the muffoletta oil, pepper and ricotta and the tabisca, a bread flattened with the fingers and greased with oil, the typical cheeses like the canestrato and for desserts don’t miss the mastrazzolle and the cuddureddi with figs and almonds. To taste and perhaps buy high quality cheeses, we can only recommend a visit to Caseificio Conti .
Burgio
Like any self-respecting village, Burgio boasts a beautiful Mother Church, full of works of art of great value and its Castle and more of one hundred stone portals, numerous artisan workshops of glass, bronze, iron and majolica.
This village is the ideal destination for those who want to get away from the frenzy of the city, while nature lovers cannot miss a visit to the Bosco dei Sicani, a very vast nature reserve, between streams and valleys so as to be able to observe fossil finds and also typical flora and fauna of the place.
In the shops in the center you can taste typical delicacies such as homemade pasta, seasoned with vegetables or pork, primosale and canestrato cheese, delicious < b>almond and ricotta cakes and perfumed wines.
Plain of the Albanians
Arriving in Piana degli albanesi you will seem to be in Albania despite being in Palermo, because the Albanian community of the island who speak the mother tongue live here. Immersed in the mountains you can see its Lake, while at the foot of Monte Pizzuta is the Memorial of Portella della Ginestra. It is possible to continue the itinerary in the shops to taste cured meats, cheeses and wines, but don’t miss the delicious cannolo with ricotta cheese or the ‘iris.
Ficuzza
Ficuzza has a beautiful Royal Palace with the Real Casina Borbonica, a wonderful front lawn and the Lipu oasis, where birds are recovered in trouble, especially birds of prey. For lovers of nature walks, at the Ficuzza Wood Reserve you can observe the Pulpit of the King, Rocca Busambra, Bosco del Cappelliere and the Gorges of the Dragon.
Corleone
Corleone is also called the city of a hundred churches, the beauty of its places of worship is combined with the possibility of visiting the waterfall of the two fortresses and the Sanctuary of the Madonna di Tagliavia. If you are in Corleone, remember to taste the sfincione alla Corleonese, a real delicacy.
The cheese routes
The cheeses of the Sicani Mountains have their own dedicated itinerary, called “Vie dei Formaggi“: following these routes you can know, taste and if you want to buy the dairy specialties produced in the area. The Monti Sicani itinerary winds its way between Palermo and Agrigento and includes six manufacturing companies, where you can learn about the manufacturing processes and taste the freshly made product, such as the tuma persa, a now rare cheese, made with raw and soft dough.
The routes of cheeses were created precisely to make known unique dairy specialties produced only in these territories and promote tourism.
Sikani Horse Trek excursions to get to know the area
There are several proposals that Sikani Horse Trek has to offer to make the area known: tours from one to three hours, a day excursion and even more long-lasting and detailed tours, it’s up to you to choose what you want to see and what experience to live on the saddle of your trusted companion.
If you are beginners, we recommend walks of a maximum of three hours, with nature tour, but also refreshment breaks</ b> to make the ride more pleasant and not tiring, so that you can fully enjoy the trip. The walk can be integrated with tastings of typical products and cognitive activities of the area that surrounds you. We suggest the Indisi Mountains, Palazzo Adriano and the Permiano del Sosio or Lake Raia, excursions for everyone.
If you are riders with average experience, you can opt for a day on horseback consisting of 6 hours, among ancient trazzere</i >, hilly and mountainous roads between large expanses of grass and lakes. To you, Sikani Horse Trek offers Riserva dei Monti di Palazzo Adriano and Sosio Valley plus Burgio and Monte Scuro or Monte Carcaci up to to reach Prizzi.
For the more experienced there are tours that last from 4 days up to a week, for those who want to live a deeper experience and adventure in the territory</i >, enjoying the gastronomic and cultural variety. Our proposals are: the Rotta dei Mille and the Rotta del Vino.
Each village that you will meet during your horse rides will have history, culture and refreshment to offer you, while enjoying the typical traditional dishes.
The cheese routes
The cheeses of the Sicani Mountains have their own dedicated itinerary, called “Vie dei Formaggi“: following these routes you can know, taste and if you want to buy the dairy specialties produced in the area. The Monti Sicani itinerary winds its way between Palermo and Agrigento and includes six manufacturing companies, where you can learn about the manufacturing processes and taste the freshly made product, such as the tuma persa, a now rare cheese, made with raw and soft dough.
The routes of cheeses were created precisely to make known unique dairy specialties produced only in these territories and promote tourism.
Sikani Horse Trek excursions to get to know the area
There are several proposals that Sikani Horse Trek has to offer to make the area known: tours from one to three hours, a day excursion and even more long-lasting and detailed tours, it’s up to you to choose what you want to see and what experience to live on the saddle of your trusted companion.
If you are beginners, we recommend walks of a maximum of three hours, with nature tour, but also refreshment breaks</ b> to make the ride more pleasant and not tiring, so that you can fully enjoy the trip. The walk can be integrated with tastings of typical products and cognitive activities of the area that surrounds you. We suggest the Indisi Mountains, Palazzo Adriano and the Permiano del Sosio or Lake Raia, excursions for everyone.
If you are riders with average experience, you can opt for a day on horseback consisting of 6 hours, among ancient trazzere</i >, hilly and mountainous roads between large expanses of grass and lakes. To you, Sikani Horse Trek offers Riserva dei Monti di Palazzo Adriano and Sosio Valley plus Burgio and Monte Scuro or Monte Carcaci up to to reach Prizzi.
For the more experienced there are tours that last from 4 days up to a week, for those who want to live a deeper experience and adventure in the territory</i >, enjoying the gastronomic and cultural variety. Our proposals are: the Rotta dei Mille and the Rotta del Vino.
Each village that you will meet during your horse rides will have history, culture and refreshment to offer you, while enjoying the typical traditional dishes.