Sicily

VisitSicily

Enjoy the Beauty and Magesty of Sicily

Travellers to Sicily will never be short of hiking options. Besides walks around towns and villages there are the fantastic parks such as the Nebrodi mountains, the Parco della Madonie and the Riserva Naturale dello Zingaro. The Madonie attracts most tourists and boasts excellent organization and maps available at the tourist information offices in towns such as Palermo and Cefalù or in Petralia Sotana. This is known as the Carta dei Sentieri e del Paesaggio. The Parco Regionale dei Nebrodi is much less visited and less well signposted. The largest European beech forest and a circuit around the lake are among the attractions in the Nebrodi mountains. Wild flowers blanket the mountains and enhance both parks‘ unsurpassed beauty. To make the most of the scenery in the parks, it is recommended to hike in spring when the breeze awakens the fragrances and the flowers are in blossom. Autumn is also another great option with a marvellous atmosphere.

Motorboats or gommone (motorized rubber dinghy) are available all around Sicily in the authorized areas. Pedalos and jet skies are common on the more touristic beaches.Fishing tourism is a different way for visitors to the islands to experience sea life, enjoying relaxing on a boat while you fish for your lunch. Sicily also abounds in swimming and snorkelling sites. In Taormina and the Aeolian Islands there are places to hire your equipment. Isola Bella (Picture 1) , the Blue Grotto (the Ionian Coast) and the Grotta del Bue Marino (Filicudi) are all wonderful sights. The Liparian Diving Centre la Gorgonian ( www.lagorgoniadiving.it ) and the Taorminian Nike Diving Centre (www.divenike.com) can organize and rent equipment. Sicily is not so easy to get about on bike because of its mountains peaks and windy narrow roads. Only for the most daring…a real challenge. The west area is less mountainous. Favignana, Trapani and Syracuse are the best places to ride around.Many corners of Mount Etna have fantastic vantage

Things to DoA simple drive along the island reveals the geographica variety which allows for many kinds of sports and outdoor activities for those who love outdoor life. Sites of incredible beauty and sharp contrast: lush spots of vegetation,

beaches and mountain slopes and interesting wildlife on land and underwater.

Hiking Boating

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points to view the scenery. Departing from Catania, visiting Linguaglossa, Randazzo, Bronte, Rifugio Sapienza and all the craters you wish on the way, winding through forests of pines and chestnuts and circling back is the most visited route available around the Etna.More options start from Enna in the centre, embracing Agira, Troina and the Parco Regionale dei Nebrodi, or on the west Scopello, the Riserva Naturale dello Zingaro, Erica medieval style, Trapani, Marsala, its wine producing areas and Selinunte’s classical treasures.The drivetrain components of the bike should also be considered. A middle grade dérailleur is sufficient for a beginner, although many utility bikes come equipped with hub gears. If the rider plans a significant amount of hillclimbing, a triple-crank (three chainrings) front gear system may be preferred. Otherwise, the relatively lighter and less expensive two chainrings may be better. Much simpler fixed wheel bikes are also available, and may be more suitable for commuters.Under the water´s surface a kaleidoscopic sea life unfolds, multicoloured shoals of fish and exotic sea landscape.Ustica’s pristine waters are a draw for scuba divers. It even has underwater signposting explaining all the findings. Several diving agencies organize archaeological tripsThe majority of accidents that are classified as ‘diving-

related’ are incidents caused by individuals jumping from structures such as bridges or piers into water of inadequate depth. Many accidents also occur when divers do not account for rocks and logs in the water. Because of this many beaches and pools prohibit diving in shallow waters or when a lifeguard is not on duty. The choice between scuba and surface supplied diving equipment is based on both legal and logistical constraints. Where the diver requires mobility and a large range of movement, scuba is usually the choice if safety and legal constraints allow. Higher risk work, particularly commercial diving, may be restricted to surface supplied equipment by legislation and codes of practice.The first commercially successful scuba sets were the Aqualung open-circuit units developed by Emile Gagnan and Jacques-Yves Cousteau, in which compressed gas (usually air) is inhaled from a tank and then exhaled into the water adjacent to the tank. However, the scuba regulators of today trace their origins to Australia, where Ted Eldred developed the first mouth piece regulator, known as the Porpoise. Scuba diving may be performed for a number of reasons, both personal and professional. Scuba diving may be performed for a number of reasons, both personal and professional.

