DOLCE VITA SOUTH ITALY

Discover Bari with its stunning coastal views and rich cultural tapestry.  The famous Norman church St Nicola is an important pilgrimage destination for Roman Catholics and Orthodox Christians. Explore ‘Bar Vecchia’, the old town.  Cobbled alleyways wind their way through centuries-old buildings, whitewashed walls adorned with laundry drying in the sun, ornate wrought-iron balconies and colourful shuttles create a picturesque scene frozen in time. 

Beneath the charming streets and historic buildings lies a hidden world that tells a different tale.  The underground Bari comprises a network of tunnels, caves and chambers that have been carved into the limestone bedrock over centuries.  These hidden spaces were used for a variety of purposes from storage to providing refuge during times of conflicts.  Delve into the depths of underground Bari to learn all about the history and the resourcefulness of the city’s inhabitants throughout history. 

A short drive away is Polignana a Mare, a charming costal town known for its stunning cliffs, crystal clear waters and picturesque old town overlooking the Adriatic Sea.   

Enjoy some time for photos and exploring the old town before we depart for Ostuni, often called the ‘white city’ because of its distinctive, white-washed buildings and historic old town.   

The heart of Ostuni is a maze of narrow, winding streets.  The Cathedral is a prominent landmark with its stunning façade and rose window. 

Continue to Martina Franca known for its baroque architecture.  The historic center is characterized by beautiful baroque and rococo architecture.  White-washed buildings, ornate balconies and decorative facades make it a delight to explore on foot.   

Visit the Castellana Grotte, a vast underground system of karst caves and one of Italy’s most spectacular.   

Proceed to the beautiful town of Alberobello, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Marvel at the curious trulli, round stone houses with conical stone roofs that are unique to the provinces of Bari and Taranto. 

Visit a local farm where we can taste some olive oil and enjoy lunch.  Drive to Matera, one of Italy’s most interesting tourist destinations. 

Enjoy a walking tour around the ‘Sassi di Matera’, cave dwellings which originated from prehistoric settlement.  Look at the cramped town above the river ravine.  This town was chosen as the film site for ‘The Passion of Christ’ because of its similarity to Jerusalem two thousand years ago. 

Make our way through the Calabria Region, located at the ‘toe’ of Italy’s boot-shaped peninsular, one of the few regions with coastlines along two different seas. 

Cross the Straits of Messina which separates the Italian mainland from Scilly.  Drive to Taormina, one of Sicily’s most popular resorts for over 200 years.  See the Greek Theatre and the glorious sub-tropical terraced gardens before strolling along the elegant Corso Umberto to the Piazza for spectacular panorama across the bay to the Ionian Sea and the Isola Bella, a rocky islet which once belonged to a rich English noblewoman. 

Spend the night in Catania, Sicily’s second largest city located at the foot of Mt Etna.   

Mt Etna, one of the world’s most active volcanoes, attracts tourists to witness volcanic activity from a safe distance.  Board the cable car for our ascent to 2500m on Mt Etna.  Transfer to a 4x4 vehicle to see the magnificent craters surrounded by old and recent lava flows.  (Note: Excursion subject to weather conditions and volcanic activities) 

Make our way to Syracuse, renowned for its historical significance, archaeological treasures and coastal charms.  Cross one of the 3 bridges to the small island of Ortigia, the oldest part of Syracuse.  The best way to explore this small island is to wander around the labyrinth of charming streets packed with over 2500 years of history.   

Look forward to Ragusa, one of Sicily’s most picturesque towns.  Its old town features narrow streets, stairways and irregular squares.  Explore the sloping palm-lined Piazza del Duomo, the magnificent three-tiered façade of the Cathedral di San Giorgio. 

Next, we proceed to Modica which boasts fine Baroque architecture, picturesque alleys and lanes and more importantly, chocolates!  Its historical centre stretches along the Corso Umberto I.  The Cathedral of St George reigns on the promontory.  Climbing up to the church, we can also explore a steep maze of dwellings.   

Drive to Agrigento, renowned as the site of the ancient Greek city of Akragas, in the south of Sicily.   

Visit Sicily’s most enthralling archaeological site, the Valley of the Temples, considered one of the most important archeological sites in the world (UNESCO World Heritage Site).   

A short drive away from Agrigento is the unusual white cliff of Scala dei Turchi – Stair of the Turks.   

Continue to Marsala located on the westernmost tip of Sicily and is renowned for its wine and the landing of Giuseppe Garibaldi which led to the unification of Italy.  Enjoy a visit to a winery to taste the famous Marsala wine.  

Drive along the Salt Road, the coastline from Marsala to Trapani.  It is characterised by picturesque windmills, shallow ponds and white pyramids of salt.  Make a stop at the Stagnone Nature Reserve Lagoon to admire the unique landscape in this salty environment.   

Continue to Trapani where we hop on the cable car to Erice.  Often shrouded in clouds, Erice is a beautifully preserved town which is said to have attracted the likes of Hercules and Aeneas.  The maze of cobbled streets is a delight to wander around.  The views are stunning on a cloudless day. 

End the day in Palermo, the capital of the autonomous region of Sicily. 

Proceed to one of Italy’s most beautiful villages, Cefalu.  Dominated by a monumental rock known as the promontory of Hercules to the Phoenicians, terracotta-capped whitewashed houses are built along narrow streets which wind down to the bay.   

Take a stroll through the old town to admire the varied architecture.  Visit the 12th century cathedral, a perfect example of the Norman style and containing Sicily’s oldest and best-preserved Byzantine mosaics.  Explore the Jewish quarters near to the ancient Porta Giudecca and the sea.  Visit a medieval wash house in the atrium of Palazzo Martino.  See the staircase built from lava stone and a series of basins from where the waters flow in the shape of a lion’s head.   

Discover Palermo, a city with architectural and cultural influences from North Africa, Italy, Spain & Greece, and indulge in Palermo’s rich street food traditions.   

Quattro Canti is the octagonal square in the intersection of Palermo’s two more important streets, Cassaro and Via Maqueda.  The ‘four corners’ converging Palermo at a quartet of Baroque palaces left over from the heyday of Spanish rule.  Movie fans will recognize Teatro Massimo from ‘Godfather III’.  Admire the beautiful inlays which reflect the influence of Romanic and Gothic arts in the Cathedral of Palermo.