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Backstreets, Sicily

Gastronomy of Sicily

10-day tailor-made self-drive from £1,970 pp incl. flights

Summary

Short description

Let country drives and stays in traditional vineyard farmhouses showcase Sicily's unique cuisine and heritage

Highlights

  • Taste your way through vineyards and open kitchens
  • Enjoy both coastal and country drives
  • Stay in traditionally intimate properties
  • Explore Sicily’s ancient ruins and Baroque, hilltop towns
  • Relax on the island’s golden sands

In Brief

  • 2 Nights Menfi
  • 2 Nights Agrigento
  • 3 Nights Ispica
  • 2 Nights Riposto

About

Recommended for:
Food & wine | History & culture | June holidays | Self-drive

This is your chance to discover the traditional charms of Sicily with a trio of stays in boutique, farmhouse properties. Here, open kitchens serve up indulgent treats and look out over vineyard contours showcased by tasting tours. And, with the use of a hire car throughout, your short-but-scenic drives will afford you the flexibility to explore. Pretty coastal routes and country backroads will bring you between Agrigento's temple wonders, the Baroque gems of the island's southeast and, yes, those golden-sand beaches.

Day by day itinerary

Days 1-2
Menfi

After relaxing in your complimentary airport lounge, fly into Palermo where you'll pick up your hire car to plunge into the Sicilian countryside. You'll soon arrive at your stylish accommodation where rooms offer stunning views over rural surrounds. Owned and run by the Planetas, Sicily's most celebrated wine producers, taste your way through its vineyards or enjoy a glass while relaxing by the pool. You’ll also want to visit the nearby Greek temples at Selinunte or take part in a cooking course to learn about the region's outstanding produce; expect everything from eggplant stews to swordfish rolls.

Stay: La Foresteria, Planeta Estate, Sicily (Superior)

Meals: B

Days 3-4
Agrigento

Moving down the coast, you’ll arrive at Mandranova, a working olive oil farm run by welcoming owners Giuseppe and Sylvia. This casale country house offers the best in fresh-from-the-garden cooking. Learn more with a cooking class or head out to explore; a collection of delightful beaches and Agrigento’s magnificent Valley of the Temples are both on your doorstep. As Sicily’s finest archaeological site, it hosts 1,300 hectares of Byzantine tombs, 5th century BC altars and crumbling city walls. The Temple of Concordia even lent its 430 BC edifice to the UNESCO logo. And, your boutique accommodation is just 20 minutes from it all.

Stay: Mandranova  (Superior)

Meals: B

Days 5-7
Ispica

Continue along the coast to Sicily’s scenic southeastern tip and the fig-tree-shaded gardens of your delightful accommodation – Relais Torre Marabinol. Here, cooking courses, indulgent multi-course dining and expert-led tasting tours of the estate’s very own wine cellar are all served up to expansive views of the surrounding Sicilian countryside. It's all predicated on the hotel's own organic gardens and winery. However, you’ll also want to get out and about to explore its surrounding quartet of Baroque gems. There’s charming Modica’s medieval tumble, Ragusa’s aristocratic palazzi and Ispica’s basilicas and monasteries. 

Stay: Relais Torre Marabino  (Superior)

Meals: B

Days 8-9
Ispica to Riposto

This morning after breakfast, take the drive from Ispica to the east coast of Sicily, passing by Syracuse and Catania, and to nearby Donna Carmela, a contemporary boutique resort surrounded by over 10,000sq metres of lush gardens of Mediterranean and subtropical plants - a reconnection to nature. The hotel has created a lovely bar and restaurant in the original stable block, with an inside dining area with lounge, wine cellar and outside terrace surrounded with lawns, olive trees, flowering scented shrubs and views over the nursery. The elegant à la carte restaurant specialises in traditional Sicilian cuisine with a modern twist, using only locally sourced, seasonal produce to create an imaginative à la carte menu. The restaurant also offers guests an extensive local wine list including wine from the hotel's own vineyard.

Stay: Donna Carmela Resort & Lodges, Sicily (Superior)

Meals: B

Day 10
Departure

Drive from Donna Carmela to Catania airport in time for your onward flight.

Meals: B

Map

Pricing

Any element of this itinerary can be adjusted to suit your needs. Just contact us to find out more.

Accommodation rating: Superior

10-day tailor-made self-drive
from £1,970 pp incl. flights

Superior

Apr / Nov

from £1,970 pp. incl. flights

Jun - Sep

from £2,285 pp. incl. flights

May / Oct

from £1,975 pp. incl. flights

Includes:

  • Complimentary UK airport departure lounge access
  • Return economy flights into Palermo and out from Catania
  • 2 nights stay at La Foresteria Planeta in a Pool Suite on BB 
  • 2 nights stay at Aziena Agricola Mandranova in a Double/Twin Room on BB
  • 3 nights stay at Relais Torre Marabino in a Suite on BB 
  • 2 nights stay at Donna Carmela in a Junior Suite on BB 
  • Economy car hire car - pick up from Palermo airport, drop off Catania airport


Terms & Conditions

Prices are per person based on two people sharing a twin/double room; prices are subject to availability and possible change; normal booking conditions apply.

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At Wexas, we specialise in bespoke travel experiences. Our itineraries are just samples of what we can arrange, and can be changed depending on your precise needs, finances and ideas by our experienced destination specialists.

Contact one of our consultants on 020 7590 0796 to discuss how we can tailor your holiday.

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