Things to Do

Biking Diving

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A Sicilian street market is a cacophony of sights and sounds. From a colourful assortment of fruits, vegetables, fish and meats to vendors barking about bargains for anybody who will listen. The ambience is punctuated by colored tarpaulins suspended as “tents” to protect the wares from the elements. Italian and foreign items vie for your attention --tarocchi (blood oranges), giri (leafy greens), chicory, herbs, artichokes, cuttlefish, swordfish, prawns, gutted goats, lambs, breads and cheeses. And that’s just the beginning. Sicily’s outdoor market tradition dates from the ninth-century Saracen rule of the island, which explains their striking similarity to Arab souqs. Even some of their names are Arabic in origin; Palermo’s Ballarò comes to mind. The weather helps. Outdoor vendors find a pleasant environment in coastal cities where it hardly ever gets cold enough to snow.

The Sicilian climate qualifies among those optimal viticultural climates of California and Australia with its rich soil and hot and arid conditions. Situated in the “sun belt,” Sicily’s climate is manipulated by African winds and the Mediterranean sea. With such a climate, one can understand why Sicily is the winemaking region of Italy covered with more vineyards than any other region of Italy. Producing more wine annually than Australia, New Zealand and Hungary combined, Sicily competes with Apulia as Italy’s top wine producing region. A vineyard is a plantation of grape-bearing vines, grown mainly for winemaking, but also raisins, table grapes and non-alcoholic grape juice. The science, practice and study of vineyard production is known as viticulture. A vineyard is often characterised by its terroir, a French term loosely translating as “a sense of place” that refers to the specific geographical and geological characteristics .

Culture and CuisineVenus, The Goddess of Love was born in Sicily (of course). It is the most

fantastic of all the Mediterranean islands. Once the central location of the known civilized world, Sicily was always the greatest treasure that

European, African and Persian empires wanted for their very own. Nearly 3000 years of history are on this island (roughly the size of New Jersey). There are stone ruins, temples of ancient people, monastaries, outdoor

theatres, ampitheatres and endless vineyards and olive groves.

Street Markets Vineyards

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There’s no doubt about it. Food and wine are among Sicily’s main attractions, and you may have sampled something of both long before arriving in Sicily. When most people think of Italian food, pasta and pizza come to mind. But Sicilian cuisine, and the Mediter-ranean Diet, transcends these ubiquitous culinary delights. If you plan to go on a diet, go to Sicily first. (You can always diet later.) Here are a few specialties to sample while you’re here.

Caponata, a tasty salad made with eggplant (auber-gines), olives, capers and celery, makes a great appe-tizer. There is also an artichoke-based version of this traditional dish, though you’re less likely to find it in most restaurants. Sfincione is a local form of pizza made with tomatoes, onions and (sometimes) ancho-vies. Prepared on a thick bread and more likely found in a bakery than in a pizzeria, sfincione is good as a snack or appetizer.

Panella is a thin paste made of crushed or powdered ceci (garbanzo) beans and served fried. Maccu is a creamy soup made from the same bean. Crocché (cro-quet) are fried potato dumplings made with cheese, parsley and eggs. Arancine are fried rice balls stuffed with meat or cheese.

Sicily is renowned for its seafood. Grilled swordfish is popular. Smaller fish, especially snapper, is sometimes prepared in a vinegar and sugar sauce. Seppia (cuttle-fish) is served in its own black sauce with pasta. An-other Sicilian seafood dish made with pasta is finno-chio con sarde (fennel with sardines).

