SICILY AND AEGADE ISLANDS

Arrival at the hotel in Catania on your own (on request possibility of private transfer). In the afternoon, brief briefing with our escort-guide, dinner and hotel accommodation.

After breakfast at the hotel, we will visit Ragusa Ibla , the cradle of the late Baroque with its beautiful churches and the Ibleo garden. Known thanks to Commissioner Montalbano's television series, Ragusa appears today among the 44 Italian sites listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. This wonderful old city has more than fifty churches and many baroque-style palaces.

Next, we will stop in Modica , a chest of innumerable Baroque churches and architectural treasures and therefore declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. During the visit, we will stop at one of the most important chocolate shops in this city, Sabadì, whose chocolate has received worldwide recognition in the last 9 years. We will enjoy a multi-sensory chocolate tasting discovering the authentic Sicilian perfumes... the local nepitella (wild mint), orange blossom honey, PGI quality Sicilian lemon and PGI quality Sicilian red orange are just some of the many flavors that let's try! The visit to the Palazzo Castro Grimaldi will follow, a fascinating 17th century palace with a spectacular view of the city of Modica. Entering the palace will be like going back to 1903, the year when time seems to have stopped. The unchanged appearance of the house, the original furnishings and collections preserve the memory of the families who lived here, telling the lifestyle of the Modican aristocracy. We will return to the present among the freshness of the Orti di San Giorgio, seven gardens suspended between light and beauty. Tasting the typical local dishes, we can enjoy the wonderful panorama.

In the afternoon we will move to Piazza Armerina to visit its splendid Villa Romana del Casale, from late Roman times and considered a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This majestic villa, which belonged to a component of the Roman aristocracy, has a monumental entrance and houses a precious collection of polychrome floor mosaics that represent hunting and leisure scenes, mythological episodes and historical representations. Transfer to the hotel in Agrigento, dinner and accommodation.

Our circuit begins today with a visit to the famous "Valle dei Templi " mentioned by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, where among the almond trees are the remains of the ancient city of Akragas, called by Pindaro "the most beautiful city". of human beings". There you can admire the "Tempio di Giunone", the "Tempio della Concordia" and the "Tempio di Ercole". A journey through mythology, history and nature... Leaving Agrigento, we will continue to discover the charming city of Marsala , in whose port Garibaldi landed in May 1860. Marsala is a Mediterranean and modern city, overlooking the sky and earth, characterized by many colors: yellow from the tuff, blue from the sea, red from the sunset, white from the salt and green from the vines. We will take a walk through the streets of the center where there are noble palaces, monuments and imposing Baroque-style churches. We will continue with a guided visit to the Florio Cellars , a journey that begins in front of the majestic giant vats, built at the end of the 19th century that are still used for the aging of Marsala wine, and continues inside the 3 fascinating 165-meter barrels and interspersed with 104 arches, under which are lined up 1,400 barrels and some 600 vats of different capacities where, in silence and stillness, some 5,500,000 liters of Marsala are kept. After a tour of the barrel rooms where the old tuff floor was restored, we will enter the tasting room for lunch and a taste of local wines. We will continue with a tour along the Ruta del Sal : you will be able to enjoy some of the oldest salt flats in the world. Between the coasts of Trapani and Marsala, the "Stagnone" lagoon and islands are a nature reserve of great environmental value and its warm waters are home to many species of fish, crustaceans and rich aquatic vegetation. In recent years, the salt mines have once again represented one of the oldest salt extraction industries in the world. In the afternoon, transfer to Palermo, dinner and hotel accommodation.

After breakfast at the hotel, the morning will be dedicated to discovering Monreale where we will visit its magnificent Arab-Norman cathedral, defined as the eighth wonder of the world, and the beautiful Cloister, a masterpiece of the art of carving hard stones. Next, we will admire the wonderful treasures of Palermo . The city is located at the foot of Mount Pellegrino on a promontory described by Goethe as the most beautiful he had ever seen. In Palermo, more than anywhere else in Sicily, historical eras with their different architectural styles overlap. Its artistic and architectural heritage includes the remains of the Punic walls, Art Nouveau villas, noble residences, 17th century squares, baroque churches and neoclassical theatres. Residence of emirs and kings, Palermo preserves monuments from the Arab-Norman period, including the beautiful cathedral, the Martorana church , one of the most fascinating Byzantine churches of the Middle Ages in Italy, and the Palatine Chapel , considered to be the best example of fusion between different cultures and religions since under Ruggiero II there were Byzantine, Muslim and Latin masterclasses. Gastronomic surprise at the famous Antica Focacceria San Francesco . Free lunch. Next, we can admire the Teatro Massimo and the Plaza Pretoria fountain, adorned with sculptures from the 16th century and located in the old district of Kalsa. Dinner and hotel accommodation.

After breakfast at the hotel, private transfer to the port of Trapani to board the ferry to Favignana. This island has been defined by the painter Salvatore Fiume in the 70s as "the great butterfly in the sea". It is the most important island of the Egadi archipelago. Free time in the afternoon. Dinner and accommodation.

The day begins in the morning leaving the tourist port of Favignana , for a relaxing tour of the island, where you can listen to interesting historical notes about the Tonnara and the Florio family and stop at the most beautiful and suggestive coves. The first stop on the tour of the island will be Cala Rossa , one of the most famous destinations, whose cliff is made up of splendid tuff caves surrounded by crystal clear turquoise waters. Then you will reach Bue Marino, Cala Azzurra , famous for its white sand beach and the most transparent sea on the island, and Lido Burrone, where you will have time to take a bath. Once arrived at the south side of the island (Marasolo / Preveto), you can enjoy a relaxing break for a typical lunch on board. There is also time to snorkel or swim to discover the beautiful cove. In the afternoon you will leave for a swim in Cala Rotonda , an aperitif with coffee and cakes, and return to Favignana, after a last swim in Cala del Pozzo. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

After breakfast, free morning, check out at hotel and embark for Trapani. Free afternoon in the beautiful old town of Trapani, known as "the city of a hundred churches" and famous for its Coral Museum. With its ancient history, it is mentioned in the Aeneid and its origins seem to be mythological. Tied to Carthage, a "historical" enemy of Rome, dominated by the Romans and the Spanish, Trapani today preserves testimonies of its history, reflecting the influences that the different peoples with their different cultures have left over the centuries on their land. . They take the opportunity to stroll through the streets and alleys of the center and relive the atmosphere of the Arab period. Dinner and accommodation.

The Sicily and Egadi Islands circuit ends here. After breakfast, end of our services. Possibility of private transfers to the airport or other destinations.