In the Zingaro National Park

The Zingaro National Park is located at the north-western tip of Sicily between Castellamare del Golfo and San Vito lo Capo. It can be reached within an hour by car from Lo Stagnone, regardless of whether you choose the northern or southern entrance. We drive to the entrance via narrow winding roads and the south. The entrance fee is five euros.

In the 1980s, the largest environmental protection movement in Sicily to date was formed here. The government wanted to build a road from Castellamare del Golfo to San Vito lo Capo. The entrance to the national park is the only completed tunnel in the project. The conservationists won.

The Zingaro National Park is best known for its birds of prey in the upper regions. There are three hiking trails which all run more or less in a north-south direction. The easy one is seven kilometres long and runs relatively flat directly along the coast from the south to the north entrance. It can be completed in four hours there and back with a few detours to small bathing bays.

We want an overview and choose the moderately difficult route. It soon climbs steeply and takes us up to 450 metres above sea level. Our plan was actually to walk half of the medium-difficulty path and then switch back to the easier path along the sea. However, that would have been a nice hike of at least six hours. Too much before our evening hike to the winery. We walk back the same way. The difficult path to the summit regions around 900 metres must be really tough, taking up to 13 hours.

We didn’t see any birds of prey, but even so, the views and thousands of colourful flowers blooming on lush green slopes are beautiful. You walk for kilometres through a single buzzing swarm of bees. Butterflies and lizards accompany you along the way.