Welcome to the South

"WELCOME TO THE SOUTH"

A program for groups, minimum 25 people

validity: April, May, June, September

15 days/14 nights

PROGRAM

Day 1. Arrival at Rome FCO – Leonardo Da Vinci Airport, meeting with the tour leader, transfer to the hotel with private bus. Check-in, welcome drinks, illustration of the program, dinner at a typical local restaurant, overnight stay.
Day 2. After breakfast, guided bus tour of Imperial Rome, lunch at own expense. In the afternoon, visit of the Baroque monuments of Rome. Back to the hotel in the evening, dinner at a typical local restaurant, overnight stay.
Day 3. After breakfast, guided bus tour of the Vatican City. lunch at own expense. Free afternoon. Dinner at a typical local restaurant. Back to the hotel, overnight stay.
Day 4. After breakfast, check-out and departure for Pompei, arrival at approximately 11,30. Guided tour of the buried city to admire ancient artifacts. Lunch at own expense. Visit of the Cathedral in the centre of at about 18,30. Dinner at the hotel. Overnight stay.

Day 5. After breakfast, excursion to Amalfi and Positano by boat. We will visit the two coastal cities on board two different boats. Lunch at own expense. Back to the hotel in the evening, and transfer to the port by bus, where we will embark for Palermo. Dinner on board at one’s own expense. Overnight stay in a booked cabin.
Day 6. Arrival in Palermo in the early morning. Transfer at a 4*star hotel in the centre of the city. Check-in, refreshment, brief presentation of the Sicilian leg, and transfer to Mercato del Capo, where you will experience the folklore of this unique and picturesque place. Lunch booked at a typical local restaurant. In the afternoon, a visit of Palermo, the Cathedral and the Hermits. You will be immersed in the history of this extraordinary region, which is considered the cradle of the Mediterranean culture. Return to the hotel, dinner and overnight stay.
Day 7. After breakfast, transfer to Erice, where you will walk along the narrow roads featuring refined craft shops. Lunch is booked at San Vito lo Capo, where we will eat couscous. In the afternoon, transfer to Trapani, to walk along the famous Via del Sale. Back to Palermo, dinner at the hotel and overnight stay.
Day 8. After breakfast, check-out and departure for Cefalù, where we will visit the town and the Cathedral. Your journey will continue for Capo Tindari, to visit the Shrine of the Black Madonna, which is situated in a panoramic position of incomparable beauty. Lunch at a typical local restaurant. The journey will continue towards Reggio Calabria, arrival at about 18,30. Check-in, welcome cocktail, brief presentation of the Calabrian leg with the tour guide. Dinner at the hotel, overnight stay.

Day 9. In the morning a visit to Reggio Calabria, the Riace Bronze statues, the Cathedral, the most beautiful Kilometre in Italy. After the visit, lunch at own expense, free afternoon. Dinner at the hotel and overnight stay.
Day 10. After breakfast, whole day available at your own leisure. Overnight stay.
Day 11. After breakfast, departure for Gerace, to visit the Norman City. During the trip , there will be a stop over at Pentidattilo (*). In Gerace, we will have lunch at the Sparviero restaurant, where we will be presented with 15 different types of starters. In the afternoon we wil visit the historical centre and the Paolo Orsi Museum, which exhibits ancient artifacts from Locri Epizefiri. Return to the hotel, dinner and overnight stay. (*) variation available if required in September. During the trip to Gerace, we will stop to visit the Roman Villa of Casignana, where there are precious and unique mosaics of the time. After the visit, transfer to a nearby wine farm, where they produce the famous white wine Greco di Bianco, here we will watch the grape harvest. The Greco di Bianco, in Calabria Grecanica, is 2500 years old. There will also be local specialties and wine tasting accompanied by folk music. After lunch, the trip will continue towards Gerace.
Day 12. After breakfast, check-out and departure for Scilla, mentioned by the Greek poet Homer in his poems. Here we will visit the Ruffo Castle and the coastal village of Chianalea, also called the Venice of the South, a corner of Calabria, whose beauty has enchanted world famous artists. Lunch is booked at a restaurant on the Beach of Sirens, which overlooks the Strait of Messina, and will be based on the local specialty, swordfish. After lunch, weather permitting, transfer to Mount St. Elijah, from where you can admire the view of the Aeolian Islands, the Strait of Messina and Mount Etna. Arrival at a 4*hotel/Resort in Amantea. Check-in, welcome drinks, dinner and overnight stay.

