From Monte Grifone, you’ll enjoy some of the most breathtaking and wide-sweeping views of the city of Palermo. By hiking to the summit of Monte Grifone, you’ll also walk amongst some of the gorgeous mountainous landscape surrounding the sprawling city. Best of all, this isn’t a well-known hiking route for tourists. So, you’ll likely only share the trail with locals, or, maybe you’ll have it all to yourself (or yourselves)!
In this guide, we’ll briefly cover all of the essential details for hiking to Monte Grifone.
Table of Contents
Monte Grifone: Hiking Overview
Below, are all of the main trail specs for this underrated walk near Palermo.
- Type: Out & Back
- Distance: 5.6km
- Time: 2–2.5 hours
- Accumulated elevation gain: 360m
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Trailhead: Google Maps
- Parking: Google Maps
- Map: AllTrails
Monte Grifone: Trail Description
From a small parking area, you’ll briefly follow a road uphill, which is beautifully set amongst mountains. Along the way, we saw a local farmer attending to his field, who was friendly enough to give us a wave as if to welcome us to this quieter area outside of Palermo.
Along this road, you’ll soon see a large farmhouse. Turn right before the building, and you’ll soon pass official signage for the natural area you’re about to explore! You’ll then walk through a gate, and commence a gradually ascending trail on a wide rocky path. During this part of the route, you’ll walk through pockets of serene forest.
As the trail ascends, you’ll soon enjoy more far-reaching views of the surrounding landscape. Despite the overcast day and slightly reduced visibility, Beck and I still really enjoyed the views of the surrounding mountains that were often scattered with limestone rock features.
Eventually, you’ll reach a gate. Simply walk around it, and continue uphill along the windy rocky path. Soon enough, you’ll reach the peak of Monte Grifone. Standing 832 metres above sea level, you’ll enjoy some of the most far-reaching views of the spectacular city of Palermo as well as the Bay of Palermo. From the peak, you’ll also enjoy views towards the Bosco della Ficuzza Nature Reserve.
After enjoying some of the best sweeping views of Palermo, it’s time to retrace your steps to complete the walk. For simplicity’s sake, we completed this walk as an out and back route.
Overall, we highly recommend doing this walk near Palermo. It’s a great way to get off the tourist trail and enjoy some of the natural areas surrounding Palermo, which also provide epic views of the city itself.
Where Is Monte Grifone?
Monte Grifone is located southeast of Palermo near a town called Belmonte Mezzagno. From the city centre of Palermo, it takes around 30–40 minutes to drive to the trailhead.
How to Get There
The easiest way to get to Monte Grifone is to drive to the trailhead. Usually, the quickest and most convenient way to access hiking trails in Sicily is by driving there yourself. Generally speaking, car hire in Sicily is reasonably priced. Beck and I have hired a car from Catania International Airport on more than one occasion and have found it fairly inexpensive each time.
Car Hire
If you don’t have your own car, you should hire one using Discover Cars. Personally, we use Discover Cars and highly recommend them for finding your ideal car hire at an affordable price. Booking online is super easy and the free cancellation policy is great.
To find out more about renting a car with Discover Cars, read our Discover Cars review and Discover Cars Insurance review.
After driving through the charming town of Belmonte Mezzagno, you’ll follow a bumpy road called Via Portella di Palermo. At the end of this road, there is a small gravel area where you can park for the Monte Grifone walk. There is only enough space for around half a dozen vehicles. Beck and I did this hike during the week, in April, and found no other vehicles parked there during our visit.
FYI – make sure you access the trailhead by driving through Belmonte Mezzagno, from the south. Your GPS navigation system may recommend that you drive to the trailhead from Belmonte Chiavelli, in the north. But, this would involve accessing narrow unpaved farm roads, which is certainly not what you want to be driving in a car hire!
Public Transport
It’s possible to get a bus from Palermo to Belmonte Mezzagno. From Belmonte Mezzagno, you’ll walk north to join Via Portella di Palermo, and then simply follow the road until you reach the trailhead.
Where to Stay Nearby
The obvious place to stay near Monte Grifone is the Sicilian capital – Palermo. Of course, if you want to escape the hustle and bustle of Palermo, but stay near Monte Grifone, we highly recommend choosing a nearby coastal town. The best coastal towns near Palermo include Mondello, Sferracavallo and Bagheria.
We recommend using Booking.com to find the best accommodation options and offers in Palermo. Use our button below to find yourself an excellent place to stay in Palermo.
Other Hikes Near Palermo
There are plenty of other great walking opportunities near Palermo. Below, you’ll find links to our other guides, detailing the best walks to do near Palermo.
- Monte Pellegrino & Santuario di Santa Rosalia: A Complete Guide
- The 3 Best Walks in the Capo Gallo Nature Reserve
- 5 Insider Tips For Visiting Capo Zafferano in Sicily
Best Hikes in Sicily
To discover all of the best hikes in Sicily, you’ll have to read our huge Sicily hiking guide. This guide includes must-do popular trails in Sicily such as Mount Etna, Stromboli Volcano and the Sentiero Costiero (Coastal Walk) in Zingaro Nature Reserve. But, this guide also covers hidden gems, so that you can explore all of the very best walks on the island.
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