Sicily: Crossroads of the Mediterranean

Arrive at Catania Airport and transfer to our hotel in the countryside at the foot of Mount Etna. Rising above eastern Sicily, Europe’s highest active volcano will be our setting for the first two nights. Tomorrow, we head onto its slopes with a volcanologist guide to see firsthand how repeated eruptions and rich, volcanic soil have shaped agriculture and village life on this part of the island. This evening, gather with our Expedition Leader and fellow guests for a welcome dinner.

Set out with an expert volcanologist guide to explore Mount Etna, one of the world’s most active volcanoes. Travel partway by 4x4, then continue on foot through broad lava fields, old craters and woodlands shaped by centuries of eruptions. Some flows have buried roads and fields; elsewhere, vegetation has gradually returned to cover older lava. Our guide explains these cycles as we walk on the volcano’s slopes to gain a vivid understanding of how it continually alters the terrain.

On Mount Etna’s lower slopes, generations of farmers have worked this rich volcanic ground. Mineral-rich soils support vineyards, orchards and other crops, even as eruptions remain a fact of life here. On clear days, views extend across eastern Sicily to the Ionian coast. We descend to a family-run agriturismo for lunch, where we meet the owners and enjoy a seasonal meal accompanied by local wine. Back at our hotel this afternoon, there’s some free time to relax before we drive to the nearby village of Castiglione for dinner at a local restaurant.

Leaving Etna, we trace Sicily’s east coast southward. Our first stop is Aci Castello, where an 11^th-century Norman castle stands atop a high basalt cliff above the Ionian Sea. Its position reflects the strategic importance of this stretch of coastline to successive rulers of eastern Sicily. We stop in town for coffee and a walk before continuing to Syracuse. Founded by Greek settlers in the 8th century BC, Syracuse grew into one of the most powerful cities of the ancient Mediterranean world. Its historic center occupies the island of Ortigia, where Greek and Roman remains sit among later medieval and Baroque buildings. The famous food market is a colorful hub of activity, with vendors selling fresh-caught swordfish and sea urchins alongside shiny tomatoes, citrus, spices, cheeses and other Sicilian staples. An informal lunch offers a chance to taste local favorites at a traditional delicatessen. After free time to explore more of Ortigia independently, continue into southeastern Sicily and Ragusa Ibla, with dinner this evening at a local restaurant.

This morning we visit the enchanting small city of Noto, one of the UNESCO-listed Late Baroque Towns of the Val di Noto and a celebrated center of Sicilian Baroque architecture. When a devastating earthquake struck southeastern Sicily in 1693, destroying towns across the region and prompting a major rebuilding campaign, Noto was reconstructed in the Sicilian Baroque style, using the warm-hued local tufa limestone seen in the elaborate facades, balconies, churches and palaces along its broad central streets. In the fading light of late afternoon, the stone gleams gold in the setting sun’s glow. On a guided walk, gain insight into Noto’s celebrated architecture, then continue into the surrounding countryside to a winery specializing in Nero d’Avola. Walk among the vines and learn how the estate grows and produces Sicily’s best-known red grape, followed by a lunch with wine pairings. Next, we visit a farm growing medicinal and aromatic herbs. As we walk through the gardens and fields, learn to identify plants cultivated for cooking and other practical uses, and hear how they have traditionally been used in Sicilian households. Dinner is served at the farm, incorporating herbs and plants grown here.

Spend the morning on foot in Ragusa Ibla, another Sicilian city profoundly altered by the 1693 earthquake. Its reconstruction produced the Baroque churches, palaces and stone streets we admire today. During our walk, step inside the atelier, or private workshop, of a traditional Sicilian cart master. The richly painted carretto siciliano served as practical transportation across the island well into the 20th century, while its carved and decorated panels developed into a distinctive form of folk art, with scenes depicting religious subjects, legendary heroes or episodes from Sicilian history. Alongside this artisan still practicing the craft, we get a close-up look at the workmanship and narrative imagery that make the carts living pieces of art.

Lunch is on your own to choose among the many inviting trattorias that line the streets. Then continue to Modica, famous for chocolate made here since the period of Spanish rule in the 16^th and 17^th centuries. The Spaniards, introduced to Aztec chocolate during their conquests in Mexico, brought the same processing methods to Modica to make xocoatl, produced by crushing cocoa beans on a stone to create a grainy, crumbly paste flavored with sugar, cinnamon, vanilla and sometimes chili. A maître chocolatier demonstrates the approach before we have our own chance to make and taste this centuries-old style of chocolate. Out the door, the Baroque streets of Modica await, and we climb narrow streets up the limestone slopes where ornate churches and palaces survey the landscape below. After free time to explore on your own, we return to Ragusa for dinner.

Leaving Ragusa this morning, we travel along the west side of Sicily toward Agrigento. En route, stop at a family-run olive estate surrounded by mature groves. During a private visit, we learn how the family cultivates and harvests its trees, following the process from olives to oil, and discovering what producers look for in an extra-virgin olive oil. A tasting follows, plus a light farm lunch.

