WELCOME TO THE WONDERFUL ISLAND OF SICILY

A wonderful climate, friendly people, superb food and wine, beautiful beaches, stunning landscapes and a heady mix of cultural attractions, there really is something for everyone – Sicily has it all!

The areas featured are:

Western Sicily - Untrodden by mass tourism and closer to Africa than the Italian mainland, Western Sicily is fascinating to explore.

Cefalu - A vibrant town where shops and cafés abound and dominated by its Norman cathedral, Cefalu also offers stunning beaches.

Taormina & The North East - Best known for Mount Etna this area offers both rugged mountains to the north as well as elegant and stylish beach resorts to the east.

Siracusa & Baroque South East - Sicily’s best kept secret with stunning baroque architecture, beautiful beaches and excellent food and wine can all be found here.

A wonderful climate, friendly people, superb food and wine, beautiful beaches, stunning landscapes and a heady mix of cultural attractions, there really is something for everyone – Sicily has it all!

Essentially Prestige offers a wider selection of value holidays and accommodation than our established, sister operation, Prestige Holidays. Love Sicily offers flexible lengths of stay and hotels from three to five stars. So if you want a budget stay in a value-for-money family run property, a good stylish hotel or a luxury experience, you’ll find all of them here.

On arrival in Sicily, although technically still in Italy, your senses tell you otherwise! This beautiful island’s rich and colourful past, has given rise to an incredible land of contrasts, from the fascinating ‘souks’ in Palermo and the tuna fisheries of Trapani to the majestic Greek temples of Agrigento and the baroque treasures of the South East.

Whether you wish to simply relax and indulge yourself in one of the many exquisite hotels we offer, or explore this magical island with a multi-centre holiday, or a combination of the two, we will be pleased to assist. 

A personal message from our Chairman

"We are proud to introduce our new Love Sicily brochure for 2013, a wonderful addition to our Essentially Prestige programme. Sicily truly is the ‘melting pot’ of the Mediterranean, perfectly nestled between the toe of Italy and the North African coast. Blessed with a fabulous climate, summers are long with temperatures between 22°C and 29°C.

Today’s Sicily boasts a delightful range of accommodation, from characterful Moorish farmhouses, friendly family run three star B&B’s to stylish four star boutique properties and luxurious five star palaces. If you have already visited one part of the island I would urge you to try a different area next time, as there is so much to see and to enjoy – the scenery will be stunning and the food delicious wherever you go."

John Dixon

LOVE SICILY X (WE DO!)

HISTORY

Due to its strategic trading location in the Mediterranean, Sicily was fought over and colonized during past centuries by the Greeks, Normans, Phoenicians and the Moors. Each of these civilizations left its mark on the island providing today a rich collection of stunning Greek temples and sites, namely those of Segesta, Agrigento, Selinunte and Siracusa. Beautifully frescoed Norman churches can be found throughout the island (especially in Palermo) and the small baroque gems such as Ispica, Scicli and Ortigia are simply breathtaking.

GASTRONOMY

Sicily is a gastronomist’s paradise! Take Italy’s delicious cuisine and embellish it with wonderful local sun drenched produce, together with spices brought over by the Moors. Western Sicily’s cous cous with fish, pasta dishes using fennel, pistachio and raisins, fresh seafood (don’t miss a visit to Vittorio’s in Porto Palo!). Sicilian ice cream, probably the best in Italy, served up in a sweet bun (brioche) and the ‘granita’ (water ice) is simply divine. Wine production is now better than ever with some excellent reds, such as the fruity Cerasuolo di Vittoria and fi ne whites such as Inzolia. We can even offer properties specialising in gastronomy with cooking lessons, so please ask.

NATURE

Spring in Sicily is a wonderful time to visit with beautiful yellow fi elds of wild flowers providing a striking contrast to rolling green hills and deep blue skies refl ecting against the lovely Mediterranean sea. You may catch sight of some rare species of birds which pass through en-route to/from Africa – the wild Vendicari nature reserve in the South East is a good spot for this. Dolphins are frequently viewed both around the Plemmirio Marine Reserve near Ortigia and the stunning coastline of the Zingaro Marine Reserve between Scopello and San Vito Lo Capo.

BEACH

Boasting a fine collection of both sand and pebble beaches, providing not only safe bathing, but also some excellent snorkelling. For those looking for the ultimate in beautiful, wide sandy beaches, San Vito Lo Capo is reminiscent of the tropics, with its fine white sand and crystal clear waters. Cefalu’s sandy beach, with excellent safe bathing for families is very close to both its lively resort centre and hotels. The Zingaro Marine Reserve hosts some lovely little pebble coves with superb snorkelling, as do the rocky inlets around Taormina.

TOURING/MULTI-CENTRE

From the exotic, wild West to the mesmerising Mediterranean East, a stay in two or three locations of this idyllic island really paints a perfect picture and adds real variety. Perhaps explore for a week and then relax, or mix a character property with a luxury one. Avoiding Palermo and Catania, driving is relatively easy, but if you’d prefer we’d be happy to arrange a private transfer from one area to another! Please click here for more details..