Description
Monte Monaco (Monk Mountain), 532 m above sea level, is an imposing rocky massif, which rises on the East rocky coastline of the San Vito lo Capo’s promontory. The name (Monk Mountain) is due to the shape of its rock profile, seen by the “Tonnara di San Vito”, that seems a monk kneeling down. The majority of its climbing spots are North or East faced, but some routes are South-West exposed too. The top of the Mountain is flat, and can be reached on foot, or by mountain bike.
As almost all the areas of this crag are North or East faced, the routes of Monte Monaco (except the ones of the Grande Occhio area) are sheltered by the sirocco, and recommended during the summer and the mid-seasons. The cliffs are beautiful vertical (or slightly overhanging) wall of excellent limestone, sometimes cut through by corners and cracks. There are about one hundred of routes (this number is increasing), of medium/high and high difficulties.
the space under the rock wall is not much wide, and the approach is longer and more tiring than the average in San Vito lo Capo. Thus this crag is not good for children.
In addition to the single pitch routes, Monte Monaco offers some nice multipitches route, which will be added at a later release of this guide.
Approach
BY PLANE
The nearest international airports to San Vito lo Capo are the one of Trapani and the one of Palermo. The airport of Trapani is the nearest one (45 minutes by car), but the airport of Palermo (60 minutes by car) offer much more international flights. Once at Trapani (or Palermo), it’s convenient to book a rental car to San Vito together with the flight, as the public transport from Trapani (or Palermo) is not regular. As an alternative, you can book a private transfer, and once you are in San Vito, you can get around on foot, or by a rental bicycle
BY FERRY
You can take a ferry to Palermo from many harbors: Genova, Livorno, Civitavecchia (near Roma), Napoli, Salerno, or from Cagliari (in Sardegna). From Civitavecchia or Naples the ferry sets sail in the evening and arrive in the early morning. If you have a car, it’s convenient boarding with your car, or, as an alternative, booking a rental car to San Vito (or a private transfer).
BY CAR FROM PALERMO
From Palermo take the highway E90 toward Trapani, and exit to Castellammare del Golfo. Once at Castellammare del Golfo (SS 731) follow the signs to Custonaci, and take the SS187 road. Once at the fork to Custonaci, turn right and take the SP16 road. Continue on the SP16 road, up to San Vito lo Capo, crossing first Custonaci, then Purgatorio, then Castelluzzo, and finally Màcari.
BY CAR FROM TRAPANI
From Trapani take the SS187 road toward San Vito lo Capo. Once at the fork to Custonaci, turn left and take the SP16 road. Continue on the SP16 road, up to San Vito lo Capo, crossing first Custonaci, then Purgatorio, then Castelluzzo, Màcari, and finally San Vito.
