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Learn
more about towns of origin in the Messina area. Day-trips from Taormina
to Capizzi, Capo d'Orlando, Caronia, Ferla, Francavilla di Sicilia, Lipari Islands,
Melilli, Patti, Priolo, San Pier Niceto, etc. |
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Help
to plan your Sicilian trip. Personalized travel programs that best suit your interests
and budget. | | | | |
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Taormina
and Castelmola (full day) shore excursion or private
tour
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Taormina,
the ancient Taurominum, is a spot of infinite loveliness, the land of Dolce
far niente - of sweet do nothing. The town lies in an elevated position of
amazing, almost unique beauty, affording magnificent views combining sea and sky
of a marvelous blue, miles of a curving coastline and picturesque mountain scenery,
while the majestic pyramid of Mt. Etna on one side constitutes a scene
of indescribable beauty. Upon arrival we will visit the most impressive monument
of the city: the Greco-Roman Theatre. It has the finest site of any theatre
in the world and one of the most striking monuments of antiquity. We continue
our walking tour to the Villa Comunale: the public gardens which are planted
with a huge variety of flowering plants and shrubs ranging from the most common
to the exotic, your guide will be able to describe you all the botanical curiosity.
In the afternoon we continue the exploration to Castelmola, this village
occupying a strategic position up behind Taormina, centres around the picturesque
little Piazzetta del Duomo. In one of the bars in the main square we will
have the chance to taste the famous "almond wine". | |
Mt
Etna (half day or full day) shore excursion or private
tour |
| Mt.
Etna is Sicily's tallest peak and one of Europe's most famous active volcanoes,
in the 20C, the most violent eruptions took place in 1910 leading to 23 additional
craters being formed, in 1928, a lava flow destroyed the village of Mascali and
other eruptions followed in more recent time in 1981, 1983, 1985, 1991-92, 2001,
2002, 2004, 2005. Upon arrival we will visit the area of 2.000 mts (6.000 ft)
with the Crateri Silvestri. In a full day escursion we can ascent to the
top by funicular and 4x4 wheels drive: on the slope of the central crater at around
the 3.000 mts (10.000 ft) mark, in the vicinity of the former Torre del Filosofo
where a refuge was destroyed by lava. There are four craters: the south-eastern
crater, the immense central crater, the north-eastern crater and the Bocca
Nuova (New Mouth) which has been the most active. | |
The
Godfather country: Savoca and Forza d'Agrò (half
day) shore excursion or private tour |
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A scenic drive runs inland to Savoca which is considered one of the most
attractive places in the environ of Taormina. Bar Vitelli with a
gorgeous terrace, has a collection of photographs taken when Francis Ford Coppola
shot some scenes of "The Godfather II". Free time for a "granita"
in the Bar Vitelli then we walk to the Chiesa Madre with its fine 16C portal
surmonted by a beautifully carved oculus and the coat of arms of Savoca, bearing
the eldeberry branch from which the name of the town is supposed to derive.
The
tour will continue to Forza d'Agrò an attractive medieval hamlet
caps the furthermost spurs of the Monti Peloritani with a splendid view
of the coast. In 1990, Al Pacino and Sophia Coppola shot some scenes of the film
"The Godfather III".
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Messina
and Tindari (full day) shore excursion or private
tour |
| The
tour start with a visit of "The gate of Sicily", just five kilometres
separe Messina from the mainland Italy. In the ancient time was given the
name of Zancle by the Greek for the sickle-shaped harbour. It's hard to
imagine that a devasting earthquake leveled Messina in 1908 and also during the
World War II the town was subjected to several intensive bombing raids. Passing
some point of interest such us the church of San Francesco, the
Fountain of Neptune, the tour will proceed to the National
Museum. From here the tour will continue passing the City Hall,
the Church of the Annunziata dei Catalani and Piazza Duomo.
The astronomical clock is the most interesting component of the
60 mts. high bell-tower to the left of the Cathedral.
We continue the excursion
to Tindarys and the northern coast of Sicily. The town is a Greek colony
founded in 396 B.C.and occupies a magnificent position. Nowdays Tindari is the
pilgrimage site of the Sanctuary dedicated to the Black Madonna.
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Gole
dell'Alcantara and Francavilla di Sicilia (full day) shore
excursion or private tour |
| The
formation of the gorge is derivated from a small volcano of Mt.
Etna woke and poured forth enormous quantities of lava. Upon arrival we descent
on foot and we will discover a spectacular view of the whole at the entrance of
the gorge. The beautiful stone cliffs tower forms pentagonal and hexagonal prisms,
irregular shapes which interplay with the light, creating forms both graceful
and monstrous. A natural botanical reserve is located in the park: your guide,
which is an expert in botanic, will give you all the informations. Afterwards
we continue the explorations of Francavilla di Sicilia where a violent
battle took place between the Spaniards and Austrians. Here we will visit the
Capuchin Monastery founded in the 16C.
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