Sicily is like a country in itself, it takes two long tours to see all the best of it! This tour runs in 4 legs, taking you to areas with different landscapes, history, and of course special wines and cuisines. We taste 8 or more fine wines and the tastier, and more unique specialties: pastas, veggies, fish especially, meat too, and amazing “dolci Siciliani”.

1) ETNA and TAORMINA

The Etna volcano and Taormina are likely the more famous, yet opposite icons of Sicily: the wilder, terrifying nature, the more glamorous elegant town. They summarize the Sicilian history, in which art, culture and whealth always alternated with wars and terrible historical and natural events. Driving up and down the Etna slopes, we see all the possible climatic zones and cultures, until the craters and lava flows, near the  11,000 tp. We see citrus and grapes at amazing altutudes, avocados, mango and pistachio. In Taormina we see the Greek theatre, with its famous Etna view, and we take time for strolling the glamorous shopping street. In the Alcantara valley, instead, we get a feel of the countryside, we try the finest wines, and taste Bronte’s pistachio’s dishes, and other specialties of the area.

2) VILLA del CASALE, AGRIGENTO

To reach Agrigento, where the more majestic Greek temples are, we cross the island midwest, the bread basket since Romans times. We see genuine villages where life flows slowly, away from mainstream tourism. Our first stop is the Roman Villa del Casale, near Piazza Armerina, the mansion  of a millionnaire, perhaps an emperor. It has miracolously preserved 50 large floor mosaics, that display lively scenes of dancers, wild animals hunts, gods, trading ships, offering to us a great picture of what happened and mattered to a whealthy Roman of the late empire.

In Agrigento, instead, we jump 900 years back, into the apotheosis of the Magna Graecia. We can visit the outstanding Museum, and walk by seven temples, dedicated to Zeus, Juno, Volcano, Hercules and others, standing as the more imposing and better preserved ones, witnessing the whealth and power of a Greek colony.

3) THE BAROQUE OF THE MODICA AREA

This leg take us to a former gem of the medieval and Spanish times, the Modica county.  In a fertile plateau, crosscut by fresh canyons, and facing the sea, we find another Sicily, green and clearly richer. In Modica and other towns we wonder at the gleaming, solar Baroque architecture of the XVIII century. This is, too, the ideal Sicily of the popular Inspector Montalbano show, as you can easily realize. In Ispica we take a walk in a cool natural and archeological park.

In this area we can find, eventually, high quality meat, Ragusano cheese, and the Modica chocolate, an old style specialty brought here directly from Mexico. We taste Cerasuolo and top quality Nero d’Avola wines.

4) SIRACUSA, THE COAST, PANTALICA 

At last we go back to the Ionian coasts, where we enjoy the coastal views, visit a great city, a prehistorical site, and a special wine zone. The Pachino area, the southernmost point of Europe with an African climate, is the cherry tomatoe garden of Europe, but also an top wine zone, where we taste Eloro and Moscato wines, and the original Nero d’Avola.  Then we stop in romantic Marzamemi, a village set of many movies, and then in Vindicari an unspoiled coastal park, to take a walk to the ancient “tonnara”, tuna fishery, and to savour a great seafood lunch. Last but not least, we land in Siracusa, the nicer and more scenic Mediterranean city, the more powerful Greek city, rich of monuments from its glorious past. In old Ortygia we walk in ancient streets, we visit the Neapolis Greek theatre and Dyonisos cave, and we walk in the traditional, lively fish market. 

The last day, instead, is dedicated to relax and nature, walking in the Anapo river canyon, and looking at the suggestive, prehistorical Pantalica necropolis, before our farewell dinner.

Do you want more details?  you want a custom made tour, hotels? Contact us, tell us your preferences, and we will manufacture a custom made itinerary, perfect for you and your budget.