Cyclades Islands
The Cyclades islands offer many opporunities for walking and hiking. I have compiled a few guides for walks and trails below.
1) Santorini - Fira to Oia Walking Trail
Vital Statisitics
Distance: 10km distance
Terrain: Mainly coastal paths and footpaths, steps on the caldera
Difficulty: Moderate - fit and healthy persons should be able to complete it
Time: 2.5 - 3 hours depending hiking pace
Altitude: Ranges between 100 - 350 metres, but it is mostly gradual ascent and descents
On my second day in Santorini I decided to try the Fira to Oia trail going from the main town all the way to most north-western edge of the island.The first thing to say about this hike is that the trail is really beautiful, the views that you see along the way to Oia are simply stunning. If you are into photography there are countless opportunities to get some spectacular pictures of the unique Santorini horizon - the distinctive layered calderas with volcanic rock, the coast and nearby islands, Skaras Rock and of course the incredible buildings, whitewashed, perched in the impossibly high on the cliffs and not to forget the iconic blue domed churches.
Depending on the season, I would recommend starting early as it starts to get warm from around 11am even in the late winter. From Fira town there are not a lot of signs but head towards the Three Bells of Firas and you will see your first trail sign which points you towards Imerovigli and Oia. If you are using Google Maps, ignore its suggestions and stick to the paths closest to the coast, so you get the most comfortable walk and can enjoy the views. Every now and then you will either see a red indicator (9) or a trail sign with an estimated time. When I did this walk I struggled to spot them but just keep going in the general direction of north-west, keeping Imerovigli in the distance to begin with and once you are past this town then keep Oia in your eyeline.
It should take roughly 15-20 minutes to arrive at Imerovigli and you know you are there when you see the Church of the Resurrection of the Lord
A little further up the path there is the option of hiking up Skaros Rock if you have time, which you should be able to see on your left. To do this you need to take a set of stairs just left of the trail and you will also most likely see others walking up towards the rock.
The next section of the trail takes you past some of the luxury hotels and glamourous locations used for wedding shots, incidentally I did pass a wedding on my way through. It’s definitely worth getting a picture here as you should now just be able to see the north-western tip of the island in the distance and Oia. This is then followed by a challenging uphill section, but that is about as tough as gets in terms of climbs
Once you have completed the ascent you should see this marker which then takes you through the coastal trail part.
This is definitely the part of the trail with the best views and most rural, although I found it wasn’t the most well maintained path - see pictures below.
The ledge is a bit precarious and it gets worse before it gets better, however if you take it easy you should be ok.
As you come down, the next bit of navigation is crucial in order to make sure you get back onto the path that takes you all the way to Oia. This section involves a short walk on the road, stick to the right and look out for the cafe (called Snack Shop on Google) as this is where the sign to the trail is. The picture I’ve taken here is looking back at the cafe and sign having started on this path.
The rest of the walk is pretty straightforward with a little more up and down paths, with the Profitis Illias Church along the way if you want a quick stop to take a break.
Eventually you arrive here, which is no more than 20 minutes walk into Oia
Naxos - Chalki Walking trail to Moni
Naxos - Filoti Village Walking trail
Sicily
Sicily is an incredible place to visit for hiking and walking, even though the locals are not that keen. I only have one entry for this trip which was a hike in Palermo which is well marked and the locals do annualy as a pilgrimage. I hope to add another entry for Mount Etna in Catania in the future!
Mount Pellegrino, Palermo
Vital Statistics
Distance: 3.7km distance
Terrain: Granite cobbled path with walkways and steps
Difficulty: Moderate - fit and healthy persons should be able to complete it
Time: 1 - 1.5 hours depending hiking pace
Altitude: 606 metres, but it is mostly a gradual ascent
If you are in Palermo then why not try hiking Mount Pellegrino? It is one of things you must do if you are in this city if you have the time. It not only offers some great views of Palermo and the harbour, but is deeply linked to Palermo’s history and folklore.
To begin the hike you must head north west from the centre of Palermo, a little bit past the port. There is a main road you can follow to the car park near the start.
The starting point is Scala Vecchia (which I think means “old stairs”) and you should see this pillar.
The route itself is fairly well marked, you need to look out for purple indicators or the Sicilian flag. If you get stuck then use Google maps which picks up the hiking trail as shown below.
The start of the hike is a gradual ascent on a straight granite cobbled path, but this is replaced by walkways (they look like bridges) which twist and turn as the ascent starts to get steeper.
For the first 20-30 minutes of ascent, there are some good photo opportunities. Look over to your left and you will see the views of the gulf of Palermo and the harbour.
The ascent continues through for another 15 minutes or so with zig-zagging walkways and steps, but then it should stop as it intersects with the road which goes up the mountain. You will need to cross the road here and 3 other times as you progress further up. Fortunately there are crossings for the road so you don’t need to play chicken, but do watch out for the cyclists who come round bends pretty quickly as they race downhill!
The next section of the trail is much more green, there are more trees and plants, even some interesting wildlife - watch out for the lizards rustling in the bushes! As you continue the trail you will see a lot of Cacti popping up on the left and right. This goes on for a few hundred metres and the Cacti plants are really big. Don’t get too friendly with them though, the needles look very sharp!
After this section you should come across this green gate - this is just past the halfway point. The trail actually continues to the right, but the gate leads to the Mt Pellegrino Nature Reserve. I didn’t venture too far through it because it takes you back downhill but if you have time you can explore it and then climb back up to the trail.
The final section is a pretty straightforward path up the Sanctuary, with some decent vantage points for pictures. When I hiked it was overcast and with some rain showers, therfore the views were not that spectacular, but on a clear day I am sure it looks better and you might be able to see further across the horizon.
Finally you should arrive at a set of steps leading up to the Saint Rosaline Sanctuary. It is straight through the doors at the top of the steps, you have to pass an antechamber which leads to the cave sanctuary via a ramp).
This is why the hike is worthwhile. Saint Rosalina was a hermit who lived in this cave and is revered by Palermo residents. Her bones were supposedly found in this cave and some of her remains are still interred here.If you walk to the end of the cave you should see a statue bathed in blue light with a gold star halo (looks a bit like the European Union flag)
To the left is an impressive altar dedicated to Saint Rosalina.
With regards to Saint Rosalina remains, a tooth is on the statuette of the altar and a piece of bone under the altar. The rest of the remains are interred in the Cathedral of Palermo.
Hopefully you will enjoy this hike as much as I did (and the weather is better)!
P.S. If you are interested in joining the annual pilgrimage, then visit on the 4th September as you will see many strange sights. Apparently some people on pilgrimage do the hike barefoot and others crawl on their hands and knees…
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