In the heart of the Mediterranean, a luxury Abacus 70 for your escape to circumnavigate Sicily. Far from the chaotic routine, get absorbed into amazing landscapes, crystal sea bottoms, arts, history, exciting traditions and legendary cultures that will refresh your mind, body and soul. Centuries of history, UNESCO World Heritage Sites, cultures mingling, colors, perfumes and flavors will make this experience one of a kind,
a long-lasting memory to be preserved.
Highlights
Sicily: Giardini Naxos and the enchanting Taormina, Aeolian Islands, Palermo, Trapani, Segesta, Erice, Agrigento and the Valley of the Temples, Ragusa
ITINERARY & PROGRAM
Day 1: Riposto
Independent arrival in Riposto, check in on board. Meet the crew and enjoy the beautiful panorama and the enchanting view of Mt Etna, the highest active vulcano in Europe sipping a glad of Etna doc sparkling wine.
Day 2: Riposto – Taormina – Giardini Naxos
Sailing northward to the port of Giardini Naxos. As the first Greek colony, this coastal village is the crib of ancient Mediterranean civilizations and at the same time a renowned tourist station. Along the promenade, series of typical restaurants and boutiques characterize the atmosphere of this town, a real postcard.
Land in Taormina for a shore excursion of the crown jewel of the tour that thanks to its great beauty patrimony has gained the title of “pearl of the Mediterranean sea”. Over the centuries, the magnificence of this small town has seduced innumerable poets and writers, attracted illustrious travelers, host internationally renowned celebrities. Visiting this strip of paradise on Earth, do not miss the visit to the Ancient Greek Theatre, an open window to the coast view; a walking full immersion throughout its medieval alleys; its breath-taking panoramas while tasting its excellent gastronomic soul. Taormina is a real picturesque landscape, “it will seduce your eyes, fantasize your mind”.
Day 3: Taormina – Panarea – Stromboli
Early sailing to the Aeolian Islands. First stop is the glamorous Panarea: here, you will surely notice its perfect combination of history, art, culture and modernity. Equally marvelous as the sea that flows through it, Panarea offers both festive elite atmospheres and absolute relax, far from frenetic and modern life. Late this day, head to Stromboli, one of the most active volcanos in Europe, magnificently erects in front of you with its high cliff interrupted by black sandy beaches and alternated by inlets and caves. An incredible volcano sinking into the sea that boils, producing a real suggestive unique show that reaches its top at night. Enjoy the “Sciara del fuoco” performance right from your yacht: red fire explosions and lapillus throwing will paint the starry sky. A real open-air spectacle, where the volcano shows all its strength!
Day 4: Stromboli – Lipari – sailing to Salina
Head to Lipari, the largest of the Aeolian Islands. It certainly represents the right compromise between comfort, leisure and natural beauties. In addition to its panoramic allure, it preserves the whole Aeolian history by hosting the archeological museum with its 5000-year civility testimony.
Day 5: Salina – sailing to Cefalu
Salina, named as the “garden” of Aeolian Islands, is an ideal place where to taste culinary Aeolian traditions: capers and Malvasia wine, the so-called “nectar of the gods”. Explore this green paradise, visit the local wineries and taste the delicious granita at Alfredo’s.
Day 6: Cefalu – sailing to Palermo
Cefalù is one of the major tourist attractions in the region, pretty and picturesque with its beautiful streets, squares and fantastic sandy beach. The town is famous for its Norman Cathedral, built in 1131 by Roger II, king of Sicily, in a style of Norman architecture which would be more accurately called Sicilian Romanesque. The exterior is well preserved, and is largely decorated with interlacing pointed arches and windows. In the interiors, the only mosaics preserved are those of the apse and the last bay of the choir; they are remarkably fine specimens of the Byzantine art of the period (1148) and the figure of the Pantocrator gracing the apse is especially noteworthy.
Thanks to its charming atmosphere, Cefalù was filmed in Guseppe Tornatore’s Cinema Paradiso.
