Cefalu is a medieval town 75 kilometers east of Palermo built on the site of an ancient Sicanian and Greek settlement. Nestled between the Madonie Mountains and the sea, the view from the summit is inspiring. Seaside town beneath a steep mountain, Cefalu has a beach, narrow and medieval streets overlooking a rocky coast. It is a important town not only for the beauty of the sea landscape but also for the magnificent Norman-Arab-Byzantine cathedral - one of the greatest churches of southern Europe with its famous mosaics - and the Mandralisca Museum.

Then, you continue towards Castelbuono, a charming locality about 25 kilometers from Cefalu. Castelbuono is a rustic and little medieval village in an attractive wooded location of the Madonie Mountains, where the castle dominates the whole of the little town and the small valley. It boasts a castle - which has vestiges of medieval architecture - once owned by the Ventimiglia family, feudal lords of several towns in the area. Time permitting it may be possible for a short visit to ?Santo Stefano di Camastra?, one of the most important Sicilian ceramics' town with Caltagirone, Monreale and Sciacca.

Palermo was an important capital of ?Kingdom of Sicily? for centuries. Founded by the Phoenicians, who named it Ziz, Palermo was settled in the 18th century BC as a port. Its development paralleled that of Solunto and Motia. The Greeks called the city Panormos, meaning "all port." Panormus (the Latin name) was part of the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire from 535 until 831, when it fell to the invading Saracen Arabs ("Moors"), who turned many of the churches into mosques and it became one of the Muslim world's most splendid cities, surpassed only by Baghdad.

The exotic mixture of Moorish, Norman and Spanish Baroque styles makes this city special. It is rich in monuments, royal palaces and churches and remains a great fascination up to now. Amidst the bustle of 21st-century life, you will be led to tucked-away churches, ancient mosaics and lively street markets, where innumerable reminders of history are woven within the modern city splendor. The most important monuments are: the Cathedral, Martorana Church, St. John of the Hermits and the Norman Palace with the Palatine Chapel in Norman-Arab style; the ?Quattro Canti?, Piazza Pretoria, St. Joseph of the Theatines and other ones in Baroque style.

Also view the Palace of the Normans, La Martorana Church, and the Cathedral, which houses the imperial crown of Constance of Aragon in its treasury. No trip to Palermo is truly complete without a visit to Monreale about 7 kilometers south of Palermo's center. Monreale overlooks the "Conca d'Oro," the beautiful valley beyond Palermo. The beautiful mosaics in Monreale Cathedral are said to be one of the world's largest displays of this art. The splendid cloister of the Benedictine abbey alone would make Monreale famous. Located next to the cathedral, these 228 columns, some with mosaic inlay, each with a meticulously stone carved capital, enclose the gardens of the cloister.

You will depart from your hotel at approximately 9.00am. This morning you will travel on the nord-east face of Etna Volcano called 'Piano Provenzana'. Over the course of the trip, the differences in the terrain may well surprise you, as we pass from a road which is bordered by chestnuts and pine forests to lunar landscape of the lava fields - formed by the 2001-2002 last eruptions. Etna offers an enormous range of outings which can be selected according to interest one takes in the various aspects of the mountain. There is an option from here to travel, by special all terrain vehicle, to the top of Volcano as far as 2900 m. above sea level (Additional cost).

Your tour continue towards Linguaglossa - a few miles away, where there will be a stop at a local winery which produces an excellent Etna DOC wine. Here you can have brunch and enjoy the local food and also taste some wines. After this break, continue Sant'Alfio. Across the square is a terrace with a splendid view over the Ionian coast. Here, you can taste some typical Sicilian cookies made by flour, honey and almond or pistachio or hazelnut.

