World Orienteering Week - 3+3 Days Sicily Pantelleria

The 3+3 Days Sicily Pantelleria

The World Orienteering Week - 3+3 Days Sicily Pantelleria is an international orienteering sporting event held on the island of Pantelleria, in the province of Trapani, at the southwestern tip of Sicily. Promoted by the WoW - World Orienteering Week Association, the event brings international athletes and representatives of the discipline to the island, contributing to the promotion of the area for both sports and tourism. The event is held under the patronage of the Municipality of Pantelleria.

A six-day format

The name 3+3 Days refers to the competition format: two blocks of three race days spread throughout the week, allowing participants to combine competitive commitment with time to explore the island. Orienteering is a discipline that combines running with navigation skills: equipped with a topographic map and compass, athletes must reach a series of control points in the shortest possible time, independently choosing the best route across the terrain.

Pantelleria, a unique racing ground

Pantelleria is a volcanic island overlooking the Strait of Sicily, closer to the African coast than the Sicilian one. Its landscape—characterized by terraces cultivated with bush-trained vines and capers, dry-stone walls, lava-stone dammusi, inland districts, and peaks like Montagna Grande—offers orienteers a technical and evocative terrain, far from conventional tracks. Running thus becomes a way to read and traverse a territory declared a National Park.

Sport, nature, and tourism

The initiative is part of a strategy to promote Pantelleria as a destination for sports tourism during the shoulder seasons. The local tourism partner for the event is the tour operator Pantelleria Island, which offers flight and accommodation packages, stays in hotels and traditional dammusi, car rentals, and transfers dedicated to participants and groups. Orienteering thus joins other outdoor events that animate the island between spring and summer, from trail running to sea activities.

The World Orienteering Week circuit

The 3+3 Days Sicily Pantelleria is linked to the World Orienteering Week movement, the largest global event dedicated to orienteering, promoted internationally to increase the visibility and accessibility of the discipline. Each year, the circuit involves tens of thousands of participants in hundreds of events across many nations, ranging from schools to clubs. The Pantelleria stage represents an opportunity to bring an international-level event to Sicily.