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Language |
| Italian is the native tongue of Sicily,
however English is widely spoken. |
| Money |
The currency of Sicily is the euro. We
recommend taking euro in cash or using the
cash point machines found in all the main
towns. Credit Cards are widely accepted. |
| Local costs |
| A 3-course dinner will cost around €20
and a glass of wine or beer €3. |
| Vaccinations |
| None required. |
| Water |
| We recommend buying bottled water. |
| Visas |
| None required for British and other EU
passport holders. |
| Time Difference |
| In summertime BST + 1 / GMT + 2.
In winter GMT + 1. |
| Electricity |
| 220V.
A European adapter is required. |
| Flight time |
| 3hrs – 3hrs 15mins. |
| Location |
Kicked off the toe of Italy’s ‘boot’, Sicily is strategically placed between its mainland
country and the north African coast, in an ideal spot for a superbly sunny climate. |
Beaches |
| Sunbeds and parasols are available on all this island’s major shores. There’s a gorgeous
beach of fine golden sand at Cefalu. From the heights of Taormina, a cable car takes you
effortlessly to Mazzaro beach below, while the long and gently-shelving beach of Giardini
Naxos is perfect for water’s edge walks. |
Food & Wine |
The island is renowned for its fabulous fresh food and for the variety of traditional dishes
- which blend an Italian menu with more than a hint of Sicily’s Greek, Spanish and north
African former inhabitants.
Try pesce spada (swordfish) stuffed with a mix of mozzarella,
herbs and brandy, pasta con le sarde (fresh sardines), caponata (a speciality of anchovies,
olives and aubergines), or triglie alla Siciliana - red mullet in an orange peel and white
wine sauce.
Candied fruits, bitter chocolate and a feast of ice creams will finish the meal
superbly for those with a sweet tooth, and locally grown strawberries, grapes and apricots
are seasonally on the menu. Wines to look out for include Settesoli, Donnafugata, Zucco,
Etna, Montavagno and the aromatic whites and reds of Corvo di Salaparuta. |
Activities |
The crystal clear waters around the Aeolian Islands are excellent for scuba diving and
there are also dive centres at Cefalu and Taormina. Diving, windsurfing and pedaloes
are available from Taormina’s Villa Sant’Andrea beach, and there’s a wide range of
watersports from the beach at Giardini Naxos. |
| Entertainment |
Many of the larger hotels offer entertainment in the evenings, and there are lively bars
and nightspots in the Giardini Naxos and Taormina areas. However, the island’s general
evening ambience is in typical Mediterranean style, promenading in the streets and
squares, choosing a water’s edge table or atmospheric old-world restaurant for a meal
that lasts most of the evening, and perhaps going on to a café / bar for a spot of peoplewatching
from a pavement table. |
| Getting Around |
A good road completely circles the island and there are several more criss-crossing its
interior. To find the timeless villages untouched by tourism, take off at a tangent here and
there on the minor roads through the mountains. Boat trips are excellent for exploring the coastline from a marine vantage point. Local bus and train services are generally reliable and
inexpensive, and well frequented by tourists. Taxis are readily available and inexpensive. |
| Hotel Star Ratings |
| Please note that 4 star hotels in Italy vary in standards and may not always offer porterage
and room service. |
| Winter Breaks |
| Winter holidays are available from 1st November 2008 to 30th April 2009. Departures are
by British Airways scheduled services. Durations are from 3 nights up to 21 nights. |
| Inter-Island Travel |
| Where your holiday includes onward travel to another island the cost of travel between
the islands is included in your holiday price unless stated otherwise. Flying times between
islands may often involve a wait between connections, a transit stop en route or a change
of flight. The internal flight or ferry schedules will normally be advised to you prior to
departure. Schedules may be subject to change. More information will be available at the
time of booking. |
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| Sicily > Pantelleria
Pantelleria...
Pantelleria is an island of wild natural beauty, closer to North Africa than to Sicily, with
dramatic coastlines, pristine waters, and an abundance of caves, grottos and thermal
springs.
The Lago di Venere is a large lake of volcanic origin, set inside the original crater,
with thermal springs draining into it. There are also natural saunas found deep within
hillside caves.
The highest point on the island is Montagna Grande at 836 metres, from
which, on clear days one can see Africa. Everywhere on the island are steeply terraced
vineyards where the local zibibbo grapes are grown for Passito wine, unique to Pantelleria.
It is a beautiful, green, fertile island, watered by underground springs and abundant with
trees and flowers, capers and grapevines. There are many walking trails around the island,
and excursions by boat around the coastline are also very popular.
There are no beaches
- people swim from the black volcanic rocks.
The old traditional houses scattered throughout the island, which were left behind by the
Moors who ruled for 400 years, are called dommusi and are built of black lava rock with
white domed roofs. The walls are around one metre thick, and the rooms are generally
separated by archways. Many of these little houses have been bought and restored and
most are used as holiday homes. They are extremely fashionable and sell for enormous
amounts of money.
Pantelleria has become a chic hideaway for celebrities such as fashion designers, film stars and
recording artists who escape to relax on this remote and beautiful island and become ‘one of
the crowd’. Here, everybody is equal and treated with the same friendliness and courtesy.
The small town of Pantelleria on the north coast offers some restaurants, bars and shops
and a central hotel opposite the harbour and marina.
On much of the island there is no mobile phone signal – this is a real ‘get away from it all’ retreat.
Travel Plan
Day 1: Fly to Palermo and transfer to Hotel Centro or similar in Palermo for 1 night
room and breakfast.
Day 2: Transfer back to Palermo airport for the scheduled service flight (50 minutes) to the
island of Pantelleria and transfer for 4 nights half board at the Club Levante (see facing page).
Day 6: Return flight to Palermo for 1 night room and breakfast or continue your holiday
in Sicily with a stay in Cefalu.
Final day: transfer to Palermo airport for your return flight.
Other durations and combinations are available. Please call our travel consultants for an
individual quotation. This holiday is not available between 25th July and 20th August. There
is a minimum stay in Cefalu of 7 nights
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Here are just a few things we recommend you include on any visit to Sicily:-
- Visit the Greco-Roman Amphitheatre
- Go to see the famous Mount Etna Volcano
- People-watch in Taormina
- Visit the preserved Roman city of Syracuse
- Discover Forza d’Agro near Taormina – home to the film ‘The Godfather’
- Indulge in the superb local cuisine especially the seafood, pasta and pizzas
- Enjoy a mini-cruise to the Aeolian Islands
- Sample the Sicilian wines, which are delicious
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