From Vesuvius to Etna

Breakfast at the hotel.Check out and drive towards Tropea. On the way you will pass various seaside resorts. We recommend an extended lunch break with a jump into the water! Arrival at Hotel Tropis near Tropea and check in for 2 nights.

Stage for the day: about 375 kilometres.

Breakfast at the hotel.Check out and drive towards Tropea.Today you will spend the day in and around Tropea. Start the day with a walk through the impressive and historic old town of Tropea. The city was already mentioned in Roman times and looks back on a long and eventful history. If you are interested in the country and its people, you should definitely visit the impressive sights of the city. The Cattedrale di Tropea from the 12th century, which is one of the most beautiful buildings of the area, was restored and rebuilt several times. Moreover, Tropea has many characteristic palazzi that are not only popular among arquitecture lovers.

Please do not forget to visit the famous Chiesetta dell'Isola. To visit the sanctuary, which is located on a hill, you have to climb a steep staircase. You will be rewarded with a magnificent view of the sea and beaches as well as the picturesque southern Italian mountains. Also worth seeing is the Capo Vaticano viewpoint, which visitors can easily reach from Tropea. Holidaymakers here enjoy a wonderful view of the many small islands and the unforgettable, Mediterranean coastal landscape.

Very important tip: Tartufo di Pizzo - an experience for connoisseurs!

In the town of Pizzo, near Tropea, 13 Gelaterie compete for the favour of gourmets from home and abroad: they are all specialised in the production of Gelato al Tartufo. The classic Tartufo Bianco consists of a ball of vanilla ice-cream filled with bitter chocolate sauce and sprinkled with cocoa. Tartufo is available in many variations, for example Tartufo Cioccolato or Tartufo Mocca. The name Tartufo is derived from the Italian name for the truffle mushroom.

Of course, the culinary specialities at Capo Vaticano (southern Italy) are also celebrated in festivals: from the octopus festival in Joppolo to the vegetable festival in Monterosso and the onion festival in Ricardi, which takes place every year on 13 August.

Overnight stay at the Hotel Tropis.

Stage for the day: about 35 kilometres.

Breakfast at the hotel.Check out and drive towards Tropea.Check out and drive to the largest island in the Mediterranean.

On the way there you cross the Strait of Messina by car ferry (not included) from Villa San Giovanni to Messina. The ferry runs every 40 minutes during the summer months and costs for 2 persons and 1 standard car about EUR 50,00 total, round trip. The crossing takes about 20 minutes.

Arrival in Taormina and check-in for 4 nights at Hotel Villa Esperia.

Stage for the day: about 180 kilometres.

Breakfast at the hotel.Check out and drive towards Tropea.Start the day relaxed with a walk through Taormina, which is one of the oldest settlement areas in Sicily. The city was founded around 1300 BC by the Sicilian people and was under Greek and later Roman rule from 358 BC. Today, numerous ancient buildings bear witness to this epoch, such as the famous Teatro Greco, which has made Taormina famous all over the world. The second largest ancient amphitheatre in Sicily was built by the Romans in the 2nd century B.C. and could seat over 5,000 spectators. One of the first illustrious visitors to Taormina was Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, who visited the city on his trip to Italy in 1787. In the 19th century Taormina became a popular destination for European nobility, and in the 20th century movie stars such as Greta Garbo, Cary Grant and Elizabeth Taylor sought peace and relaxation there.

In Taormina you don't have to search long for photographic motifs; you stumble over them all the time. The old town of Taormina is situated on Monte Tauro 200 m above sea level and offers its visitors not only spectacular views of the sea and the Isola Bella, but also of the fascinating volcano Etna, which seems to be within reach from Taormina. Overnight stay at the Hotel Villa Esperia.

Breakfast at the hotel.Check out and drive towards Tropea.Today we recommend an excursion to the largest still active volcano in Europe: the mighty Etna in the northeast of Sicily.

For a long time it was considered by scientists as a "good-natured" volcano, without great destructive potential. But there are signs that the fire-breathing giant is changing its character.