Day 13. Free morning to spend at the beach. Lunch at the hotel. In the afternoon, a visit of Paola, where there is the famous Shrine of Saint Francis, the most worshipped saint in the world. Return to the hotel, dinner and overnight stay.
Day 14. After breakfast, a visit to Tropea and Capo Vaticano. Lunch at a typical local restaurant. In the afternoon, transfer to Pizzo, to visit the Church of Piedigrotta, soon to be a World Heritage Site. The church is situated on the beach, it was excavated by the Barone Brothers. Later we will visit the main square, known as Spunduni, here we will taste the famous chocolate truffle/ice cream of Pizzo. Back at the hotel. Farewell dinner and overnight stay.
Day 15*. after breakfast, check-out and transfer to the airport, where you will catch your return flight. End of services.

Info & Request: info@atmospheraitalia.eu

Sicilia - Le vie dei sapori Da Catania a Ragalna

This is the first leg of a tour, made the discovery of extraordinary flavors, along the Ionian coast of Sicily. A long, intense, including History, Art & Flavours which we will make starting with the fascinating volcanic landscape of Mount Etna, from intimate said "Iddu" to reach up to that strip of land, which is cross between South and North, between East and West, in front of the sea that, for centuries, the Greek ships, Carthaginian and Roman, I have sailed battling each other. At the back, sometimes beaten by the warm south wind, sometimes by lashing the north, there is the Val di Noto, with its Baroque towns, now a World Heritage Site.


The History of Sicily, is ancient and sinks into the Magna Grecia. Of this Civilization, the first traces appear in 735 BC when, in Naxos, settled the first settlers calcidesi. In the following years there was a succession of landings and settlements, which laid the foundations of Greek history in Sicily, determining the language, culture and art. The entire east coast, therefore, was colonized by the Greeks, and dallestesse colonies developed, they created other colonies. Syracuse, among others, is the most important Greek city on the island.
Always Chalcis, in 729 BC, ie 6 years after the founding of Naxos, Catania founded, and it is from Catania, which is the second-largest city by population, of which it must be said that all the built old houses, buildings, infrastructure, dates from after the 1693 earthquake, which starts the first leg of our tour in Sicily. But if the history of Sicily is ancient, absolutely linked to Ancient Greece, is the even more ancient history Diquel monument of nature called Etna, where the fertility of the soil, due to the sedimentation of ancient volcanic activity, it is simply amazing and this is a circular path around it,

From the city, recently returned to a good shine, for the recovery of many works of art and historic buildings along the legendary Via Etna, he climbs the slopes of the volcano, and it is here, between the rivers Salty and Simeto which is the farm Aragon, a specialist in the production of extra virgin olive oil, obtained by cold pressing, the olive-growing cultivar Nocellara Etna and Cipressino. An oil of intense golden yellow color, with notes of green tomato equally intense and aromatic herbs, such as oregano.

Going up Mount Etna on the east flank in Gravina di Catania, meets the Farm Arcoria, covering more than 70 hectares in hilly and largest producer of citrus fruits. The agricultural products of the area of ​​Etna, are marked with the label ARCOBIO, to differentiate them from others, for the exceptional organoleptic and nutritional characteristics, and also to the strict organic farming methods. The citrus varieties, ranging from the common to the Tarot Mandarin Ciaculli up to Valencia in May, closes the annual production. The plant olive oil, also organic, sees the production DEII cultivars Nocellare Etna and the Moorish.

To know and appreciate the table olives, as well as an extraordinary olive zone "dop Mount Etna", always in Gravina di Catania, you go where the headquarters of the Farm Lanzafame. The stage of crops, thinning towards the south, allows the sunlight the plants evenly and the climate piedmont determine the better absorption of important substances of the soil evenly, giving the products a very high quality.


