An intro to Sicily

I was invited by Mangia’s resorts to view 7 of their properties in Sicily. Although it was a jam-packed itinerary, it was a wonderful opportunity to return to Italy and experience the beautiful island for the first time. We flew into Catania and spent our first night at the Brucoli Resort which is situated between Catania and Syracuse. With views of Mt Etna across the bay, 3 swimming pools one salt water), a gym, choice of restaurants and extensive gardens the newly renovated Brucoli provides a good base for exploring the southern coast or a peaceful resort for relaxing in the Sicilian sunshine. Our second night was spent at Mangia’s Pollina Resort – nestled on a promontory just 13 kms from Cefalu, this gorgeous resort offers breath-taking sea and coastal views and the most fabulous sunsets from its cliff top bar and pizzeria (delicious authentic pizzas of course!). Surrounded by 40 hectares of gardens, with a choice of restaurants and a lift down to the beach with turquoise crystal clear waters plus a kids club and pool it would be hard to leave the resort. However, it is almost equidistant between Palermo and Messina and 30 minutes from Castelbuono, making it a good base from which to explore the north coast. Late afternoon was spent walking around the delightful bustling town of Cefalu famous for its UNESCO Cathedral, cobbled streets and sandy beach. On day 3 we were taken on a walking tour of Palermo – a medieval port city steeped in a mix of Arabic and Italian heritage and now a UNESCO World Heritage site. Absolutely fascinating and surrounded by mountains and a lovely peninsula with lots of small beaches that could be mistaken for the Caribbean! It is a place that I would certainly like to spend more time exploring and would thoroughly recommend including in any Sicily itinerary. Passing through miles and miles of vineyards and olive groves we reached the south coast and the 5* Torre del Barone Resort & Spa. With white sandy beaches without walking distance and a thermal centre and SPA, all the rooms are beautifully decorated and offer sea views from the private terrace. With a large outdoor pool and a thermal indoor pool as well as the beautiful and contemporary Spa The chic Donna Floriana Bistro offers an incredible menu and is housed in the Torre with views of the south-west coast and nearby fishing village of Sciacca. Within an hour’s drive of Agrigento and the Valley of the Temples in one direction and Marsala on the West coast, Sciacca offers another good base for exploring this lovely part of the island. Our last night was spent at Mangia’s Selinunte Resort – amongst olive trees, palm trees and vineyards it is located close to one of the largest archaeological parks in the Med and just an hour from Palermo and Marsala. A 10 minute walk (or ditto train ride) and then a short board-walk through the nature reserve and you will find a beautifully wild and white sandy beach. We were treated to a typical Sicilian banquet (with wines form the local area) in the olive groves at the Scausa Grill on our last night – a suitable end to a really enjoyable and interesting trip!