espt-brru

Southern Sicily

DAY 1 MADRID – PALERMO Meeting in Barajas Airport at the indicated time to board a flight to Palermo, via Milan or Rome. Arrival in Palermo and transfer to the hotel. City tour in which we will be able to contemplate Saint John of the Hermits, the the Palace of the Normans, the Cathedral and the Palatine Chapel. Lunch. Afternoon tour of the Cathedral of Monreale. Return to the hotel. Dinner and lodging.

DAY 2 PALERMO – SEGESTA – AGRIGENTO Breakfast and departure for Segesta, historic city of Magna Graecia situated over a promontory, where we will visit its imposing Doric Temple, perfectly preserved, and Erice, whose walled section was constructed by the Phoenicians and renovated during the medieval period. Lunch. In the afternoon we will continue the journey, taking a city tour of Agrigento; birthplace of Luiggi Pirandello and owner of a singular treasure:: the famous Valley of the Temples, the the best preserved archaeological sites of classical temples in the world, where the temples of Demeter, Juno, Hercules, the Concordia (the only one with a church inside it), and Vulcan stand out among many others. Dinner and lodging.

DAY 3 AGRIGENTO – SYRACUSE – CATANIA Breakfast and morning departure to take an excursion to Syracuse, one of the most important archaeological sites, where it is worth noting its Archaeological Museum of “Laetomia of Paradise,” known for the 65 meter long cavern and grotto in the shape of an “S” called “Dionysius’ Ear.” After the tour of the archaeological site we will visit the historic and baroque center of Syracuse. Lunch. In the afternoon, we will head to Catania. Dinner and lodging. DAY 4 CATANIA – TAORMINA – ETNA – CATANIA Breakfast and departure to take a city tour where we will see the Massimo Bellini Theater, Via dei Crociferi, Ancient Theater, the Cathedral, Town Hall, the Ancient fish market and Visino Castle. Then we will take an excursion to Taormina, the most famous summer resort in Sicily, situated at some height on Mount Tauro, replete with squares and palaces and dominating two immense bays. In Taormina we will visit the Greek Theater. Then we will take an excursion to Mount Etna and ascend to a height of 1,900 meters.. Mt. Etna is 3,323 meters tall and is one of the largest volcanoes in the world that is still active today. Then we will have Lunch. Return to Catania. Dinner and lodging.

DAY 5 CATANIA – MESSINA – MARATEA Breakfast and departure for Messina, port situated in the extreme northeast of Sicily facing the toe of the Italian boot. It handles the largest part of the commercial traffic of the Strait of Messina, site where Greek mythology places the monster Scylla and the Charybdis whirlpool. Crossing of the straight and continuation to the area of Maratea. Lunch en route. Arrival to the area of Maratea. Dinner and lodging.

DAY 6 MARATEA – POMPEII – NAPLES Breakfast and tour of Maratea, the city with 44 churches. The first thing that jumps into sight is the immense statue of the Redeemer, which is reminiscent of the one in Rio de Janeiro. We will walk through Buraglia Square, most known as the “piazzetta,” Eredi Picone Palace, Lieto Palace, Church of Saint Mary Maggiore, Church of Saint Vitus, the oldest in Maratea, the Basilica of Saint Blaise, which contains the relics of this saint. Continuation to Pompeii, city buried in the year 79 A.D. by the eruption of Vesubius, where we will be able to observe the petrified bodies of its inhabitants surprised by the eruption, numerous palaces with frescos still preserved and restored where we will get an idea of what life was like in that city. Lunch. Continuation to Naples. Dinner and lodging.

DAY 7 NAPLES Breakfast and tour of Naples, whose streets reflect the Roman, medieval and Spanish periods, and that count amongs its historical buildings the Castel Nuovo, the Villa Floridiana, and the Opera House. Lunch. Afternoon free in Naples. Dinner and lodging.

DAY 8 NAPLES – MADRID Breakfast and transfer to the airport at the indicated time to take the return flight to Madrid. Arrival and END OF TRIP.