A Viagrande, however, we encounter the Terre Nere company specializing in the manufacture of canned food, produced exclusively from excellent raw materials. All products Terre Nere, are prepared in the traditional way, using only fresh fruit. Scented its products, such as jams, where the finest citrus peel are candied in honey orange blossom, according to an exclusive process. The jellies, finally, represent the company's desire to offer a different way, to consume the most noble Sicilian wines. They are intense, delicate, or combined with exotic spices and perfectly match the cheeses, cold meats and boiled meat.

A short detour, always in Viagrande, leads us where the winery Benanti. Born at the end of the 800 from his grandfather Joseph, who started producing wine in an old farm of his father, now offers products derived from Certified Organic Farming and includes wines from particular clones of grape varieties, which have been reproduced in the Ancient fragrances. The company produces wines for the high-end market, including Etna DOC, Sicily Itg, Minella, Nenello Mascalese, as well as dessert wines, grappa and olive oil Nocellara Etna.

In San Giovanni la Punta, we will find the Ancient Sicily, in reality small craft, specialized in canned vegetables in oil. Its brand Antica canning Etna, has been specifically designed for the retail and catering and production is based mainly on the quality of primary products, expertly selected. Produces sauces and preserves for appetizers, condiments, sauces, pates, oils, vacuum, spices, spice grinder, salt, dried fruit, jams.


Going up in Belper, on a plot of 12ha, we find the farm Antares, where in 2000, husband and wife, eager to reclaim the traditions of their land by professionals cultivate citrus and olives as many as 5 different cultivars, getting in the first place 'Extra Virgin Olive Oil and scented Antares derivatives and flavored niepitina, red pepper, fennel, thyme, sage, rosemary, peppermint, marjoram, ginger, cumin, coriander, anise and juniper,

Not far from Belper, or in Ragalna, on the edge of the volcanic areas, is prominent if the farm Feud Don Cirino, which is halfway between the towns of Ragalna and Santa Maria di Licodia.
Family property Cunsolo, for four generations, Salvatore, the descendant and current owner, over 35 years, transformed, modernized and specialized in producing organic extra virgin olive oil PDO "Mount Etna". The olive grove has an area of ​​about 8 acres and includes more than a thousand trees, some centuries old, still in excellent condition with vegetation. The cultivation is exclusively organic. Excellent the Indian figs "Bastardumu

Next stage: from Pallet Town, in Bronte, in Giarre


INFO & REQUEST: INFO@ATMOSPHERAITALIA.AITMITALIASERVICES.COM

O'SCIA' HOTEL - LAMPEDUSA - Sicily

O'SCIA' HOTEL - LAMPEDUSA 

BORN OF THE RENOVATION OF AN OLD BUILDING, ONE OF THE FIRST OF PALERMO

Brand new building, situated in the heart of Lampedusa , 150 meters from the historic center, just 30 meters from the marina, 700 meters from the beautiful beaches characterize the island with beautiful colors and unforgettable emotions. After the renovation of an old building, respecting the original geometry, style Mediterranean , prepared with taste and elegance, offering guests all the comforts for a pleasant holiday.

The architecture of ' Hotel 3 stars  expresses the evident signs of the peoples of passage between the Mediterranean and ' Africa .

It is for these influences and weaves of the Arab-Mediterranean cultures that ' Hotel O'Scià reflects an authentic atmosphere and able to charm those who live environments.

Rooms

26, between Standard and the ground floor with courtyard views, Comfort to the first and second floor. Very spacious and elegant with furniture made ​​by artisans in Sicily that reproduce the style of the small islands of Sicily.Most of them are constituted by two environments, some with separable door. Have facilities, hairdryer, air conditioning, TV, safe, telephone. Rooms for disabled.

