 Sicilian Saunter
Hiking
Sicily's western shores
There are two sides to Sicily's raw beauty: One is its rocky coastline,
and the other is its mountainous interior. Explore both as you hike
along seaside trails and over craggy ridges where traces of ancient
civilizations stimulate the imagination. Each afternoon features a
line-up of stellar Sicilian wines, from native Nero d'Avola to new
Cabernet to eye-opening Marsala.
Highlights:
• Hiking: 3-4 hours on rocky trails, gravel
roads, and paths. Hilly terrain. Partial van support.
LEVEL: Intermediate
• Wine estates: Planeta, Donnafugata, DeBartoli & more
• Greek ruins at the archaeological parks of Selunite and Monte Adranone
• Byzantine mosaics at the cathedral of Monreale
• Sea-salt produced the ancient way, at the saline of Marsala
2008 dates: [7 days/6
nights] May 25-31 //
September 21-27
Cost: $2,995.
Single supplement $350. Save
$400. Special spring sale! (Direct bookings only)
Meet: Palermo city center
Depart:
Palermo
 Day 1 - The Mosaics of
Monreale
When Palermo was the richest city in Europe in the 1100s, its outskirts
provided hunting grounds for royalty. In 1166 the Norman King William
II built a magnificent cathedral overlooking this fertile valley. Today
the Cathedral of Monreale remains one of the masterpieces of Byzantine
art, with floor-to-ceiling glistening gold mosaics. We begin with a
visit to this spectacular church and cloisters. Then after lunch, we
drive towards the southern coast of Sicily and our first hotel, a
countryside agriturismo near Sambuca. For our afternoon warm-up hike,
we'll go to the archaeological park on Monte Adranone and walk amidst
the remains of a Greek colony from the 6th C. B.C. At 1000 meters
altitude, this colony had a view of the distant sea, where rival
civilizations roamed the Mediterranean. The day concludes with a wine
tasting and an Introduction to Sicilian Wine before dinner at the
hotel. D
| |
 Day 2 - Planeta & the Rebirth of Sicilian Wine
For
years, Sicily produced bulk wine, much of which was sold to France and
northern Italy for blending into table wine. Today, Sicily has a whole
new wine culture, with smaller, family-run wineries aiming for quality,
not quantity. Planeta, founded in the mid-1990s, was one of the
pioneers, first putting the wine-world on notice that Sicily could
produce top-notch chardonnays and merlots, then introducing native
grape varietals like nero d'avola. Today we hike in the hills
surrounding the Planeta estate, going through wooded parks, past
vineyards, and up gravel roads overlooking Lago Arancio--Lake Orange,
once surrounded by orange groves before vineyards came to dominate the
landscape. Our hike's destination is the winery itself. We'll enjoy
lunch at the Planeta winery and a tasting of their wines. After time to
relax at the hotel, dinner will be in the town of Sambuca. B, L, D
|
 Day 3 - The Greeks at Selunite
Selunite is a vast archaeological park in
southwestern Sicily that features the remains of a once-powerful Greek
colony, including three well-preserved Greek temples. We'll hike
through Selunite, marvel at the ancients' engineering skills, and
ponder the ephemeral nature of world powers before asking the eternal
question, "What's for lunch!?" After refueling, we'll head to the port
town of Marsala, where we'll have a tour and tasting at Donnafugata.
Named after a character in Gattopardo (The Leopard), this top-notch
winery is consistently among the Tre Bicchieri winners for its
international blends and its nectar-like passito, Ben Rye. After
settling into our hotel in the historic center of Marsala, we'll have a
private dinner at the Baglio Hopps wine estate. As the courses
keep coming, we'll taste their portfolio of wines, from refreshing
white Grillo to nutty dry Marsala Riserva. B, D
|
 Day 4 -
Marsala and the Salt Ponds
Along the western coast of Sicily, a steady sea
breeze and protected coves have made this an ideal spot for havesting
sea salt. Since ancient times, Sicilians have used evaporation ponds
and windmills to crystallize salt from the sea. We'll visit the saline
and see how they work, then take a boat to a nearby island, Isola
Lunga, for an easy hike amidst prickly pear and Mediterranean scrub.
After lunch at a great local trattoria, we'll return to Marsala for
free time in town. Marsala is a lovely little city with Sicilian
baroque architecture, an archaeological museum, and good shopping. Then
it's on to DeBartoli, the winery that has reinvented and resurrected
marsala as a praise-worthy meditation wine. We'll see how marsala is
made using the solera system, then sample DeBartoli's array of dry
wines, marsalas, and passito from Pantelleria. Tonight dinner is on
your own in Marsala. B
|
 Day 5 - Hike around Monte Cofono
Today we explore the area of
Monte Cofano, a Mediterranean promontory lush with flora and fauna.
This promontory was a Phoenician base several centuries before Christ
and its settlements endured into the new millennium. Our hike goes
around the promontory, partially on the sea and past some old
settlements. Post-hike, we'll have a tour and tasting at either
Tenuta di Serramarrocco or Fondo Antico, both examples of Sicily's
new-wave wineries. We'll then settle into our final hotel, near
Trapani. Dinner is in the seaside village of Bonagia, once the center
of Sicily's tuna fishing industry. B, D
|
 Day 6 -
The Island of Marettimo
Off the western coast of Sicily are three small
islands. Today's hike is on the most scenic, Marettimo. We'll take a
ferry from Trapani to the island and wander through its single,
white-washed town. Then we'll hike to an ancient Norman fortress at the
tip of the island, following a path that weaves in and out of the rocky
cliffs, always in view of the turquoise sea. We'll hike back to town
for lunch, then return on a mid-afternoon ferry. An optional wine
tasting at the hotel will highlight other up-and-coming wineries in
Sicily. Our farewell dinner is at the hotel. B, D
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Day
7 - Arrivederci!
Shuttle to Palermo airport and help with your
travel plans. B | |
For more tour photos, click here
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