Sumptuous Sicily in Ten Days

Sicily in Italy, is one of those dream travel destinations that everyone craves to visit, due to it’s culture, history, natural attractions, fantastic food and wine. It offers travellers one of the most enjoyable travel experiences ever. My recent trip to the southern part of Italy, included sumptuous Sicily in ten days.

This was a part of Italy that I’d briefly stopped at on a Mediterranean cruise in 2017, and vowed that I would like to return to. In addition, the tour organiser was a fellow travel blogger and an Australian friend had done this tour a year earlier. So, I had no hesitation in booking this small-group, ten day, best of Sicily tour.

Sicily

The island of Sicily is located at the “toe of the boot” of Italy and is the largest island in the Mediterranean. It’s volcanic and sun-kissed landscape, because of its mild Mediterranean climate, makes it the perfect place to holiday.

I discovered that Sicily had so much to offer with a rich and diverse history that was settled by the Greeks initially and known as Sikelia. This followed by a series of rules by the Romans in the Byzantine era, an Arab conquest from North Africa in 965, the Normans in the 11th century and eventually back into the hands of the Italians. This blend of ethnicity is still present in the archeological sites and people of Sicily.

Sicily Travel Itinerary

My choice of tour company was with Rocky Travel on a “Best of Sicily” ten day tour of the island with eight other over 50s ladies. We were transported around the island by a small comfortable bus and an extremely knowledgable travel guide. During our ten days we learnt so much about the history of Sicily and how this has impacted on island life today.

Catania

Initially, the tour commenced in the port city of Catania on the eastern part of the island that is set at the foot of the active volcano Mt Etna. On my first day in this Baroque architecture “city of arts”, I wandered around the Piazza del Duomo where there are several significant historical sites.

My afternoon was spent on a hop on hop off bus that took me out of the city along a scenic coastal strip. Here I got to see Aci Castello perched atop a rock jutting out into the sea, and the gorgeous fishing village of Aci Trezza.

The must see things to see and do in Catania are:

• Piazza del Duomo featuring the iconic Elephant Fountain, Catania Cathedral, and Palazzo degli Elefanti (now the city hall).
• Castello Ursino – a medieval fortress that looks spectacular lit up of a nightime.

• Teatro Massimo Bellini with its stunning Sicilian Baroque facade.
• Monastery of San Nicolò l’Arena
• The archeological site of Teatro Romano di Catania – an ancient Roman amphitheatre.

• Hiking Mt Etna.
• A stroll around the fish markets – La Pescheria.
• Wander down Umbrellini Street – a feast for the eyes and stomach.

• A visit to the green oasis of Villa Bellini.
• Drive out to Aci Castello and Aci Trezza.

After a full day of sightseeing, I was to meet my tour group of eight woman and our lovely tour organiser, Michela, at a seafood restaurant in the dining precinct. This included a walk through the narrow laneways under the colourful umbrellas in Umbrellini Street, one of the liveliest and most Instagrammable parts of Catania.

Taormina

The tour bus departed Catania the next morning to the hilltop town of Taormina, the pearl of the Ionian Sea. The drive itself is worth it for the stunning views that you glimpse along the route due to its coves, sandy beaches and the tiny island of Isola Bella.

Once we reached the village, we bundled out of the bus and made our way straight towards the Teatro Antico di Taormina, an ancient Greco-­Roman theatre. Our tour guide gave us a very detailed and interesting exploration of the theatre site and surrounding area. The views from this ancient theatre were spell-binding.

We took the opportunity to visit a pistacchio shop where we given tastings of products that were made from this nut grown exclusively on the island. There were liqueurs, chocolates, ice-cream and biscuits all available to sample.

Afterwards, we had free time to wander around the narrow streets with shops selling souvenirs, ceramics, and linen and upmarket boutiques. We stopped and enjoyed a lunch of arancini balls washed down with a local beer.

