From Taormina to Etna mix of flavours

We’ll arrive at the hotel in the afternoon, check in and have time to settle into our rooms. In the evening, there’ll be a chance to meet our guide and find out about the plans for the trip, followed by dinner and an overnight stay in the hotel.

We’ll have breakfast in the hotel, then meet up with our guide and head off for a tour of Castelmola, a charming little medieval village above Taormina. As we stroll through the narrow streets, we’ll see hints of Gothic, Arabic and Norman style in the picturesque churches. There’ll be a chance to sample the famous granita with brioche, which comes in a wide range of flavours including lemon, coffee, almond and pistachio. In addition, you can taste the distinctive almond wine served in the colourful Turrisi Bar on Piazza Duomo, where you can enjoy stunning views. We’ll then head back to Taormina and take a stroll along the main shopping strips and the spellbinding streets in the old town centre. In the afternoon, we’ll look around the magnificent Greek theatre and the old town centre of Taormina, which is known as the “Pearl of Sicily”. We’ll then head back to the hotel, where we’ll have dinner and stay overnight once more.

After breakfast in the hotel, we’ll vacate our rooms, meet our guide and set off for a tour of Calatabiano Castle. An old Byzantine fortress originally stood on the site where the Arab-Norman castle can be seen today. Standing on a hill at a height of 220 metres, it towers above the town of the same name and looks down over the mouth of the Alcantara River. A scenic lift will take us up to the castle, which boasts breathtaking views of Taormina, Etna and the unique landscape all around. We’ll then head back downhill towards the Alcantara Gorges, stopping on the way at a cheese factory to see how products such as ricotta, provola and other cheeses are made. There’ll also be a chance to taste them, along with some great local wine. In the early afternoon, we’ll arrive in Motta Camastra for a stay among the Alcantara Gorges. A canyon that reaches depths of up to 25 metres and widths between 2 metres and approximately 5 metres has been carved out over thousands of years by the Alcantara River, which flows through the volcanic rock and forms a distinctive bed. We’ll take a nice walk so that we can admire it from a number of viewpoints and savour its monumental beauty. Afterwards, we’ll visit a Capuchin monastery. In the evening, we’ll arrive at a hotel or agritourism establishment where we’ll have dinner and stay overnight.

We’ll have breakfast in the hotel, meet up with our guide and set off for Northern Etna. We’ll take a pleasant hike on a volcanic sand path between silver birch trees up to the Sartorius Mountains: a series of extinct craters that are also known as “the buttons” because they are all lined up in a row. From the top, there are views of a marvellous multi-coloured landscape that features black volcanic sand, emerald green woods, the blue sky and the yellow broom that thrives here. We’ll have lunch on a farm, with delicious local wine and traditional products from the surrounding area. In the afternoon we’ll visit Castiglione di Sicilia and its medieval castle. Inside the latter is a regional wine store, where you can taste some outstanding Sicilian wines. The local area is full of estates that make prestigious wines with Catarratto, Carricante, Nerello Cappuccio and Nerello Mascalese grapes, which we’ll get the chance to taste. In the evening we’ll head back to the hotel, where we’ll have dinner and stay overnight once more.

We’ll have breakfast in the hotel, meet up with our guide and set off for Randazzo, which is known as the town with 100 churches. The enchanting Via degli Archi features basalt cobbled paving, pointed arches and double-lancet windows. We’ll follow it to the Greek quarter, where we’ll find the Church of San Nicolò in the square, along with a statue of the giant Pyracmon. The sculpture contains the symbols of the three historic districts of Randazzo’s old town centre (Rannazzu vecchiu): the lion of the Greek quarter, the eagle of the Latin quarter and the snake of the Lombard quarter. As we continue our walking tour, we’ll visit the Church of San Martino in the Lombard quarter and admire its bell tower, which is 41 metres tall and is considered the most beautiful construction of its kind in Sicily. We’ll then see the Basilica of Santa Maria in the Latin quarter, which dates back to 1200 and is built from volcanic rock and sandstone. There’ll be a chance to stop at the Musumeci confectioner’s to enjoy some delicious Pirandello ice cream made with almonds and lemon zest, as well as Bronte Pistachio flavour. We’ll have traditional local dishes for lunch in an agritourism establishment. In the afternoon we’ll head back to the hotel, where we’ll have dinner and stay overnight once more.

We’ll have breakfast in the hotel, vacate our rooms and set off for a short tour of Catania’s old town centre. We’ll visit Piazza dell’Elefante, the Cathedral of Sant’Agata and the colourful fish market, which is famous for the wide range of products on offer and the words “u bandiù”, which the traders call out to attract customers. The look around the old town centre will be followed by the transfer to the airport, which is where the tour ends.