Despite the crowd during summertime and holiday periods, its gorgeous architecture and atmospheric streets make it a lovely spot to strolling around. It is time to sail to Palermo to immerse into the history of culturally and artistically wealthy western Sicily.
Day 7: Palermo – Trapani overnight sailing
Sicily’s capital is an energetic city of colors and contrasts. In the Middle Ages, Palermo was one of Europe’s leading cities, that is the reason why travellers exploring Sicily’s history cannot miss its several unmissable sights. Palermo boasts bohemian boutiques, famously-excellent street food, fine architecture and a lively atmosphere, which you can breathe in the legendary, chaotic and bustling markets. Do not miss overview of the city from the roof of the historic cathedral, which is part of a UNESCO World Heritage list. The landscape is splendid, both for the details of the upper parts of the building itself and for the context, looking out over the city. One of Sicily’s most famous monuments is just a short ride from Palermo: the Norman cathedral of Monreale, famous for its architecture and the vast Byzantine-style mosaics which cover the interior.
Night sailing to Trapani.
Day 8: Trapani – Egadi tour – Marsala overnight sailing
Trapani port is strategically located both to unearth the inner parts of the city and to explore the Aegadi islands. If you decide to visit the city center, you will plunge into many different historical ages: from prehistoric era, passing through Hellenic civilities, straightly to Roman, Byzantine, Arabic and Norman cultures. In Trapani, titled as “the town between two seas” for its geographical position, monuments, churches, palaces characterize every corner of the city, telling its story throughout the centuries. The ancient walls of the city runs along the seafront, where the core of the town is located: the port. Not so far there is the fishing port, with typical boats owned by anglers continuing the job tradition handed down from one generation to another. The archipelago of the Egadi is located at the western end of Sicily, a few miles from Trapani, and is made up of the islands of Favignana, Levanzo, Marettimo, the small island of Formica and the rock of Maraone. The Egadi islands are embedded in the beautiful crystal clear waters, and are home to a rich and varied flora and fauna. These features make this archipelago a popular destination for snorkeling enthusiasts, scuba diving and sailing. The natural beauty that characterize the waters of Favignana, Levanzo and Marettimo are also extended to the mainland. In fact, for those who love walking in nature, the Egadi show a rich vegetation where there are native plants with medicinal properties, while from the point fauna are of significant importance to the birds. In order to preserve the natural beauty of the archipelago, the Marine Protected Area has recently been established, the largest marine reserve in Europe.
Day 9: Marsala – sailing to Porto Empedocle
Land in Marsala, built on the ruins of the ancient Carthaginian city of Lilybaion, it includes in its territory the archaeological site of Motya island, an ancient Phoenician town. Historically famous for the for the docking of Garibaldi on 11 May 1860, Marsala is also famous for its homonymous Marsala wine. A decisive period in Sicily wine history is 1773 when the English entrepreneur John Woodhouse landed at the port of Marsala and discovered the local wine aged in wooden casks which tasted similar to the Portuguese and Spanish fortified wines very popular in England at that time. He recognized that the in perpetuum process, similar to the solera system used to produce the Sherry in Spain, raised the alcohol level of the local wine thus preserving its characteristics during the long distance sea travel to England. Woodhouse’s genius proved to be successful and in 1796 he began the Marsala wine mass production and commercialization, soon followed by other English entrepreneurs, such as the Inghams and Whitakers, until the arrival of the Italian Vincenzo Florio towards the end of the 19th century. He bought up great portions of land to make his own vintage, purchased Woodhouse’s firm and consolidated the Marsala wine industry.
Day 10: Porto Empedocle – Ragusa overnight sailing
Porto Empedocle is your gateway to a travel to the past visiting the Valle dei Templi. Agrigento. It is a great thousand-year-old city, where you will find extraordinary archeological and architectonical treasures portrayed in a Greek sea and an enchanting nature. A charming destination where Arts, Culture and Nature coexist in a magical atmosphere stuck in a mythological time. The ancient “Akragas”, defined as “the greatest among mortal cities” was founded in the VII century and became in very few time one of the most flourishing cities of the Magna Grecia. Belonging to Unesco patrimony, is undoubtedly the most suggestive testimony of Greek civility in Sicily. Temples here rise surrounded by countryside, almond trees and flowers, pictured in an immortal scenario in this dreamlike corner of Mediterranean. After this wide dose of historical beauties, it is now time to head to Ragusa, also known as “The other Sicily”.