Milazzo

Taormina really captured our hearts. We reluctantly got back on the bus and made our way to the seaside town of Milazzo, where we were to spend the night. As we entered the town we could see a large castle on the hill dominating the town. The seafront area of the town was very attractive with the sparkling waters of the sea gleaming in the afternoon sun.

Milazzo is the gateway to the Aeolian Islands and a very popular stopover before exploring the islands. We spent the night here, but beforehand we decided late afternoon to explore the castle high on the hill – Castello di Milazzo. We were rewarded with 360 degree views from the apex of the hill adjacent to the 8th century BC castle.

Vulcano & Lipari

The next morning, we were up early as we had to catch a ferry to the Aeolian Island of Vulcano. After a 50 minute ferry ride we arrived on the island. The pungent smell of sulphur was in the air as we walked from the harbour past a large mud bath that was burbling away. We continued through the small village with some souvenir shops and restaurants, to the entrance of the volcano hiking trail.

Six of our group scaled the volcano up a path that snaked its way up the mountain. Towards the crater it was rocky underfoot and challenging, but we eventually made it to the summit. We looked down on the crater that was oozing sulphurous vapour.

The views from here were majestic as we looked over the rest of the Aeolian Islands on a clear blue sky day.

After we clambered back down the volcano, we had the option to have a swim at the nearby black sand thermal beach. However, we declined, bought a gelato ice-cream instead, and then jumped on a boat to take us over to Lipari Island.

Lipari Island is as pretty as a picture from the water approach. There is a beautiful little harbour that is overshadowed by a historic castle on the bluff. It was my type of town with charming narrow cobble-stoned streets brimming with gorgeous little shops with local crafts and souvenirs. We stopped and enjoyed the local special for lunch, the Pane Cunzato, which is a Sicilian tuna sandwich on thick flatbread.

Once we finished our lunch, we scaled up the bluff to the historic castle, Castello du Liparo, built by the Spanish in the mid 1500s. The Bernabò Brea Museum and archaeological park is located here as well as some significant ruins and above ground granite-stone graves.

It was time to jump back on the ferry and return to Milazzo where our bus was waiting. We drove about 140 kilometres to our next destination in beautiful Cefalu, where we spent the night.

Cefalu

The beachside village of Cefalu (pronounced Chefalu), is a a very popular resort town on the northern coast of Sicily. It has a particular Norman medieval look about it with its 12th-century fortress-like church and narrow laneways. The large headland, La Rocca that looms over the town, is an archeological site. It is worth the climb for its ruins and also the panoramic views over the town and coastline.

We were taken on a tour through the streets to the Cathedral of Cefalù, a masterpiece of Arab-Norman art with Byzantine mosaics. Next, we visited a medieval wash house or lavatoio – which sits on a natural spring.

After this we were free to wander around the historical streets of Cefalu to see some of the local crafts and artwork, or stroll along the sandy beach. There is a promenade that lines the beach where there are eateries, cafes and beach clubs. The perfect spot to perch yourself for an afternoon aperitif.

Monreale & Palermo

Our tour continued to Palermo and the slope of Monte Caputo, where Monreale is located. This world heritage listed site is famous for Santa Maria la Nuova Cathedral and the Benedictine cloister, both featuring a prevalent Arab-Norman architectural style.

The Cathedral’s interior is plushly decorated with impressive Byzantine gold mosaics, dating from the 8th century, depicting the beginnings of christianity and biblical stories. Whereas, the cloister features Muslim arcaded courtyards supported by 228 paired columns, surrounding a beautiful garden. These columns are all lavishly decorated with fantastical motifs, each telling a story from the bible.

On the descent down the hill to the bus, we browsed some of the shops and market stalls that lined the street with different craftsmen demonstrating and selling their wares.

Upon awakening the next morning, the weather had become inclement and there were thunderstorms and rain predicted for the day. We set off on foot with raincoats and umbrellas at the ready for our walking tour of Palermo.

