Spring in Sicily     

The Nature, Temples &Gastronomy

Our trip in Sicily is a full immersion in the spicier cocktail of flavors and cultures that Italy, and the whole Mediterranean, can display. For 2000 years this island has amazed the educated travelers throughout the civilized world. The scents of Africa are in the air; the island records Phoenician, Greek, Roman, Arab, Norman and Spanish stories. The island enjoys the best climate and hence the more genuine Mediterranean cuisine, based on an imaginative combination of spices and simple, aromatic ingredients. The astonishing landscapes, the earthy wines, concentrated by the sun, will complete the indefinable Sicilian atmosphere, exotic for the “Italians” themselves, and make this trip unforgettable.

Our Sicilian itinerary spins “clockwise” in three ideal sections: The Etna Volcano, which will be explored during the pre-trip exploration, the Syracuse and the Hyblean plateau, with some of the best preserved Mediterranean natural environments and the splendor of Baroque cities rebuilt after a catastrophic earthquake, and the Western part of the island, with the majestic Greek ruins of Selinunte and Segesta, Marsala and his wine, and the rare Phoenician remains of ancient Mothia.

The days around the Etna include walks on its lava slopes, tasting of the “Etna” wine, and a visit to Taormina and his coast. Syracuse boasts a great Greek archaeological area, the beautiful, timeless Hyblean gorges and plateaux, with amazing pre-historical sites, some of which we shall explore on foot, and the surrealistic, golden cities of Noto, Modica, and Ragusa.

After our transfer in the Province of Trapani, the Western part of Sicilyt he conclusion of the trip will be dedicated to the Phoenician heritage, which we find in the Mothia site, and in Marsala, and to the best preserved, gigantic fascinating Greek ruins of Selinunte and Segesta.  For those staying on for a night in Palermo we enjoy a walk in a guided tour of this fantastic city.

DAY 1: Welcome to Sicily!

We meet in Catania airport and with a short drive we reach Acireale, an old most classic town of the Sicilian coast, where old lava flows meet the Ionic sea. This is the area that the old Greek colonizers landed first and where they set their first colony in Naxos. Taking our first “granita” di caffé or cappuccino in a sea front bar we can see the Cyclops islands, formed by the rocks that Polyphemus threw to Ulysses and his fugitive sailors. We enjoy a two hours warm up walk, following a steep, lava slabs paved 1700 road, that takes us down to the S. Maria La Scala at the sea. Later in the afternoon we reach our rooms for a rest, then we meet for an aperitif, before tasting our first Sicilian dinner.

Day 2:The Etna Volcano

       We will explore the Etna Volcano slopes today. Our hike takes us along the fertile slopes covered first by vineyards, then by chestnuts and pine forests, and eventually grading into the lunar landscape of the lava fields, formed by the eruption of centuries ago. Depending on the weather and on the volcanic activity, we may approach “la muntagna”, as the Sicilian call it, from the northern, Linguaglossa side, and reach the volcanic caves area, or from the south-eastern side approaching the old craters rims of Mt. Pomiciaro and maybe reach for a view of the impressive Valle del Bove . The walk can take between 2 and 6 hours, taking the short or the longer option, with elevation gains of 800 ft, or more. The lower, fertile volcanic slopes, also offer a chance for an enticing tasting of the Etna Rosso DOC , a powerful wine at the Barone del Mu rgo or Valle Galfina wineries.

Day 3: TAORMINA: PALM SUNDAY

Today we will visit the lovely village of Taormina with its classical Greek Theatre.   We enjoy time to wander along its many curious and fancy shops. As an option we propose a short, easy walk in the Taormina countryside or to the Alcantara River. In the afternoon we will transfer to our comfortable farmhouse resort, in the Syracuse countryside.

SYRACUSE, THE CANYONS AND THE BAROQUE CITIES OF THE HYBLEAN PLATEAU

DAY 4: PANTALICA GORGES

In the morning we walk along the Pantalica Canyon , which was carved by the Anapo River. The canyons was inhabited from pre-historical times to the Middle Ages, along its sides there are five necropolis, carved by over 5000 tombs. These secluded valleys are among the most picturesque in all the Mediterranean After a picnic on the trail, we return to our resort for a rest before a cooking demonstration and dinner at the farmhouse. The cuoca of the Casa dello Scirocco will cook for us and with us the best of their “Cucina dell’Eros” menu, that they have developed with the spicy and simpler of the Sicilian ingredients.

DAY 5 : NOTO & SYRACUSE    

In the morning we visit Noto , the more isolated and once almost abandoned of the Baroque cities. These cities, unlike most of the others, were built new in the Baroque period, when the terrible 1693 earthquake destroyed the old ones and killed almost 10,000   of the inhabitants. Their charm reflects their unique homogeneity of style and color.

