Recreation

Culinary Tours

At some point or the other in our lives, we have all drooled over Italian food. Pastas, pizzas, lasagnas - it all coming back, isn't it? Well food is an integral part of Italian living, and this is especially evident in Sicily where much of their existence revolves around eating food or preparing the next meal. Thus, culinary tours are a great way to gel with the culture of Sicily.

A culinary tour essentially refers to a journey through Sicily - its main food destinations and markets and lessons in Italian cooking. All ingredients are bought first hand under the guidance of a chef or cooking-tutor and prepared the same day by the travelers themselves. This way not only do people learn what to buy and where to buy it, but also explain how to prepare and serve the dish. All tours also include sightseeing and shopping sessions for the convenience of the traveler.

You can choose to spend you time in Sicily as a part of a long culinary tour or take up cooking classes for a day or two.

Wine Tours:

Who knew that Italy is the largest exporter of wines in the world? We all think so! Well the truth is that it is and Sicily is one of the wine hotspots in the country. An established wine producer since the times of the Greeks, Sicily remains one of the fastest growing wine regions in Europe. It has recently made the shift from making economically viable bulk quantities of wine to brewing vintage wines. This makes Sicily one ideal destination for the connoisseur.

There are over fifteen different whites and reds produced in this area and wine tours allow you to not only taste the product but also view the process of making wine. The tour takes you on grape picking sessions, lets you have fun with crushing the fruit with your feet and takes you to various distilleries and taverns. The tours also include interactive sessions with top oenologists and viticulturists.

Theatre:

The ancient Greeks and Romans ensured that Sicily was the epitome of culture and art. The region carries this tradition forward even today and is responsible for bringing some of the most cerebral dramas and play to the world. A beautiful tradition of the Sicilians is to re-enact the Greek tragedies and Roman dramas for a modern audience the way they would have been enacted in the ancient times.

But it is not just the plays that are a treat in Sicily, the places where they are enacted are equally, if not more stunning. The first of them is the ancient Greek Amphitheatre at Syracuse where the National Institute of Ancient Drama (L'Istituto Nazionale del Dramma Antico - INDA) puts its work up and the other is the exquisite ninetieth century construction Teatro Massimo.

For details on INDA performances please contact:

Fondazione INDA

Corso Gelone n.

103 - Siracusa

Tel. 0931 465831 / 0931 67415

Fax 0931 21574

For details on the schedules and visitation timing of Teatro Massimo, please contact:

Viale del Fante, 70/b

Phone: +39 091 6053353

Fax: +39 091 6053351

There are, however, few plays put up in languages other than Italian, so this activity would be a futile waste if you do not understand the language.

For a simpler yet equally artistic performance, people should head for some Sicilian Puppet theatre, which has been termed a ‘masterpiece of world oral heritage' by the UNESCO. The themes are medieval, at times incorporating allegories on contemporary situations and the puppets themselves are large and bulky marionettes and not models as compared to other regions.

For details on production please contact:

Figli d'Arte Cutechinno Association:

Via Bara all'Olivella 95

90133 Palermo

Phone: +39 091 323400

Fax: +39 091 335922

Web: www.figlidartecuticchio.com

Ballet:

The Zappala Dance Company is one of the premier fusion ballet and modern dance companies in he world. It regularly puts show up at the Massimo.

For further details please contact:

Via Teatro Massimo

95131 - Cantania

Phone: +39 091 314684

Fax: +39 091 314684

Email: info@compagniazappala.it

Skiing:

If you happen to be in Sicily in the months between December and March, you cannot afford to miss the opportunity of skiing on one of the world most active volcanoes - Mt Etna. All right, so there is a slight risk. Well! there is quite a risk of the snow suddenly changing to streams of burn-you-to-smithereens lava. But come on, isn't that the point, skiing like your life depends on it? And any way, the occasionally rumbling sounds are always there to warn you.

On a more serious note, Mt Etna has two distinct skiing arenas, the Northern approached from Linguaglossa and the Southern from Nicolosi. Both areas are well equipped with ski lifts, rental shops, and instructors. The mountain has trails for amateur, professional, and expert level skiers, vertical drops and a 15 km stretch for cross-country.

For more details and safe times to visit please contact:

Etna Nord Tourist Office,

Catania

Phone: 39 0 95 730 6 239

Fax: 39 0 95 316 407

Diving:

There is one place in particular where some of the best dive sites in Italy are located and that is Lampedusa. Lampedusa is a separate island in the Mediterranean and part of the Sicilian province of Agrigento. It has some of the most superb underwater caves and creeks that divers of every level of expertise can explore. There are guided dives conducted by the various diving schools that operate in Lampedusa. These schools also have offices in the main centers of Sicily.

Beach activities:

Beaches are a whole different ball game in the Mediterranean region. They are not like their sunny, noisy, over-active places like elsewhere in the world. They are relaxed places where tourists and locals alike go to cool off and perhaps soak up some of the gentle sunshine.

Different beaches in Sicily offer a different experience. Here are some of them:

Mondello Lido

This beach is very popular with the locals and offers some of the best sandy stretches in Sicily.

La Plaja - Catania:

La Plaja is divided in to two sections - the Southern Sandy part and the Northern rocky part. The Southern section is suited for soaking up the sun and long walks. Quite a few parties and open-air discos offer entertainment in the evening and this is a popular nighttime destination for the locals. The southernmost region of the section forms the national park of the River Simento.

The water around the rocky part is deeper and much more favorable to swimming.

Spiaggia Sabbie Nere (Vulcano):

It name meaning ‘Black Sands Beach' should be your first clue to the uniqueness of this beach. The sand is derived from volcanic rocks and is completely black in color.

Giardini-Naxos:

A great place to head for some excellent swimming, and is a venue for luxurious hotels and fine restaurants. The beach again is distinct and has more pebbles than sand.

Lido Mazzarò (Taormina):

Visit this place between April and October with your autograph book because a lot of Hollywood stars use this place as a getaway from their worlds of glamour. Of cause, their presence makes the Lido just as glamorous, but hey it's not really their fault if they are used to the high-life.

Nature Reserves and Parks.

If you wish to see one of Sicilians most picturesque public places head down to Catania's Villa Bellini - a park spread over several hills. It is immaculately maintained and offers some of the most stunning views from the higher points. Other must-sees in the park include the floral clock and calendar and the world's largest fig tree.

Sicily has more than its fair share of natural beauty. Just Mt Etna would be enough, but Sicily has several rivers, woods, grooves and forests to entice visitors. A few of its nature reserves are:

The Vendicari Reserve - Syracuse

A swampy region that for some part of the year is home to migratory birds like herons, flamingoes, swans and cormorants.

Isola Bella

Recently declared a natural reserve by the WWF, the Isola Bella is a small group of islands off the coast of Taormina. These islands have some of the most unusual flora and fauna in Sicily.