ASSP-surveyed trails, historical narrative, reliable services
Nicosia for hikers
12 GPS-surveyed trails in the Sambughetti-Campanito reserve, prehistoric rock dwellings nominated for the FAI Heart Places, the Mountain Museum. A less-known destination for people who really walk.
© Nicosia di Sicilia ETS-APS
Profile
Who it's for
Experienced European hikers (especially German, Austrian, French, British) who have already walked Camino de Santiago, the Dolomites, the Corsican GR20. They are looking for lesser-known destinations with strong cultural narrative and reliable services.
The trail network is the ASSP's: 12 numbered routes, from the 30 minutes of Trail 9 to the 10 hours of Trail 1. Sheets, elevation profiles and the original GPS tracks are on the trail map.
The network
The trails of the Sambughetti-Campanito reserve
The territory's numbered trails are published by Nicosia's ASSP, the municipal Azienda Speciale Silvo Pastorale: 12 GPS-surveyed routes inside the Sambughetti-Campanito reserve, each with a technical sheet, GPX and KML. On our trail map the line is that track and the figures are those of the sheet.
The Cammino di San Giacomo in Sicilia also passes through Nicosia, with its departures in the calendar.
Experiences
What to book
- Soul and Tradition — seven days and six nights The complete Long Stay of a full week. The integral version of the Nicosia experience: heritage, masseria, cooking classes, trekking, masterclasses, events, village life. Nicosia di Sicilia ETS-APS
- Farming and Processing From field to finished product. An itinerary across Nicosia's agricultural chain, ending at the local processing workshops. Nicosia di Sicilia ETS-APS
- Cheeses and Extra-Virgin Olive Oil The two food flagships of the Nicosia territory: cheese (especially sheep ricotta and buffalo products) and extra-virgin olive oil. Nicosia di Sicilia ETS-APS
- Medicinal Herbs and Honey A sensory itinerary devoted to the wild herbs of the Nebrodi and to wildflower honey from local beekeeping. Nicosia di Sicilia ETS-APS
Outdoor events
When to come
- Cammino di San Giacomo (Saint James's Way) The Sicilian Way of Saint James, with guided departures throughout 2026 — on foot along the stages, or by bike, with the option to rent standard bikes and e-bikes.
- Cammino di San Felice (Saint Felix Pilgrim Trail) Five days on foot from the Nebrodi coast up to Nicosia, on the trail of Saint Felix. Five stages across villages, paths and high mountain lakes, with the Capuchin friars and the Cammino association.
- Mountain Festival Nicosia's celebration of rural life, up in the mountains. A morning trek to the Campanito lakes, fresh ricotta made in front of you, music and games for children in the San Martino recreation area, inside the Sambughetti-Campanito reserve.
Practical
Difficulty, season, gear
- Difficulty: the ASSP rates every trail on two one-to-five scales, technical difficulty and fitness required; the network goes from 2/2 to 4/5. Each trail's sheet shows both.
- Season: the ASSP lists the trails as walkable year-round; with more than 20 cm of snow it recommends snowshoes and poles. In summer the shadeless stretches of the great loop and of the east-west crossing weigh.
- Gear: hiking boots, layered clothing, enough water (water points are scarce on almost every trail), a GPS or smartphone with the ASSP's GPX track loaded and a power bank: the sheet itself recommends it.
- San Felice Trail: pilgrimage organised by the Friars Minor Capuchins of Nicosia — to be contacted directly.