Time allowing, we can also take a walk (2-3 hours) in the little Cassibile River C anyon , where onr might bath in the clear waters of the area. In the afternoon, after a break in our rooms, we head to Syracuse . The city, founded by Greek emigrants on the Ortygia islet, was for some centuries the richer and more powerful one in Magna Grecia, confronting and winning the Etruscans and the Chartaginians. Later, when Archimedes lived there, it was the last to be conquered by the Romans. The heritage of that golden period is the Cathedral, visibly created by re-modeling the Greek temple to Athena , an impressive museum, and a wide archaeological area, including also the famous “orecchio di Dioniso”, where the legend has it that her more famous tyrant Dyonisos imprisoned his enemies. In these days Syracuse has the charm of an active yet relaxed town as it used to be some decades ago. The downtown, on the islet,   is being lovingly restored. We visit Syracuse, wandering along the little “vicoli”, admiring t he marina and, in the evening, ending up with a characteristic dinner in the best seafood restaurant at the harbor .

DAY 6: RAGUSA, THE CAVE D’ISPICA AND THE CERASUOLO DI VITTORIA WINE.

This day is primarily dedicated to the pleasures of the table: some gastronomic-cultural experience and some oenology. We start with a tasting of rare specialties of the local “pasticcieri” . They are based on non-cooked, and spicy cocoa, still produced according to the XVI recipes, just imported from Mexico by the Spanish rulers. Then we will be ready for an exploration of the Cave d’Ispica gorge, where we can see burial places from 1800 BC. and Greek, times and chapels of Byzantine and medieval times. In the afternoon we’ll visit the enchanting baroque center of Ragusa Ibla and, we will taste the Ragusano, the more celebrated Sicilian cheese. Time allowing, we will combine this with a wine tasting of the Cerasuolo di Vittoria wine.

DAY   7 :   TRAVEL TO THE WEST

Today our program is quite flexible due to the long transfer time (approximately 4-5 hours) i t will take us to reach the opposite side of the island. En route we will take a break, possibly an archaeological stroll in Segesta, to see a romantic, Doric temple isolated in the countryside. Perhaps we enjoy another wine tasting of the Alcamo DOC wines at the welcoming Spadafora or Fazio wineries. In the afternoon we reach our second farmhouse resort near Trapani, our home for the last four nights, and relax before our first dinner of western Sicilian cuisine.

  WESTERN SICILY: MARSALA ERICE SELINUNTE

The Western Sicily is somehow the more African part of the region. It preserves the few remains of the earlier Phoenician colonizers; it was the area where the Arabs remained for the longer period, and still know has a feel of Arab culture, if nothing else in its cuisine and inthe vicinity of Tunisia and Libya.

DAY 8 : TRAPANI

Friday morning we will visit the Trapani saltpans in the Nubia area, where we can see the salt produced in the   ancient, traditional ways. We continue on to reach the archaeological site of Mothia , a wealthy Phoenician colony destroyed by the Greeks. Here we visit a small museum and the remains of the temple to Baal with his funerary urns.

DAY 9 &10 : MARSALA AND SELINUNTE AND EASTER SUNDAY

For our final days we visit Marsala is a beautiful, few-tourist fishing center, but is name is definitely linked to the homonymous, famous, golden-brown fortified wine. In Marsala we will visit one of the ageing cellars, learning the differences between a Fine, Virgin and Solera Marsala from a local expert. Lunch may be at the winery, experiencing the appropriate wine-food combinations, or at a restaurant along the sea, to taste the Zuppa di Pesce made in the local way.   Selinunte was a major Greek city, before it was destroyed. We will start the visit from the Cusa quarries, an incredible location, where we can see how the stone was cut and carved before being rolled to the Acropolis. Then we move to the large archaeological area, and we walk around it admiring several majestic temples, some of which remain standing.

DAY 11 : PALERMO

Our schedule for the day depends on the group consensus; we may enjoy a morning walk in Zingaro Natural Reserve , walking on a coastal trail along a turquoise sea. Numerous small private beaches allow time to reflect the end of our journey. We may instead decided to head directly to Palermo for a full day of touring with our guide.

Palermo , once the Arab and Norman capital, and the first flourishing city in medieval times. It has preserved fascinating public buildings that we can see during our visit: the Palazzo dei Normanni with the Cappella Palatina, wondrously lined with Byzantine mosaics, the Duomo, where the Hoenstaufen Emperor Frederik II, who attempted to unify Italy and Germany 8 centuries ago, rests with his wife.   We then walk to the singular S. Giovanni degli Eremiti church, topped by Moorish domes, or pay a visit to the oddest cemetery, the Cappuccini catacombs, where hundreds of mummies stand up in the clothes and uniform of their past life. We wander the streets with our expert guide, visiting the old “Quartieri” of the Kalsa, where you breathe the real air of the popular life, and the lively street market of Ballarò, home of the street food tasting and of the seafood cuisine.   After a strong coffée and a taste of Sicilian pastry, we can end at the Bothanical Gardens, to admire the incredible, lush African and Tropical plants, and relax before dinner.

Overnight Palermo

DAY 12 : DEPARTURE

Departure: group transfer to airport based on common flights or extend your stay in Palermo.