Dates & Prices

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Accommodations

Panoramic View of Our Private Peninsula Panoramic View of Our Private Peninsula Our Mini-Apartments at Night Our Mini-Apartments at Night One of our Mini-Apartments One of our Mini-Apartments Room at St Agostino Room at St Agostino View from a Balcony at St Agostino View from a Balcony at St Agostino

Nido del Pellegrino For the first six nights of this vacation, we will be staying at the Nido del Pellegrino on our own private peninsula of Favignana Island, off the west coast of Sicily. The "Nido del Pellegrino" (Pellican's Nest), was once an Italian WWII Militay Base, and the old gun turrets are still visible on our peninsula. It went through a complete restoration process in 2010 converting the buildings into luxury mini-apartments. It boasts breathtaking 270 degree views of the Medeterranean sea. As we walk around the property, there are beautiful trails that take us along the clifss, and lead down to our private beach on one side, and private dock on the other. If we have a full group, it will be all ours while we are there. We will have a small "snack house" set up in the courtyard, which will alays be stocked with snacks, drinks, wine... and of course our Cappuccino and Espresso machine!   Amenities All of the mini apartments have an independant entrance, private bathrooms, kitchens, refrigerators, etc. They are all air conditioned and heated. They have television in each home with satellite service, allowing you English Language programming. Furthermore, free WIFI Internet access is available throughout.   Sant Agostino For, our final two nights, we will be sleeping in Downtown Palermo. Finding a place that had the "Family Feeling" we demand, plus met all of our high standards was not easy in a major city like Palermo. But we did it. They call themselves a B&B, but it is really a Boutique Hotel. Each room is beatiful with all amenities and private facilities. It is absolutely beautiful and charming, but the location was really the slam dunk with this one. It is right in the heart of Palermo's "Il Capo" Shopping district. It is 'the place to be' in Palermo, but itn't a place you find many hotels. This one is absolutely perfect, and our guests will come to understand quickly what an amazing place this is.   Amenities All rooms are air conditioned and heated with private bathrooms. They have television in each room with satellite service, allowing you English Language programming. Furthermore, free WIFI Internet access is available throughout.   See More Photos of Our Sicily accommodations Click to view the photo gallery

Is This For You?

Is This For You?

PLEASE READ THIS CAREFULLY

Our Sicily itineraries are VERY different from all of our other vacations. Please read this page carefully to be sure this trip is right for you.

If You Suffer Seasickness...

Keep in mind that we spend a great deal of time on boats during this trip. If you have been known to suffer from seasickness, please understand that we will not have alternatives. We are happy to have you, but come prepared knowing that this trip relies heavily on boating.

You Will Have to Go With The Flow

To begin with, we are on a tiny island, and the weather often changes on a dime. Add to that that we are in Sicily, which is not nearly as developed as the rest of Italy, and lots of things can interfere with our plans. Remember, we are off the beaten path and we don't do what the big commercial tour companies do. We deal quite a bit with people that are not so accustomed to the "timing" ad "expectations" of tourism. What this means is that we must always take it in stride. For example, on one week there was a storm on our start date. The ferry boats simply "decided" not to offer service to the island that day, so we had to scramble to find a hotel on the mainland and make due. Another time, we were supposed to go visit the grottoes of a nearby island. The fisherman on the island called to tell us that the weather was not good enough to go out. On OUR island, it looked beautiful, but he made the decision, and there was no convincing him otherwise. Was the weather on his island really bad? We don't know. Maybe it was, or maybe he just felt like sleeping in that day. Either way, when we raise a concern, the only reply we ever get is, quite simply "This is Sicily, what do you expect?".

The point here is that this is completely correct. This IS, in fact, Sicily. And this IS what one should expect there. Things will happen if they happen, and often things that were never planned happen... and are better than expected. The trick here is to let it all flow, take everything in stride, live the "island" life, and in the end it all somehow magically comes together as something amazing. That said, those that are a little more uptight, rely on schedule, and expect everything to go as planned will almost always be displeased with "The Sicilian Way".

This Trip is ADVENTURE

Western Sicily is not heavily traveled by foreign tourists. You will not find great shopping here. There is some, but it is quite limited. Those that have been to the "cruise ship ports" like Taormina will find a completely different Sicily. The beauty here is raw and unspoiled, not dressed for mass tourism. It is Sicily as it actually is. This culture is not as rich as Tuscany, for example, so everything (and everyone) is much simpler and down to earth. For those seeking an authentic experience that they will never forget, this is at the core of what makes this trip so amazing.

That said, the shopping here is not just for locals. This is a very popular destination for Italian tourists, so there is no shortage of shops, cafes, etc. However, they are geared more toward Italian tastes.

