Italian Holidays

Sicily

About the booking processOnce you click the Continue button an 'option' booking will be made for you. Your booking should be a continuous process, please do not 'bookmark' or 'Add to favourites' any of the subsequent pages. Returning to these pages at a later time will produce an error as your 'option' will have expired.

Mediterranean island jewel

Join us on one of the Mediterranean's most fascinating and beautiful islands for the chance to holiday in charming hotels and enjoy warm waters, fine dining, Sicilian hospitality and - on optional excursions - explore beguiling sights, such as the stunning hill-top town of Taormina, the ancient treasures of Agrigento and snow-capped Etna.

Set between the toe of Italy and Africa, Sicily has been influenced by many cultures. It's also a place of breathtaking natural beauty. Picturesque resorts and beaches dot the coast, while, inland, quaint hill-towns cling to volcanic slopes, and a wealth of ancient monuments awaits discovery.

Cefalu

Forty-five minutes from the Sicilian capital Palermo, and boasting a superb, sandy beach, Cefalu is part fishing port and part welcoming resort. Shops, restaurants and cafes line the streets surrounding the 12th-century cathedral, and the town is dominated by a towering rocky outcrop, 'la Rocca'.

Taormina Mare

This collection of intimate resorts, which sit along the bay beneath famous Taormina, the labyrinth of alleys, flower-decked terraces and romantic squares of which are a short bus or cable-car ride away. Each resort has it own charms and offers a seafront promenade backed by shops, bars, pizzarie and gelaterie.

During your stay, you can choose to join a selection of great-value excursions to many places of interest.

Palermo (Cefalu & Santa Nicola)

This half-day excursion takes us to Sicily's stunning capital, which reveals its varied heritage both in its buildings - the Cattedrale, the Royal Palazzo dei Normanni and the Archaeological Museum - and in its vibrant, cultured inhabitants.

Etna and Taormina (Cefalu & Santa Nicola)

Join us to explore the moon-like, pockmarked landscape of Europe's highest active volcano. The day also includes a visit to exquisite Taormina, with its squares and flower-decked terraces, and the stupendous Teatro Greco.

Taormina (Taormina Mare Resort only)

The proximity of these resorts to spectacular Taormina affords the opportunity for a half-day exploration of the exquisite town. Built on the slopes of Monte Tauro, the town's medieval palazzi, flower-strewn piazzi and monumental Teatro Greco will be brought thrillingly to life by our guide.

Mount Etna (Taormina Mare Resort only)

Join us for a 'circular navigation' of Europe's most famous active volcano, with its strange, scarred landscape of solidified lava and ancient craters.

Syracuse (Taormina Mare Resort only)

This ancient city was a vital link between mainland Greece and the Greek colonies of the western Mediterranean. Temples of Apollo and Athena were built on its island, and today the streets of the Old Town, with its harbour, Cattedrale and Archaeological Museum, still echo with history.

Agrigento (all resorts)

Journey to the Valley of Temples to see some of the finest Ancient Greek relics in the Mediterranean. The magnificent temples of Hera Lacinia, Concordia, Heracles, Olympian Zeus, the Dioscuri and Hephaistos are laid out along a ridge above the medieval town of Agrigento.

Wining and dining

Sicilian cuisine is fascinating and diverse, combining Greek, Arab and Spanish textures with traditional Italian flavours. Try traditional appetisers panelle and arancini; and experience a range of fish dishes such as swordfish, and sardines in a rich tomato sauce. For dessert, Sicilian ice cream is famous - and don't miss scumuni, a particularly tasty delicacy, or the island's delicious wines.

Mount Etna excursions

These tours take in the extinct craters at Monte Silvestri, at 1800 metres. Should you wish to climb further - to 2,600 metres - by cable-car and off-road vehicle, a supplementary charge is payable locally.

Entrance fees

Some of the attractions visited on our optional excursions offer free admission to visitors aged under 18 or over 65, therefore we do not include entrance fees within the excursion's price. If appropriate, these will be payable locally.

Transfer times

The transfer time from Catania Airport is approximately one hour to Taormina Mare and two hours and 15 minutes to Cefalu. From Palermo Airport, the transfer time is approximately one hour to Cefalu and four hours to Taormina Mare.