The main landmarks in Palermo are:
– Teatro Massimo Opera House.
– Santa Caterina Monastery, with its historic bakery I Segreti del Chiostro, where we devoured their famous cannoli. 

– Quattro Canti a perfectly symmetrical square at the crossroads of the historic centre of Palermo. Each marbled facade represents a season.
– Piazza Pretoria, dubbed the “Square of Shame” for its risque marble statues.

– Cattedrale di Palermo, built in 1184 with a blend of Norman, Gothic, and Arabic architecture.

Next, we returned to Teatro Massimo and met up with a foodie tour guide who took us on another walking tour savouring Sicilian street food. We started at the open-air markets sampling some different Sicilian foods, ventured to a small Sicilian ristorante for some bites, tried some local grappa at the Bellaro Market and finished with a gelato. Our bellies were well and truly full!

Sant ‘Angelo Muxora

We departed Palermo the following morning and crossed the island towards the southern coast of Sicily and Agrigento. Our drive took in lush farming land and green rolling hills with crops of wheat, vineyards and olive groves. We wound our way up a narrow road to the small commune of Sant ‘Angelo Muxora.

This historic town has retained its distinct Italo-Albanian or Arbëreshë culture. It has an interesting museum that features artefacts dating from 650 to 600 BC, that were excavated from tombs found in the area. We visited a traditional wood-fired bakery – sampling their goods; an olive oil producer; observed some of the streets murals; and finished our visit with a delicious three-course lunch prepared by a local family.

Agrigento

Our itinerary brought us to the hilltop ancient city of Agrigento, and the Valley of the Temples, late afternoon. The vast archaeological site consists of the ruins of the ancient city of Akragas, with well-preserved Greek temples. It is the largest archeological park in all of Europe and covers an area of 1300 hectares.

Tour guide, Loredana walked us through the extensive park conveying the detailed history of the ancient city ruins. This includes remains of seven Doric style temples, with the well-preserved Temple of Concordia taking pride of place. There are also numerous late-Roman and Byzantine necropolises featuring the famous Tomb of Theron funerary tower. Other tombs and catacombs dating back to the 4th century AD can be discovered in the Grotte Fragapane.

After an exhausting day we stayed by the beach in the suburb of San Leone and witnessed the most beautiful sunset from our hotel room.

Piazza Amerina

Venturing into the centre of Sicily to Mount Mangone at high elevation, we arrived to Piazza Amerina and the incredible Villa Romana del Casale. This exquisite villa was built in the 4th century AD and decorated with captivating mosaics, considered to be the most attractive and best preserved of their kind.

The importance of the intricate and detailed mosaics is that they reveal the life of the predominant upper class people that existed in the Roman age. There are mosaic depictions of heroes and gods, scenes of hunting, games and everyday life. It is simply mind blowing.

Ragusa Ibla

Renowned for some of the finest examples of Baroque architecture in Sicily, is the town of Ragusa Ibla. We stopped here to explore this town, that is actually part of two towns separated by a deep ravine. Ragusa Ibla was rebuilt following a devastating earthquake in 1693 and is considered the historical part of Ragusa.

Loredana pointed out some of the examples of Baroque style that are evidenced in many building facades and statues.

The main points of interest in Ragusa Ibla are:
– Duomo of Ragusa Ibla.
– Duomo Square and Corso XXV Aprile.
– Many elegant palazzi and their balconies.
– Piazza Pola.
– Giardino Pubblico public park.

The bus came to pick us up and take us out into the countryside near Ragusa to a magnificent villa with loads of charm and character. That night we feasted on a delicious four-course dinner, that was probably my favourite meal for the entire trip to Sicily.

Ispica Caves

Starting out early the next day, we travelled out to Ispica and Cava d’ Ispica, where we were to embark on a six kilometre hike through the canyon. The cave systems carved into the rockfaces of the canyon date back to the Bronze Age. Our hike took us through the green vegetated canyon where we saw Christian catacombs, prehistoric burial sites, churches, castles and houses.