Some Early Mornings & Late Nights

Our other vacations have a more standardized time each day. Our Sicily trip, however, relies on ferry schedules and the times of day that the people we interact with "do what they do". Because of this, there are a few mornings that we get an early start. On our 9 day itinerary, that means 3:30 AM on the day we go fishing! Furthermore, there are days that we are out quite late. This is especially true of our final night, in which we will be at a very late night party.

In most cases, you will have the option to opt out if you want. We plan very busy itineraries, knowing that our guests will not always do everything. So we cross back home between excursions and events, giving our guests to pick and choose what they wish to do, and what they would like to sit out.

Food Expectations

Italian food is very regional in nature, so some people may be expecting "Italian Food" in general terms, but the cuisine of any part of Italy is largely based on what is grown and raised in a given area of the country. What you will find here is "Western Sicilian Island Food". We are on a small, rocky, semi-arid island. The soil is not extremely fertile, so the area historically did not have good conditions for crops and farm animals. They did, however, have an abundant supply of seafood. Because of this, there is a great deal of seafood here and relatively little meat by comparison.

For those that do not eat seafood, there are always wonderful alternatives, but you will find that our primary meals will consist largely of seafood all week.

Your Disposition

Our vacations are focused on having a good time with new friends. Everything we do revolves around that. People seeking a self-centered vacation might reconsider. Our groups tend to span all ages, men & women, singles & couples... everyone is welcome, and when our guests come ready to embrace a new culture, look forward to trying new things, and interact with other guests, it is always amazing. Even the way our guests see us is important. If you see us as "providers of a service", you may reconsider our trips. We bring you into our family and become part of the group with you... as though you are visiting friends and family. If you are able to be in this frame of mind, our trips will be like nothing you have ever experienced, but if you are looking for a more detached relationship with us, our trips may not be for you.

Safety Concerns

One of the more common concerns we hear is that of safety, especially given Sicily's famed history. The island of Favignana is a tiny little island community where everyone knows everyone. It is an extremely friendly and safe place where any form of crime is practically unheard of.

However, our final two days are in Palermo, which is a different story. Palermo is a large, bustling city. Crime is an issue here, and precautions need to be taken as we venture into the crowded markets there, where thiefs and pickpockets are in search of targets. We ask our guests on our day in the markets to leave jewelry at home, to dress in an understated manner, and to leave purses and wallets behind. As an additional precaution, when we venture into the markets, we ask our guests to stay close to us while we have several people watching you and the surroundings at all times.

While we do take many precautions, it is important that our guests understand what the Palermo day will feel like before coming. This is not a place where one would "sit at a sidewalk cafe and take in the old world charm". It is quite the opposite. Palermo's markets are crowded, chaotic, noisy and gritty. What makes them attractive is that they feel like something of a completely different age. The mixture of African and Italian influence, the vendors chopping fish in the open air stalls, ladies shopping for lunch, people snacking at the food stands, people calling our their unique products at the top of their voices, vendors arguing with customers over prices, etc. One easily feels a sense of being in a movie scene set long ago while at the markets... but for some people it can be overwhelming.

Be Ready to Embrace the Culture

Our trips focus on bringing you into the true culture of the place, but some guests want to see it, but not live it. We embrace the culture and do things the way locals do, which may or may not be what you are looking for. This includes little things like not having cappuccino with our meals (Italians only have cappuccino as a breakfast beverage), not having bacon and eggs for breakfast (Italians have coffee or tea and pastries), or larger things, like the fact that we have our dinners after 8:00 PM, like the Italians do. Every step of the way we adapt to the local culture, rather than asking the local culture to adapt to us. This also tends to make us much more welcome guests than other groups!

Physical Limitations

Physical Intensity
You by no means need to be athletic for this vacation, but you must be able to handle some level of physical exertion. A good rule to follow would be to ask yourself if you can do three flights of stairs, then continue walking without needing to sit down for a while.

Age Concerns
We have had guests as old as 90 years old with no problems whatsoever. Age is not a limiting factor, so long as you are in good physical condition with no health problems that exertion would complicate.

Altitude
We will be at sea level for most of the trip.

Special Needs we can (and cannot) cater to in Soriano

Physical Limitations
You must be able to walk up to a mile and do at least a couple flights of stairs in order to come on this trip in order to go on the excursions.

Food Limitations
We can cater to most food allergies, vegetarian diets, and to some extent kosher diets. We will substitute with other dishes if you let us know in advance. We can even cater to a gluten-free diet. Our cooking class menus will not change based on a guest's food limitations, but even in the classes, we can usually offer alternatives to eat. That said, if you do have limitations, it is important that you have a positive attitude about it. We are happy to substitute, but the variety of alternatives may be limited.