Sicilian landscape tour
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itinerary in detail

 

Day 1 (Saturday) Palermo

Upon arrival to Palermo airport own transfer to your hotel. Briefing, cocktail and welcome dinner at local trattoria-restaurant.
(Dinner included)

Day 2 (Sunday) Corleone and Ficuzza Natural Park
Today’s’ drive across the vast countryside enables us to see Sicily’s great variety of sceneries. We soon arrive in Corleone one of the attractive places in the environ of Palermo and is known primarily as the birthplace of Mafia. The name of the town was used as the adopted surname of the title character in Francis Ford Coppola's movie, The Godfather. Later we will continue to Ficuzza, a nature reserve and small hamlet in the mountains south of Palermo in the township district of Corleone. We will rest in the park and enjoy a great walk in the Ficuzza village. The park was founded to be a logistic support point for the royal game reserve of Bourbon dynasty.During the centuries, Ficuzza wood has been the scenario of the main historical events: illegal breeding, mafia munders, Tripolitan rebels deported during WW1, seat of the fascist military hearquarters during WWII. During the great walk into the natural park through the Ferdinando III's hunting lodge we will enjoy a local light lunch in the ancient rail station. Here we can taste typical local and country dishes in a fantastic simple feeling. Later back in Palermo.
(Breakfast and lunch included)

Day 3 (Monday) Cefalù & Nebrodi Park
Today departure to Cefalù, a charming coastal town with medieval streets and delightful view overlooking a rocky coast. All under the everpresent gaze of the Norman-Arab-Byzantine cathedral, one of the greatest churches of southern Europe. Nestled between the Madonie Mountains and the sea, Cefalù's mountain boasts the ruins of a large fortress and an ancient Sicanian-Greek temple. The view from the summit is inspiring. Leaving Cefalù we will drive along the Tyrrenian coast and we will enter into the Nebrodi Park known for its immense forests full of majestic trees. We will stop for a light lunch (not included) in a local country restaurant located in the area of Miraglia Wood across the lovely San Fratello an endemic horse race that lives free, only in these territories. This afternoon we will across the lovely Cesarò and the fantastic Randazzo at the boundary between the Nebrodi Park and the great Etna Volcano Park. We will across the northen slopes of Mount Etna to reach Taormina the world famous resort of Sicily for its views and atmosphere. Tonight dinner at hotel
(Breakfast and dinner included)

Day 4 (Tuesday) The rocky Necropolis of Pantalica
(In case of bad weather forecast we will exchange this excursion with Syracuse)
Today will be a day trip characterized by a full immersion in nature, history and adventure, visiting one of the largest and beautiful prehistoric necropolis in the world: Pantalica. It will be very interesting to see the big Necropolis of Pantalica, that testify the presence of the man since pre-history, and gives a touch of mystery to this area. An expedition through the protected area (soon to become a nature reserve) around the Anapo valley reveals an extraordinary landscape comprising a succession of gorges defined by vertical cliffs, lemon trees and white limestones. This afternoon back in Taormina
(Breakfast included)

Day 5 (Wednesday) Mount Etna in Jeep Ride
A short drive by Jeep takes us to the slopes of Mt. Etna. Weather and volcanic conditions permitting, we experience the lava fields and incredible view of Europe’s highest and most active volcano. Visit the Cave of the Thieves and Mount Fontana with a spectacular view of Bove Valley and the extinct craters of Sartorius Mounts. Then to a farmhouse to taste Etna artisan food and we indulge in a typical light-lunch at the farmhouse. After enjoy a stop to the entrance of Alcantara Gorges before drive along the coast to reach Taormina
(Breakfast and lunch included)

Day 6 (Thursday) Caltagirone, Agrigento Temples and the wonderful Kolymbetra Park
Following breakfast we will drive through the interior of Sicily to reach the nice Caltagirone, one of the important town for Sicilian pottery and ceramics. We will walk in the city centre and climbing on the famous steps all decorated with local and colored ceramics. Time at leisure for shopping in the nice ceramics-shops. Then we will continue to reach the great Agrigento whose history dates back to 580 BC. An historic, naturalist and landscape site of immense value is the Kolymbetra Garden, a small valley in the heart of the Valley of Temples. An authentic archaeological and agricultural jewel in the Valley of Temples, returned to light after decades of abandon, this is an extraordinary garden in terms of the magnificence, abundance and glory of nature, as well as the wealth of archaeological finds that are still coming to light. Dinner at hotel. After dinner, we enjoy an orientation tour of Agrigento by night to admire the Illuminated Temples.
(Breakfast and dinner included)

Day 7 (Friday) Sant'Angelo Muxaro, its country Bread, Pizza & Cooking Experience
This morning we will depart to the country town of Sant’Angelo Muxaro. Obviously, one who has never been here can’t but be surprised and pleasantly awed when, from the provincial road that from Agrigento meanders into the inland along curves, twists and bends between mountains and hills, will find himself almost immediately in front of a unique and spectacular view. On a lonely hill, in the centre of the valley of the river Platani and surrounded by a wild and harsh vegetation, a handful of houses lie on the sheer slope of the hill itself… this is the small town of Sant’Angelo Muxaro. On arrival meet Donna Concetta. She will teach us Pizza and Bread preparation. Simple light-lunch to taste Sicilian Pizza and Pane Cunsatu, a typical home-make bread with olive oil, pecorino cheese. During afternoon brief visit to the little city centre and local shops to admire the seniors men who build the traditional straw-fruit-basket. During afternoon departure to Palermo. Tonight we gather for a Farewell Dinner at local restaurant
(Breakfast, lunch and dinner included)

Day 8 (Saturday) Palermo
Time to say goodbye to Sicily and own transfer to Palermo airport
(Breakfast included)