 

Special Lampedusa

The small archipelago, closer to Africa than to Sicily, Lampedusa, and embraces the islands of Linosa, enclosed within a radius of 5 square kilometers and inhabited Lamp that stands 11 miles from Lampedusa in a sea full of fish. The "Islands of the high seas", the Greek translation of the word Pelagie were declared a Nature Reserve in 1995 and Marine Protected Area in 2002 to protect the natural heritage characterized by remarkable diversity of flora and fauna. 

Lampedusa, triangular, extends for about 11 km long along the east-west and just over 3 km wide, has an area of Africa is in the similarities in climate and flora and fauna.

ISLE OF RABBITS
Rabbits The beach is one of the few sites in the Mediterranean where the sea turtles Caretta Caretta lay their eggs. The island is a nature reserve, which include the beach of Rabbits over the neighboring island of Rabbits, the coast and the Mediterranean.The flora and fauna are similar to those of North Africa. On October 21, 2002, by decree of the Minister of Environment, was established Marine Protected Area "Pelagie Islands."

EVENTS
"Fish Festival" (August), musical entertainment in the Piazza (July-August-September), "Feast of Maria SS. of Porto Salvo" (Sept. 22), "O 'shah" (May and October)

MASSERIA DEGLI ULIVI - CONTRADA PORCARI - 96017 NOTO -SICILY

MASSERIA DEGLI ULIVI -  NOTO- SICILY

Masseria degli Ulivi is set amid the Iblean countryside, rich in olive trees, carob trees and filled with essences of the Mediterranean. The Masseria is part of the old farm holding, full of character and atmosphere. In the past, the rooms would have been used for agricultural purposes, linked to work carried out in the fields.

The following welcome areas look out onto the  “baglio”, which is an internal courtyard, typical of our rural architectural style:
- Reception
- Restaurant
- Bar
- Meeting/ reading room
These rooms are characterised by the warmth of the traditional, local materials which have been used - dark wood for the ceilings, and Sicilian handmade terracotta for the floors.

When you need to relax or in your free time,  you can enjoy the magnificent swimming pool surrounded by carob and olive trees with a sun deck and sun beds; there is also a sports area with a tennis court and a clay boules pitch.
You will find quiet corners and beautiful views everywhere,  such as the little rock garden full of aromatic essences and the “baglio” (courtyard) with jasmine and climbing roses.




THE ROOMS
The rooms are dotted around the countryside, which guarantees the utmost peace and privacy. These rooms, together with the main farm holding and the "baglio"  give our guests the feeling that they are staying in a small rural village. One finds oneself in a timeless atmosphere thanks to the traditional use of materials: the soft Noto stone, the roof tiles in light-coloured clay, the hard limestone of Modica and the typical furnishings of rural Sicilian houses (iron bedsteads, dark wood chest of drawers and cupboards, unrefined materials and ceramics from Caltagirone and    Santo Stefano di Camastra).

THE RESTAURANT

In our comfortable dining-room, under a traditional roof made of plaster and cane, our guests can sample a carefully prepared cuisine, dishes that capture the traditional regional flavours and which are based entirely on Sicilian products (PDO cheeses, Protected Designation of Origin, Val di Noto oil, cured meats and meat from local farms), all of which undergo rigorous  quality controls, with particular attention paid to seasonal products and organic farming. In summer you can have breakfast outside on the terrace and in the evenig you can dine "al fresco" amongst olive trees and illuminated by the moonlight.
          The atmosphere is wonderful!


THE WINE CELLAR

Our wine cellar offers a vast selection of wines from the island, with special attention paid to wine production in Val di Noto or more precisely the area including the provinces of Siracusa, Ragusa and Catania.

PLACES TO VISIT

Masseria degli Ulivi is situated in an absolutely fantastic position between the provinces of Siracusa  and Ragusa. You can reach all the main architectural sites and beauty spots in the country within an hour.

From Baroque Noto to Siracusa where there is an enormous quantity  of monuments and archaeological sites; you can also visit Ragusa Ibla, Modica and Scicli which on their own merit a visit to Sicily. Moreover, Palazzolo Acriede, ancient  Greek Akrai,  Caltagirone, rich in churches and noble palaces and  Marzamemi, an ancient fishing village which also hosts an annual film festival in July.

