Exploring this breathtaking island on foot is a journey through time. Sicily offers wild valleys pitted with Greek and Roman temples and ancient ruins - reminders of long-gone peoples. Mule tracks and age-old pathways have survived and offer a wealth of surprises, starting with the carpets of brilliant wildflowers. Landscapes are grandiose. Olive groves thrive alongside citrus orchards, never far from snow-clad mountain ranges presided over by imposing volcanoes - ranging from extinct and safe to visit, through to placidly smoking, and to constantly active giants Etna and Stromboli from which fiery rivers of lava still come. In dramatic contrast is the string of peaceful offshore islands set in turquoise waters, which are pure Mediterranean in character. Sicily's stunning range of scenery, combined with its mild winters and hot dry summers, make for rewarding walking holidays all year round.