The valley, that was once cultivated mostly with gardens and orchards by the cave dwellers, was full of figs, nuts and pomegranates. We also saw locquat trees and wheat growing wildly. We eventually reached a small cottage in the valley where we took some refreshments, snacked on delicious platters of food and even sipped some locally made wine.

Afterwards, we continued our hike that took us back up a road past some houses to a village where we got back on our bus. It was a very hot day and we were all looking forward to cooling off in the bus.

Scicli

Departing on our welcoming air-conditioned bus, we drove to the town of Scicli, another town with old dwellings carved into its hillside. It also suffered total devastation from the earthquake in 1693 and was rebuilt in the Baroque style. This charming town is brimming with beautiful palaces and churches.

The ancient city, arose on the hill of Saint Matteo where there is still evidence of some cave dwellings that are grown over. After checking these out we strolled to the elongated Piazza Italia to enjoy a gelato in the shade.

Noto

With the end of our tour looming, we set off the next day to Noto and the Infiorata di Noto (annual Baroque flower festival). We were in for a treat as the entire streets of the town were ablaze in glorious floral art displays.

The main attraction is the central street via Nicolaci, where there were numerous floral art presentations created down the centre of the street. This years theme being “art makes peace: the Infiorata that unites, hope beyond borders”.

If you’re interested in some more gorgeous examples of Baroque architecture then Noto has it’s fair share of charming palazzos, churches, fountains and an archway leading into the old town.

Syracuse

After lunch in Noto we drove to nearby Syracuse and the Neopolis Archeological Park, which is famous for its large Greek theatre. There were preparations underway for a performance so we could only observe the theatre from the parameters.

We strolled through limestone quarries called the Latomie of Syracuse that were eventually used for prisons. This area is now a lush tropical garden full of local and exotic plant species. The grottos of Ear of Dionysos (Orecchio di Dionisio) and Grotta dei Cordari are the main attractions here. But the exhibition of statues throughout the park are also very interesting.

Our last place of interest was the Roman amphitheatre that held gladiator sports back in ancient Roman times. We all walked around the perimeter and then caught our bus back to our historic hotel. This night we were having our farewell dinner so we wanted to rest and get ready for our night out. Some of us rested around the large swimming pool at the hotel.

Ortigia

The following morning the bus dropped us off at the entrance to the island of Ortigia in Syracuse. Our tour guide took us through the narrow streets to see some of the points of interest.

Must sees in Ortigia included:
– Temple of Apollo ruins.
– Ortigia Market.
– Piazza di Archimede and the Fountain of Diana.
– Piazza Duomo with the Cathedral of Ortigia, Santa Lucia alla Badia church and Palazzo Beneventano del Bosco.
– The Fonte Aretusa natural spring.
– Castello Maniace and the statue of Icarus.

Other things to do in Ortigia:
– Stroll along the waterfront lined with upmarket restaurants.
– Swim at one of the beaches.
– Take a boat cruise around the island.
– Shop at the boutiques along Corso Giacomo Matteotti.
– Take a tour of the village in a tuk tuk (piaggio ape).

The group met up for lunch at the markets where we were indulged in an incredible feast of local processed meats, cheeses, crusty bread, pickled vegetable and Sicilian wine. A stroll through the busy market is definitely a must do when in Ortigia.

Our tour of magical Sicily had come to an end. The highlights for me were: the charming hilltop village of Taormina, scaling the volcano on Vulcano Island, gorgeous Cefalu, the exquisite mosaics in Monreale Cathedral, amazing mosaic stories of Roman times at Villa Romana del Castale, floral art in Noto and the incredibly attractive island of Ortigia.

Overall, I would highly recommend this tour to anyone wanting to get see the many treasures of Sicily.