Then there are interesting beauty spots in the countryside, Cava Grande Natural Reserve, with its characteristic lakes created from the Cassibile river and also Pantalica,  a very important necropolis.

You can also visit the Faunal Oasis of Vendicari  with its fresh water swamps where migrating birds seek refuge and the wonderful beaches which are characteristic of the whole coast south of Noto.
The archaeological site of the old town of Noto, which was destroyed during the earthquake of 1693, is definitely worth a special mention.

Royal Maniace Hotel | Lungomare Ortigia, 13 | 96100 Siracusa Italia

SIRACUSA****  a window on the sea of Ortigia 

Welcome to Royal Maniace Hotel in Siracusa Italy, a superbly situated residence located in the historic city centre of Siracusa along the sprawling emerald blue seas of Sicily.  Standing on the seaside on the small Ortigia island, the cheap 4 star hotel in Siracusa offers panoramic views and breathtaking beauty combined with elegantly styled modern rooms to make your stay a relaxing and comfortable visit.

There’s no shortage of modern day amenities nearby either, all easily within walking distance.  Take a seat at one of the many cafes and relax with an aperitif as you take in the warm Sicilian sun.

Try some of the Sicilian cuisine at the many restaurants found in the area, sampling some of the best food and wine Italy has to offer. And at night, check out some of the hot spots that can be found by having a luxury hotel in the city centre of Siracusa!

ROOMS

The Royal Maniace Hotel Syracuse offers 21 elegantly styled rooms all equipped with modern amenities.  Each room is decorated in elegantly styled contemporary furniture, lined with parquet flooring, and makes use of light and cream colors to create a peaceful and relaxing atmosphere. Several of the cheap rooms in Siracusa Italy also have a terrace overlooking the sea.

SERVICE

The Royal Maniace Hotel Siracusa wants to make your stay as pleasant and carefree as possible, offering a wide range of facilities and services.  Guests arriving by car can take full advantage of private parking located nearby. 

In the mornings enjoy breakfast outside in the garden area, and during the day get cold refreshing drinks and cocktails from the bar lounge area. 

IN HOUSE RESTAURANT

The in house restaurant offers samplings of Sicilian foods throughout the day and room service is available 24 hours a day.  Other extra services available for a supplement include babysitting and child services, laundry service, and pet friendly services for small pets.

Sicily - Azienda Agricola Mariscò - Monreale - Palermo - Sicily

Products from Nature
Stay in Company

In business we can accommodate you for the weekend or for longer periods, in comfortable double rooms are elegantly decorated with all the comforts of a modern structure. Guests will be able to collect and cook fresh produce of the garden or take advantage of the tasting the food service business products prepared according to the country tradition.



History

The company, bought by his grandfather Nene with the proceeds of the thriving trade in eggs between north Africa and southern Italy, is led today by Laura Young Bargioni with the help of his father Charles, mother's and sisters Cettina Federica, nd Julia.

The company has not changed in the time direction of production. E 'was rather enhanced the suitability for olive growing and viticulture over the last decade, parents of Laura, both agronomists have, in fact, created the right conditions for obtaining the production of olive oil and grape wine organoleptic characteristics of high-end.

To set the value to farm products all under organic cultivation, the company has decided to terminate the chain with the processing, packaging and marketing. Fruit and vegetable production, appropriate conditions become, in fact, excellent jams and sauces are ready for use and is certified extra virgin olive oil DOP Val di Mazara.

The company is located behind the town of Gris, a hamlet of the town of Monreale, at an altitude of 500 meters and overlooking the lake with the Jato Valley Poma, a really special view that can be enjoyed by some farm buildings for the accommodation with the formula of the b & b.

The company for its central position between Palermo, Trapani and Agrigento allows guests, with short journey times, to make pleasant trips to enjoy the beauty and historical architecture of these large centers, points of interest nearby.

In business you can use the following services: accommodation,catering,cooking classes, educational farm, direct sales of processed products (oil,jellies,pickles,tomato sauce prepared and passed, all organic) visits and tastings.


Info & Request: info@atmospheraitalia.eu