Meat dishes are always popular. Many are traditionally made with lamb or goat. Best known outside Sicily is vitello alla marsala (veal marsala), one of many region-al meat specialties. Chicken “alla marsala” can be pre-pared using a similar recipe and method. Milza (veal spleen) sandwiches are a bit “native” for most tastes, and loaded with cholesterol, but delicious anyway.

Sicilian desserts are superlative. Cannoli are tubular crusts with creamy ricotta and sugar filling. If they taste a little different from the ones you’ve had out-side Italy, that’s because the ricotta here is made from sheep’s milk. Cassata is a rich, sugary cake filled with the same delicious filling. Frutta di Martorana (or pasta reale) are almond marzipan pastries colored and shaped to resemble real fruit. Sicilian gelato (ice

cream) is excellent. In fact, it is possible that ice cream was invented in Sicily during Roman times, when a relay of runners would bring snow down from Mount Etna to be flavored and served to wealthy patricians. You’ll find flavors ranging from pistachio and hazel-nut (nocciola) to jasmine (gelsomino) to mulberry (gelsi) to strawberry (fragala) and rum (zuppa inglese). Granita is sweetened crushed ice made in Summer and flavored with lemons or strawberries.

Culture and Cuisine

Sicilian restaurants all over the island provide local culinary specialties and traditional Italian fare that is produced within a few miles of where you are sitting. You will get the freshest fish along the coast, and the best of the meats and cheeses from the interior combined with the huge range of fruits and vegetables from all over the island. The Sicilian restaurants then top this off with their rich desserts and pastries that they are famous for. The Sicilians are also famous for their long leisurely meals, creating an atmosphere of relaxed indulgence. Their lunches begin at one o’clock and go on until three or four. Then dinner begins at about eight and can last for hours. Lingering is encouraged in Sicilian restaurants.

In Sicily the pasta manufacturers are present in every large city and small town, most of their products are used locally.Barbagallo and Poiatti in Catania, Gallo in Mazara del Vallo (Trapani), and Tommasello in Casteldaccia (Palermo) export pasta on a limited scale. The first pasta factory in the world was established in Trabia, a small town outside Palermo; it was selected for its slightly humid climate, for the mild temperature, for the crystalline spring water without calcium or any other impurities and for the quality of the local grain, the durum wheat: these are necessary attributes to make good pasta.Now in Trabia, pasta is made on a smaller scale, but the system and the art of making pasta from Trabia spread all over Italy.

A Sicilian meal begins with an antipasti dish which may include rice balls (arancine), potato croquettes, aubergine (eggplant), caponata (salad with olives and capers) or any number of other tidbits. Then the ‘primo’ is served, which is usually a pasta or rice dish, or possibly couscous. Then you get the ‘secondo’ which is the main course served with wine and a side dish. After that fruit is typically served, followed by coffee. Then comes dessert and a liqueur or Sicilian Wine. Sicilian dining can truly be one of a tourist’s greatest pleasures. Famous for many things, such as their cheeses, cappuccino, grappa, and granita, among many other things, Sicilian food is not to be missed! the island of Sicily itself brings its own fresh ingredients to the table.

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The Teatro Greco is one of the most remarkable monuments remaining at Taormina, which is one of the most celebrated ruins in Sicily, on account both of its remarkable preservation and of the surpassing beauty of its situation. It is built for the most part of brick, and is therefore probably of Roman date, though the plan and arrangement are in accordance with those of Greek, rather than Roman, theatres; whence it is supposed that the present structure was rebuilt upon the foundations of an older theatre of the Greek period. The upper story was called the episkenion. Some theatres also had a raised speaking place on the orchestra called the logeion. According to Aristotle , Poetics, which attaches to the Sicilian Epicarmo formidable and the first comedy plays, comedy Syracuse preceded the Attic. There remain a few fragments of Epicarmo of a comic opera.

