Little Known Sicily

Accommodation

4 star Terrasini Citta del Mar Resort

In a commanding hillside position with fabulous views over the Gulf of Castellammare and surrounded by a 27-hectare park with olive trees, cacti, prickly pears and lush Mediterranean vegetation, the popular four-star Terrasini Citta del Mar Resort is perfectly placed for our included excursions to discover this little-known corner of Sicily.

The Resort has extensive Mediterranean style grounds and offers comfortable accommodation and a wide range of leisure facilities. We have reserved accommodation in the resort’s spacious, air-conditioned ‘Superior’ bedrooms, which are set throughout the Resort. They are furnished in a contemporary style with modern amenities, each room having an en-suite bathroom with walk-in shower, TV and a furnished balcony or veranda with stunning sea views.

Our stay is on a half board basis. Meals are taken in one of the 4 dining halls of the Central Restaurant, which every morning offer continental style buffet breakfasts and in the evening the buffet dinners include typical Sicilian and Mediterranean dishes. There is a free bar every day from 8.30am to 11.30pm serving local spirits, wine, beer, soft drinks and tea and coffee.

In the extensive grounds there is a large swimming pool with sun-loungers and parasols. There is also a spa, where you can have treatments (payable locally) or relax in the hot tub. Free WiFi is available in the reception and bar areas.

The Terrasini Citta del Mar Resort also has its own private, sandy beach which is 4 kms. away with sun loungers, parasols and a beach bar (open late May to mid-September), which is easily reached on the resort’s free shuttle which runs from the end of May until mid-September.

As the Terrasini Citta del Mar Resort is on a hillside, with steps and sloping footpaths, it may not be suitable for those with less mobility.

Please note that on certain peak dates or with high demand, we may use an alternative 4 star resort hotel of the same standard on the Sicilian coast.

Excursions & Itinerary

Day 1 - Fly to Italy

Fly from your local airport to Sicily. On arrival at Palermo airport, you will be met and transferred to the resort, where we stay for seven nights. Seven breakfasts and seven dinners are included in the hotel and there is a free bar every day from 8.00am to 11.30pm.

Days 2 - 7

During our stay we have arranged a programme of four fabulous full day excursions to discover this amazing region of western Sicily, all taken at a leisurely pace. There are also two days at leisure when you can relax in the surroundings of the resort. Soak up the sun by the swimming pool, take a stroll through the grounds or jump on the shuttle bus to the beach (mid-May to mid-September), enjoy a drink in the bar and perhaps have a light lunch in one of the resort’s restaurants.

Included Palermo and Monreale excursion

We board our coach and travel to the island’s capital, Palermo, where on arrival we have a guided walking tour, beginning at the magnificent Arab-Norman cathedral. We then pass the colourful and characteristic Capo Street market and along Corso Vittorio Emanuele, through the historic old town to the Pretoria Square with its “Fountain of Shame”, before our walk ends at the beautiful byzantine Church of the Martorana, which is a listed Unesco World Heritage Site. After some free time, this afternoon we rejoin our coach for the short drive to Monreale. Here we visit the Cathedral, which was built in 1174 by King William II. While the outside of the cathedral is very simple and plain, inside the walls are covered with breathtaking mosaics.

Included Erice and the Trapani Saltpans

Splendour and charm, traditions and stories of the past, beauty and wonder: you breathe all this in as you wander through the streets of Erice, without doubt one of the most beautiful medieval villages in Italy. Erice was founded by the Phoenicians and is perched on top of the 750 metres high Monte Erice. Today, Erice is a wonderfully preserved medieval town which has some far reaching views - on one side you can see the Tyrrhenian coast of the Gulf of Trapani and on the other there’s the port of Trapani, with the salt pans and the Aegadian Islands. Amongst the most visited sites in Erice are its two castles, Pepoli Castle and Venus Castle. Erice is the perfect place to just wander around with its narrow streets and small squares. The town is known for its vivid Erice rugs, which are handwoven from pieces of coloured cloth, and the hand-painted pottery. This afternoon we drive back down to the coast to see the Trapani salt pans. Here, the windmills which grind the salt surround a beautiful landscape of pools and canals. Recognised as the finest in Italy, the sea salt has been panned here since the 12th century.

Included Mozia Island and Marsala with wine tasting

Our first visit of the day takes us to the far north west coast, where the sea forms a lagoon with several small islands. On the island of San Pantaleo, the Phoenicians created a prosperous colony called Motya. Its strategic location and the shallow waters of the lagoon made it an area coveted by both the Carthaginians and the Syracusans, who settled there and built a small, fortified town. The settlement was completely destroyed in the 4th century BC and it was only rediscovered some 120 years ago, thanks to the studies of Joseph Whitaker, an enthusiastic scholar of natural science and archaeology, who bought the island and carried out the first excavations in this botanical and archaeological paradise. He built a house on the island which today houses a large collection of archaeological finds, which he discovered between 1906 and 1927. Footpaths lead around the island’s shore and across the interior, past intermittently excavated areas. There is obviously a great deal still to be discovered at Mozia, and excavations are ongoing. After our visit, this afternoon we make our way to the town of Marsala. Like many in Sicily, Marsala was first settled by the Phoenicians and even today has a strong North African influence with its narrow, winding streets and traditional markets having a decidedly Moorish atmosphere. Being on the westernmost tip of Sicily, it is actually closer to Tunisia than mainland Italy! When mentioning Marsala, most people think of the world-famous dessert wine, the region's largest export since the end of the 18th century. We’ll visit one of the producers to see how this delectable fortified wine is made and of course have a taste of the end result. But it isn’t just wine – Marsala is an attractive town and its historical centre is small and intimate, easily explored on foot.

Included Mazara del Vallo and Selinunte

Today's excursion takes us to see even more of the scenery and history of this wonderful yet little known region of Sicily. Our day begins with a visit to Mazara del Vallo, which was founded in the 9th Century BC by the Phoenicians before coming under the control of many empires, including the Greeks, Romans, Arabs and Normans. It was under the Arabs that the city really flourished, becoming Sicily’s second city behind Palermo - wandering through the Kasbah in the town's Arab Quarter you really could think that you are in North Africa! After our visit we continue on to the Ancient Greek town of Selinunte, where the ruins form one of the most important and impressive Classical sites in Sicily, with incredible Greek temples standing on a hill above the sea. Walking around here you will not just simply find yourself among a load of ruins, but will perhaps feel the sensation of finding yourself in a 5th century BC Greek city where not just the temples, but also the walls, the aqueduct, the streets and the small family dwellings are easily recognisable – totally unmissable. At the end of a fascinating day, we’ll return to our resort hotel for a well-deserved rest and dinner.

Day 8 - Homeward Bound

It’s ’Arrivederci Sicilia’ today when we return to the airport for our flight back to the UK. If your flight is in the morning or over the lunchtime period, we will take you to the airport after breakfast. If your flight is in the late afternoon or evening, there will be time at leisure before leaving for the airport.