Sicily is the biggest island in the Mediterranean sea, a land rich in history and culture, with an enviable natural heritage.
The territory is protected by five Regional parks: TheParco dei Monti Sicani, Parco dei Nebrodi, Parco dell’Etna, Parco delle Madonie, Parco fluviale dell’Alcantara.
It is inhabited since ancient times, there were many people who settled in this area, leaving visible marks of their cultures. By Sicani and Sicilians, up to the Phoenicians, Greeks and Romans, the Byzantines in the middle ages, Arabs and Normans.
Agrigento, founded in 580 BC, is the evidence a long history that today we can relive and admire in the Valley of the Temples, with Greek Temples, various cemeteries, three sanctuaries and fortifications. The Valley of the Temples is World Heritage and is one of the largest Archeological sites in the world. Here you will be able to stay in a very peculiar Charming B&B.
In Agrigento you can visit Realmonte and its beautiful coast where you can admire the landscape characterized by the Scala dei Turchi, a white cliff on the sea, so called for the invasions that Turks and Saracens tried on these shores. In this area you will find an elegant Relais or a refined Masseria.
In Messina, we can find Capo d’Orlando, traditionally linked to fishing, includes the Municipal Art Gallery, the Museum Villa Piccolo, The Castle Bastione, and the Baths of Bagnoli, dating back to the fourth century. Here you will be welcome by a lovely Charming B&B.
Then there’s Catania, with its beautiful old town centre in baroque style, and the Cathedral of St. Agatha, the patron saint of the town. The cathedral was built in the eleventh century, while the bell tower in the fourteenth and the beautiful dome in 1802. Few km from here, you will be able to enjoy a refined Charming Hotel.
Enna, is situated on a hill that is 900 meters high and was considered inexpugnable by the romans. You should visit the Castello di Lombardia, the ancient acropolis, the Rocca di Cecere. In this area, let yourself surprise by an unusual lovely Charming Hotel or a Masseria that previously was a museum.
In Catania district you can reach Mount Etna, a fascinating active volcano that has been declared World Heritage by UNESCO. The surface of the mountain has several environments, including the alternation of arid forests and rocky areas. The landscape changes continuously in the years because of the eruptions, and so the height of the volcano changes, which is currently about 3350 meters. The area is protected by the Etna Park and is a destination for excursions and visits from all over the world. Right on the Etna Volcano, you will be surprised by the elegance of a Charming Hotel at 1800 m high.
Then we go to Val di Noto, in Ragusa, which is divided between upper Ragusa and Ragusa Ibla. Known as the town of bridges, including the Ponte Vecchio in Roman style that crosses the valley of St. Domenico, Ponte Nuovo or Ponte Littorio, and the Ponte Papa Giovanni XXIII that connects Carmine and Capuccini districts.
In Ragusa there’s Modica with its baroque old town centre and the necropolis of Quartiriccio; the town of Vittoriawith a modern style and adjacent to the natural reserve of Pino D’Aleppo; the town of Ispica, with the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, a national monument built in 1908; the village of Pozzallo with the imposing Torre Cabrera, built to defend the coast from pirates and around which the village was built. In the Valley of Noto, you will have a wide choice among Charming Agritourism, B&B, Boutique Hotel, Relais and Albergo Diffuso.
Let’s move in Palermo in the Madonie Park. Among the loveliest places to visit there’s Cefalù, beautiful seaside resort at the foot of a rocky promontory dominating the coast. It is one of the most beautiful towns in Italy, and still has its medieval old town centre and the Rocca di Cefalù. In the heart of this beautiful town, you will be able to stay in a elegant Charming Hotel.
In Palermo, there’s village of Piana degli Albanesi that is located on a upland which overlooks the lake. Here’s the seat of the Seminario Italo Albanese and Albanian is the official language in the municipal documents together with Italian. Near this area there’s the village of Polizzi Generosa and its necropolis which contains Punic and Greek remains. The whole area of the Madonie Park is a perfect destination for hiking, trekking and guided tours, in a wonderful natural environment. Here you will enjoy the refinement of a Relais, a beautiful oldtime mansion.