The theatre was completely rebuilt between 238 and 215 BC, in the form seen today, by Hiero II. The building was designed taking into account both the natural shape of the hill Temenica and the ability to maximize the acoustics. Typical characteristic of the Greek theatre is also the panoramic views, which the theatre of Syracuse is not immune, offering a vision of the bow of the port and the island of Ortigia. On the fence opposite the chocks are inscribed the names of gods (Olympian Zeus, Hercules), the members of the royal family (the same Hiero II, Filistide his wife, the daughter Nereid, daughter of Pyrrhus and his son Gelo II). Greek theatres also had entrances for the actors and chorus members called parodoi. The parodoi (plural of parodos) were tall arches that opened onto the orchestra, through which the performers entered. In between the parodoi and the orchestra lay the eisodoi.

History and BeautySicily, a large fertile island at a pivotal point in the Mediterranean, is one of the world’s most desirable patches of land. Colonized by Phoenicians and Greeks, and fought over between Greeks, Carthaginians and Romans, its

architectural and artistic remains bear witness to its past grandeur - in the great series of Greek temples, or the Roman mosaics at Piazza Armerina.

Teatro Greco Syracuse

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History and Beauty

native to this region, and it’s not far from a path leading to Mount Soro - at 1847 meters the highest peak in the chain. Far from beaches and marshes, the terrain of Sicily’s interior is as varied as can be. There are rocky mountains, grassy pastures and hills, and the occasional forest, woods and stream. This is the Sicily of imagination and cinema - hilltop villages reached by winding roads. Overlooking the eastern part of this vast heartland is Enna, the Arabs’ Kasr’Janni, a mountaintop town populated from the earliest times by the Sikanians, associated with the eponymous mountain range to the west. Travelling westward toward the ridges of the Sicanian Mountains, dominated by Mount Cammarata, are

In northeastern Sicily there are two important mountain ranges - the Nebrodi and the Peloritan. We’ve also placed the eastern part of the Madonie Mountains in this region. Though the highest peaks of the Madonie are slightly higher, the Nebrodi Mountains are an impressive range, boasting extensive forests. These beach and conifer woods will challenge any preconceived notion of what “Mediterranean” landscapes should be. Our favourite drive is along the SS 289 from Cesarò high in the mountains to San Fratello and Sant’ Agata Militello, a truly lush area that, with its high snowfall from late December into the middle of March, often looks more Swiss than Sicilian. A stop at Villa Miraglia, a lodge on the SS 289 in the middle of the forest, offers a chance to sample lamb, goat and the boarish Nebrodian Black Swine

a number of towns, including Caltanissetta. Most visitors are unaware of the invisible line dividing the island into two Sicilies. The imaginary boundary separates Enna and ‘eastern’ Sicily (with Catania as its point of reference) from Caltanissetta and ‘western’ Sicily (with its orientation toward Palermo). The division is not entirely political; it reflects the flow of rivers through steep valleys and the complex paths carved into mountain passes in antiquity. It comes as no great revelation that Sicily is the Mediterranean’s largest island, but there are a number of islands off its coast. This includes several archipelagos and a few isolated islands. The Aeolian Islands are a volcanic archipelago in the Tyrrhenian Sea. The Egadian Islands lie off the western coast near Trapani and Marsala.

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Vacation Packages

A Sicilian Adventure Package is for the active person or family. It includes Biking, Scuba Diving, Hiking, Boating and more. The package includes 8 days and 7 nights at your choice of seaside hotel. All dinners

are included.

$2699/person

The Sicilian Retreat Package offers a relaxing retreat in one of four beautiful luxery Sicilian resorts. The package includes 7 days and 6 nights of relaxation in one of the most beautiful locations in

the world, and all meals are included.

$2599/person

The Sicilian Explorer Package is all about culture and history. You will enjoy 9 days and 8 nights of exploring ancient ruins, Sicilian vineyards and markets. Lunches

and dinners are included.

$2899/person

Sicilian Adventure

Sicilian Retreat

Sicilian Explorer

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