Sicily is home to ancient Greek colonies whose splendid remains are treasures to discover in a suggestive journey through history.
8 days / 7 nights – From Catania to Palermo
Arrival at Catania airport, transfer to hotel and free time.
Breakfast, transfer to Giardini Naxos, founded in 734 BC, the first Greek colony in Sicily, established by the Chalcidians from Euboea. Proceed to Taormina for a walk through the medieval streets and visit the Greek-Roman Theatre, the first wonder of Taormina monuments, built by the Greeks (3rd century BC) and rebuilt and expanded in Roman times. The Greek Theatre of Taormina was one of the most active centers of Greek culture in Sicily.
Breakfast, visit the historic center of Catania. Despite lying at the foot of Etna and being repeatedly affected by lava flows, the city's ancient remains continue to emerge, showing the Greek and Roman heritage. Following the traces of the Greek colonists, the excursion continues south to the Lentini area. In the Lentini archaeological park, near Colle San Mauro, visitors can see parts of the city walls, a necropolis dating back to the 4th-3rd century BC, and the remains of a Greek temple.
Breakfast, departure for Syracuse, with a stop at Megara Iblea, a nearby archaeological area and an ancient Greek colony that preserved its original urban layout. Continue to Syracuse, the largest and most beautiful Greek colony in Sicily. The Neapolis Archaeological Park is the highlight of a city that was a flourishing Greek colony. The visit concludes in the old quarter on Ortigia Island.
Breakfast and departure to visit Morgantina, one of the most interesting but little-known archaeological sites in inland Sicily. Before Greek colonization, it had prehistoric settlements. It stretches across a small plain surrounded by gentle hills. Nearby, the Aidone Archaeological Museum houses “The Goddess” of Morgantina, sculpted in the 5th century BC by a disciple of Phidias. Continue to Agrigento in time to enjoy the sunset behind the temples of the ancient Greek city. The Valley of the Temples is the most important archaeological area in Sicily.
Breakfast, departure to Selinunte, the largest archaeological park in the Mediterranean, with columns and ruins of colossal Greek temples. The city lies near the river mouth where wild parsley (Selinon) grows, giving its name to the river and city. Continue to the Cave di Cusa, once used to build Selinunte. The excursion then proceeds to Segesta to admire the imposing Temple and the Theatre overlooking a vast panorama dominated by Mount Inici.
Breakfast, morning visit to Solunto, located on the southeastern slopes of Monte Catalfano, along the western coast of Palermo, overlooking the sea in a rare and suggestive position. The surviving archaeological evidence mainly relates to the Hellenistic-Roman city. Continue to the archaeological site of Himera, a Greek colony along the Tyrrhenian coast, situated in a wide gulf between the promontories of Cefalù and Termini Imerese.
Breakfast, free time until departure.
