Your English speaking driver will pick you up from Taormina/Messina/Catania port of call or from your accommodation in Messina or Catania in a Mercedes car or van. This is a very fascinating day trip and definitely good value for money. This private tour will show you “The Unknown Sicily” around the Etna area. You will see typical Sicilian villages on the slopes of the volcano, while tasting several Sicilian products on the way.
The excursion also includes:
A drive through different local villages of the Alcantara Valley as well as a visit to the Alcantara Gorges, with wonderful waterfalls created from an old Etna lava eruption, perfect for cooling off on a hot summer.
A visit to the old Sicilian villages of Francavilla with its old winding streets and to Castiglione di Sicilia with its famous old Greek fortress, all this surrounded by lemon, orange and olive groves as well as the Etna grapevines.
A fantastic view over the National Park of Etna, an amazing valley which is comprised of hazelnut trees. After, you will continue through the Red wine-route, literally traversing the lava of 1981, passing through the village of Linguaglossa, with its many Baroque churches and its famous delicious almond and hazelnut pastries typical of the area. Here, you will enjoy a short stop to try some of these fine local products in a traditional pastry shop, before heading to a well-known winery to tour the property and the wine cellar and of course have a taste of the unique Etna wine, accompanied by a selection of local Sicilian products (optional).
Driving down from the mount, we get to Taormina, situated on a terrace of Monte Tauro. The main attraction is the Greek Theatre, built by the Greeks in the 3rd century B.C. and later enlarged by the Romans, with stunning views of the Mount Etna and the Bay of Naxos down below. Corso Umberto I is the vibrant main street with many souvenir shops, restaurants and boutiques. The unique atmosphere and the beautiful restored historic buildings should not be missed during a short city walk.