Then you visit the pluri-millenary tree under whose breadth of foliage, as legend has it, one hundred horsemen took shelter from a storm. From here the panoramic downhill road will lead you to the Ionian Sea driving along the fertile slopes covered at first by vineyards in the open countryside and then the lemon grow as far as to admire the Cyclops Riviera and its small fishermen villages. Here in the arm of the Ionian Sea in front of Acicastello and Acitrezza villages - about 500 thousand years ago the primitive underwater lava, gave rise to Mount Etna. Acicastello takes its name by the Norman Fortress built of black lava stone which is nestled atop a rocky spur on the sea. The castle houses the small City Museum, collecting archaeological relics and mineral specimens. A splendid view over the Faraglioni and the Lachea Island (Rocks of the Cyclops) in A Click here for more information and Booking Details

Travel from Agrigento, Messina or Siracusa to Taormina. Transfer services are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This is a private transfer so the price is the same for groups of:

• 1 to 3 people
• 4 to 8 people

When making a booking, you will need to advise your flight details and your hotel details. Your transfer will be confirmed within 24 hours of booking and you will be provided with a travel voucher to present to the driver. 24 - 48 hours prior to your transfer, you will be required to call the supplier directly (the contact number will be provided on your travel voucher) to reconfirm exact pick up times and places.

It's that easy!

At time of booking, YOU MUST include the following details in the "Special Requirements" box:

• Preferred departure time
• Full Hotel Name and Address at departure point
• Full Hotel Name and Address at destination

Vendicari is located between Capo Passero and the river Tellaro. The old salt pans, abandoned in 1951, after a terrible inundation are nowadays an important area just few a miles from the baroque town of Noto.

You will be able to take photos of a great past, of the houses where the fishermen and workers used to live. Here you can admire 8 kilometers of an uncontaminated beach! The area is dominated by the antique Tower of Pietro from Aragona, Duke of Noto (1416). The legend tells that a vindictive king, nicknamed Vinnichiri, used to live inside the tower, and he gave the name to this area: Vendicari. This tower was built to defend the port against pirate attacks, and today it is still possible to see the rest of this important port, destroyed by a terrible earthquake in 1613.

Next to the tower, you will take photos of an old Tonnara (tuna-fishery), built in 1800, where they used to work until 1943. In this area full of fragments of history, hidden inside a sighting shed, you will take photos of the red heron, the seagull, the flamingo, and many other birds!

Vendicari is a naturalistic and historical safari and in this kind of scenery and the light changes often, so use two types of film: 100 ASA and 400 ASA. Don?t miss the chance of taking some black and white film.

You will depart from your hotel at approximately 9.00am. This morning you will travel on the nord-east face of Etna Volcano called 'Piano Provenzana'. Over the course of the trip, the differences in the terrain may well surprise you, as we pass from a road which is bordered by chestnuts and pine forests to lunar landscape of the lava fields - formed by the 2001-2002 last eruptions. Etna offers an enormous range of outings which can be selected according to interest one takes in the various aspects of the mountain. There is an option from here to travel, by special all terrain vehicle, to the top of Volcano as far as 2900 m. above sea level (Additional cost).

Your tour continue towards Linguaglossa - a few miles away, where there will be a stop at a local winery which produces an excellent Etna DOC wine. Here you can have brunch and enjoy the local food and also taste some wines. After this break, continue Sant'Alfio. Across the square is a terrace with a splendid view over the Ionian coast. Here, you can taste some typical Sicilian cookies made by flour, honey and almond or pistachio or hazelnut.

Then we visit the pluri-millenary tree under whose breadth of foliage, as legend has it, one hundred horsemen took shelter from a storm. From here the panoramic downhill road will lead you to the Ionian Sea driving along the fertile slopes covered at first by vineyards in the open countryside and then the lemon grow as far as to admire the Cyclops Riviera and its small fishermen villages. Here in the arm of the Ionian Sea in front of Acicastello and Acitrezza villages - about 500 thousand years ago the primitive underwater lava, gave rise to Mount Etna. Acicastello takes its name by the Norman Fortress built of black lava stone which is nestled atop a rocky spur on the sea. The castle houses the small City Museum, collecting archaeological relics and mineral specimens. A splendid view over the Faraglioni and the Lachea Island (Rocks of the Cyclops) in Acitre Click here for more information and Booking Details

Travel from Taormina to Agrigento, Messina or Siracusa. Transfer services are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This is a private transfer so the price is the same for groups of:

• 1 to 3 people
• 4 to 8 people

When making a booking, you will need to advise your flight details and your destination hotel details. Your transfer will be confirmed within 24 hours of booking and you will be provided with a travel voucher to present to the driver.

It's that easy!

At time of booking, YOU MUST include the following details in the "Special Requirements" box:

• Preferred departure time
• Full Hotel Name and Address at departure point
• Full Hotel Name and Address at destination