The volcano lies between Catania and Messina. It is the highest mountain in Sicily and rises over 3,000 meters into the sky. Due to the volcanic activity, its exact height varies between about 3,200 and 3,350 meters. The entire Etna massif covers an area of more than 1,200 square kilometres. In 2013, the volcano was inscribed by UNESCO on the World Natural Heritage List.

The mountain lies in a zone of high seismic activity: the African continental plate here pushes itself under the European one. The area is also home to the so-called Messina Fault: the Strait of Messina once lowered here, separating Sicily from the mainland. The consequences of the complex tectonic situation are both the volcanism of Etna and strong earthquakes in the region.

The volcano has four summit craters: the main crater, the Bocca Nuova crater and the north-east and south-east craters. However, the spectacular lava eruptions usually do not originate from the skin craters but from the mountain flanks. At Etna there are hundreds of secondary craters. Typical for the volcano are longitudinal eruption fissures.

The area directly around the volcano has been a regional park (Parco dell'Etna) since 1987. The landscape is very fertile due to the lava and Etna has different vegetation zones. In the lower area citrus fruits, olives, figs and cereals are cultivated. From 1.500 to 2.000 meters the mountain is forested. Above it there is a zone with shrubs, grasses and moss. In the highest areas there is almost no vegetation and the summit is mostly covered with snow.

A real tourist magnet are the Silvestri mountains, the volcanic cones Monti Silvestri inferiori and Monti Silvestri superiori. But connoisseurs are also attracted by the lava caves of Etna, some of which are accessible. Famous are the Grotta dei Lamponi (Raspberry Grotto) or the Grotta del Gelo (Ice Grotto), which are almost one kilometre long.

At the Rifugio Sapienza there is a tourist information centre. Here is also the valley station of the Funivia dell' Etna cable car. It takes you up to the top station of La Montagnola, at 2,500 metres. From there, you can only get there by off-road bus, to below the edge of the crater, at about 2,900 metres. However, access is dependent on weather conditions and volcanic activity and is not always possible.

What many do not know: Etna is the southernmost ski resort in Europe. There are winter sports facilities with lifts at both the South and North mountain stations. They are usually in operation between January and March.

Overnight stay at the Hotel Villa Esperia.

Stage for the day: about 120 kilometres.

Breakfast at the hotel.Check out and drive towards Tropea.We recommend an excursion to Syracuse.

By land and by sea, the province of Syracuse in southern Sicily is a unique destination. Here you can experience human history at ancient sites up close and dive into breathtaking underwater worlds. The traces of the past are omnipresent in Syracuse. The baroque cathedral and the church of Lucia alla Badia, whose walls are supported by temple columns of the goddess Athena, are located on the island of Ortigia, which forms the historic city centre. In the Neapolis district, Roman theatre ruins and pine groves alternate with remains of Greek altars. In the park "Paradise Latomias" the wide open mouths of enormous grottos instill respect. The "Ear of Dionysus" is the most famous of the grottos, which once served as dungeons for Greek prisoners. Odysseus once greeted the 15,000 spectators in the open-air theatre of Magna Graecia, where gladiator fights and circus events were held. Plato, Cicero and Archimedes were at home in Syracuse. Together with Pantalica (necropolis), the city of Syracuse is a UNESCO World Heritage Site for striking Mediterranean culture and its diversity, architecture from Roman, Baroque and Greek eras, archaeological sites and a history of civilization that can be traced back over thousands of years.

In the afternoon it is recommended to plan a stop in Catania. Catania is a vibrant city that skilfully combines a long tradition with a wide range of entertainment. In addition to impressive buildings, the city also offers an exciting program for travelers interested in culture and the beauty of the Mediterranean nature. Catania is considered by visitors from all over the world as one of the most attractive destinations in the region. In the historic centre of the city, visitors can admire the incomparable late baroque architecture, thanks to which Catania has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. An impressive sight is the Cattedrale di Sant'Agata, which delights guests with its artistic facades, the magnificently decorated interior and many works of art. When exploring Catania, the town hall - the Palazzo degli Elefanti - with the Fontana dell'Elefante is also a must.

Overnight stay at the Hotel Villa Esperia.

Stage for the day: about 250 kilometres.

Breakfast at the hotel. Check out and travel home or extend your stay in a beach hotel in Sicily afterwards.