Day 11: Ragusa – Marzamemi overnight sailing
ncluded in the World Heritage UNESCO list Ragusa is one of the most important among Italian artistic cities, due to its variety of archeological and artistic wealth, inherit of multimillennial history. Originally erected on a steep hill, it was almost completely destroyed by an impressive earthquake in 1693. With its fascinating urbanistic structure, Ragusa Ibla is the core center of the city and its most attractive neighbor thanks to the numerous palaces and churches, massive expression of Sicilian Baroque. Unsubstituted scenario for literature, Ragusa is still today the most yearn cinematographic set in Sicily. This city will involve you into a swirling whirlwind of emotions and senses, through the discovery of the excellent typical products.
Day 12: Marzamemi – sailing to Siracusa
Heading towards the extreme point of Sicily, the enchanting panorama of Marzamemi will catch your eyes. Here, where Sicily and Africa meet, have a seat in one of the historical bars in the main seventeen-century little square: admire the surrounding palazzos, the Arabic courtyards and get lost into the exciting smell of the sea throughout the traditional fishermen’s little houses. History, culture and natural beauties here are the main ingredients of this fascinating small village, which is still able to seduce sun, sea and quiet lovers’ souls. Explore some of the best wineries in Sicily located in the surroundings.
Sail to Syracuse.
Day 13: Siracusa at shore
Don’t miss the visit of Syracuse defined by Cicero “the biggest and the most beautiful among all Greek cities”. A Unesco World Heritage site for its archeological, artistic and monumental patrimony, a perfect summary of the Sicilian history. Explore the baroque heart of Ortigia, the Euryalus fortification, the Apollo Temple, the columns of the Athena Temple set inside the Baroque cathedral like precious stones, get absorbed into the enchanting atmosphere of the ancient Neapolis, the archaeological park where the Greek Theatre is placed: here, still today you can experience the magical tradition of classic tragedy performances. Visiting Syracuse is a continuous alternation of unrepeatable sensations and emotions.
Day 14: Siracusa – Brucoli – Catania
Today sailing is northward to Brucoli and then in Catania to disembark. Independent departure.
FEATURES
General info: our luxury type Fly-Bridge designed by the famous architect Fulvio de Simoni built in 2009 and measuring 21,47m (70,11″). It is a perfect synthesis of the latest generation design, functionality, comfort and performance, with large spaces that allow you to live aboard for extended periods.
This luxury yacht features spacious exterior areas, especially her fly bridge which has space for dining and sunbathing. Its aft deck also has fixed seating and another dining table for “Al-Fresco” meals.
The main salon is stylish and spacious with a large U shaped couch to starboard, and a large U shaped couch to port further forward in the dining area, mirroring the salons layout. With crisp white leather couches, light wood and the large windows, its salon is spacious, chic and comfortable.
It can accommodate 8 guests in 4 cabins located on the lower deck.
The Master stateroom has a king sized bed and is provided with sofa, private bathroom, walk-in wardrobe (equipped with cabinets and drawers), cable TV, BOSE sound system, safe. The VIP cabin has a king sized bed and is provided with private bathroom, wardrobe, cabinets, drawers on both sides, cable TV. Furthermore, 2 twin-bed cabins, one with side by side bed configuration and the other with upper lower bunk beds, with private bathroom, cabinets, drawers and cable TV.
Departures & prices: available all year round, upon request (please, note that there are no scheduled departures)
Travel Services: we would be happy to assist travellers in case of any further services: i.e. pre-post nights in Sicily or Malta. Do not hesitate to ask for info.
Reservation & Payments: a deposit of 30% per person is required at the time of reservation. Final payment of the tour is due 60 days prior to departure.
Book this tour OR ask for a customised proposal info@isolabella.it
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