Continue to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Agrigento, where we spend the afternoon with a local guide exploring the Valley of the Temples, one of the world’s great surviving Greek archaeological sites. Founded by Greek settlers from Rhodes and Crete in 581 BC, the city known as Akragas was one of the most magnificent and influential centers in the Mediterranean. Set among almond and olive trees, remarkably well-preserved monuments include 11 massive Doric temples, one with all 34 columns still intact; three sacred sanctuaries, a necropolis, hydraulic works, the agora and more. After our tour, we head to our atmospheric hotel, a restored 14th-century estate overlooking the Valley of the Temples.

Continue west to Sciacca, a historic fishing port on Sicily’s southwest coast where the harbor remains the working focus of the town. Only a narrow stretch of sea divides Sciacca from North Africa, and the town reflects the heritage of the Arabs who sailed across the Mediterranean in 840, along with earlier Greek and later Norman influences. Colorful buildings are stacked on the steep hillside above the sea, overlooking the fishing fleet that has long supported families and supplied local kitchens with blue fish, anchovies, sardines and mackerel. In the old quarter along the harbor, meet local fishermen who explain the techniques they use in these waters, and how the catch and conditions have changed over time. Get your own taste of the local seafood as we sit down for a traditional lunch overlooking the sea.

This afternoon, continue toward Marsala on Sicily’s western tip. The region faces the Strait of Sicily, a narrow stretch separating Italy from North Africa, with just 140 miles between Marsala and Tunis. Centuries of movement across these waters have left a strong cultural and culinary overlap; in fact, Marsala is a city whose very name stems from the Arabic Marsa Allah (The Harbor of God). And while pasta is prolific in mainland Italy, couscous is a staple in Marsala, adopted from Tunisia. Cannoli likewise has North African roots, attributed to women of local harems who blended native ricotta with sugar cane and candied fruits introduced by Arab rulers.

Our destination outside the city is a restored baglio, a fortified farm building with thick stone walls that’s set around a courtyard, which was a distinctive style of rural Sicilian architecture from the 16^th to 19^th centuries. Many baglios today, such as the one we are staying at for the next three nights, have been refurbished as agritourismos. Gardens and terraces offer panoramic views of the surrounding vineyards and Mediterranean Sea. In the evening, gather in the kitchen for a hands-on cooking class with a local chef. We’ll prepare Sicilian recipes together, then sit down to dinner to feast on what we have made, accompanied by wines from the estate.

Begin the day with a walking tour in Marsala’s Old Town, tracing the legacy of Arab rule in western Sicily and the city’s long connections with North Africa. Then we enter a historic wine cellar to learn about the fortified wine also called Marsala, named for the city where it is produced. We’ll follow the aging process in the cellar and taste three vintages side by side, comparing how additional time changes the wine’s flavor. Next, a special lunch is in store as we are welcomed into a private home. Our host demonstrates how to make Sicilian couscous, especially popular in this region where centuries of maritime travel and commerce brought this dish of steamed semolina granules to Sicily from Berber cultures across the channel.

A short drive north, Trapani and environs are our focus this afternoon. Overlooking two seas, the Tyrrhenian and the Mediterranean, and the Egadi Islands, Trapani sits at the foot of Mount Erice, which we ascend via cable car. From its 2,464-foot summit, get a 360° view of the ocean and surrounding landscapes, including the sprawling salt pans where sea salt has been extracted since Phoenician and Roman times. At the top of the mountain is the well-preserved medieval town of Erice. We wander among its stone lanes, medieval churches, castle ruins and fortified walls while learning about the Elymian, Phoenician, Arab and Norman influences on this strategically placed settlement. We’ll also visit a ceramics workshop in Trapani, the most famous location in Sicily for the classic blue, green and yellow pieces, to watch artisans at work and perhaps pick up a bowl or platter to take home. At the end of a full day, return to Baglio Donna Franca for dinner and another night.

Cross by ferry this morning from Trapani to Favignana, largest of the Egadi Islands, famous for its rocky limestone coves and crystal-clear turquoise waters as well as ancient tufa stone quarrying and its historically famous bluefin tuna industry. Using the mattanza, an ancient Phoenician-derived trap-net technique, Atlantic tuna migrating into the Mediterranean were guided through a series of underwater net chambers into a final enclosure, as fishermen sang a rhythmic, Arab-derived chant as they harpooned the captured fish. In the late 19th century, the Florio family invested heavily in the fishery and processing industry, transforming Favignana’s economy as it established the Tonnara, one of Europe’s largest tuna-canning plants. Sadly, due to severe overfishing of Mediterranean bluefin tuna stocks, the last traditional mattanza in Favignana took place in 2007. With a local expert, walk through the historic center and visit places associated with the former Tonnara as we learn about the traditional fishermen, processing workers and families whose livelihoods depended on tuna. At a family-run shop, taste tuna products still prepared locally.

Following lunch and free time in town, return by ferry to the mainland and our hotel. Early this evening, we visit Marsala’s ancient salt pans, observing a windmill to see how seawater is moved through a succession of shallow evaporation basins before the salt is harvested. The Phoenicians established the first saltworks here almost 3,000 years ago, with the first commercial production happening in the mid-16^th century. Traditional manual harvesting still takes place each summer, and we savor a tasting at the end of our tour. As the sun lowers, the geometric pools reflect the golden light, with the windmills rising above the lagoon to create a photogenic subject. Our farewell dinner is served nearby, overlooking the water at sunset.

After breakfast, depart the Marsala countryside and transfer to Palermo Airport for flights home.