Palermo & Pantelleria Island

DAY 1 : ARRIVE PALERMO AIRPORT (OVERNIGHT IN PALERMO) KM 30

Arrive at Palermo Airport. After picking up the rental car, drive to Palermo. On this day there are no planned activities. Free time to discover the city on your own.

Overnight in Palermo area.

Arrive to Palermo. On this day there are no planned activities. Free time to discover the city on your own. Overnight in Palermo area.

DAY 2 : PALERMO, MONREALE & MONDELLO (OVERNIGHT IN PALERMO) KM 45

Breakfast in the hotel. This day you are free to relax and explore the city on your own Palermo.

Suggested itinerary Today you will visit Palermo-You begin with the Teatro Massimo, the third biggest opera theatre in Europe. Then you enter the popular market “Il Capo”, that looks like an African souk; at the end of the visit of the market you will taste in a bar the typical Sicilian “Arancina”, a speciality of the local street food. You will continue the visit in the old part of the city with the Cathedral, the Royal Palace and the Palatine Chapel. Proceed to Monreale, famous because of its Cathedral with polychrome mosaics on a golden background, representing scenes of the Old and the New Testament. You will end the visit with the cloiste.

In the afternoon enjoy one of the most beautiful beaches in Italy, so close to the centre of Palermo. You will reach Mondello beach in 30 minutes from the centre of the city. Mondello was (and still nowadays is) a fisher village, that at the beginning of the XX century was chosen by the rich families of Palermo as seat for their summer holidays. For this reason you will admire there a lot of villas built in liberty style, and another interesting liberty building, the “Stabilimento Balneare” (the bathouse), erected on stilts on the water, that hosts also one of the best restaurants in Palermo. Mondello beach is half-circular shaped, between two promontories (Monte Pellegrino and Capo Gallo) and the colour of the sea will astonish you.

Depending on the weather and on the sea conditions you could also have the opportunity to swim (from May to the end of October). A stroll along the sea-promenade (with the palm trees) is a “must”. In the main square you will have the opportunity to taste on your own the specialities of the Sicilian streetfood or an ice-cream. Back to Palermo city center.

Overnight.

DAY 3 : CEFALU’ & CASTELBUONO (OVERNIGHT IN MONDELLO / PALERMO) KM 185

Breakfast in the hotel. This day you can swim at the beautiful sandy beach of Cefalù and you can visit Castelbuono.

Suggested itinerary: Drive to Cefalù where you can start your day visiting the Piazza del Duomo which stretches out below the Cathedral with its splendid mosaics and which is surrounded by a range of splendid palazzi, walk through Corso Ruggero, the main street, lined with a wide range of boutiques and built over the ancient Roman decumanus street, and head then to the ancient lavatory. You can then drive you up the hills, to Castelbuono, a charming town that was formed in the 14C around the castle built by the Ventimiglia family, a massive square construction with square towers, which has undergone many alterations over the years. Here is also the heart of the Madonie regional park. We suggest you to seat at some local restaurant to taste special meat and mushrooms. Drive back to Palermo.

Overnight in Palermo.

DAY 4 : MARSALA ERICE - PANTELLERIA KM 285

Breakfast in the hotel. This day you can swim at the beautiful sandy beach of San Vito lo Capo or Macari.

Suggested itinerary: Drive to Marsala, famous because of the salt works and the production of wine. Stop in the Riserva dello Stagnone a magical place, with a striking natural landscape of rare beauty for its white salt pans with windmills. Continue driving to Erice, the medieval town on the summit of Monte San Giuliano.

Here you can admire the Venus Castle (exterior) and the Cathedral. In the meantime we suggest you to have a stop at a bakery to taste the typical almond pastry of Erice. Drive to Palermo airport, release the car and fly to Pantelleria at 17.05; arrive Pantelleria after 50 minutes – Arrive at Airport. After picking up the rental car (if booked), drive to the hotel and overnight.

DAY 5 : PANTELLERIA WELNESS AND NATURE

Breakfast in hotel – Relax in hotel or to booking optional excursion “PANTELLERIA WELNESS AND NATURE”.

Optional Excursion: PANTELLERIA WELNESS AND NATURE. The itinerary proposed with this excursion takes the visitor to the various thermal phenomenon of the island through a real natural open-air spa. Thermal mud treatments and relaxing baths in warm waters are provided. Stopover points: Lake Venus, Gadir.

Overnight in hotel

DAY 6 : PANTELLERIA - DISCOVERING PANTELLERIA (OPTIONAL)

Breakfast in the hotel.

Optional Excursion: DISCOVERING PANTELLERIA. A trip around the island between history, nature and traditions to discover the particularities of the area. During the route, various panoramic sites will capture your interest and you will take a tour not only around the island, but also through the various historical and geological histories that have influenced it. Stopping points: the whole circumnavigation of the island, Balata dei Turchi from the top, contrada di Scauri, Elephant Arch with bathing stop.

Overnight in hotel.

DAY 7 : PANTELLERIA - ENOGASTRONOMIC TOUR

Breakfast in hotel Relax in hotel or to participate at the optional escursion “ENOGASTRONOMIC TOUR”.

Suggested itinerary: The itinerary is a route for lovers of good wine and Mediterranean savours discovering through prestigious wineries and farmhouses on the island.

Overnight in hotel. 

DAY 8 : DEPARTURE

Breakfast in the hotel. Departure at 09.35 to Palermo, arrive and end of our services.

Possibility to fly to Catania airport and continue the Fly & Drive program in Taormina area.

End of our services.