SICILY - LOCATION GUIDE GEOGRAPHY & GEOLOGY Exceptional Tours Expertly Delivered Our location guide offers you information on the range of visits available in Sicily. All visits are selected with your subject and the curriculum in mind, along with the most popular choices for sightseeing, culture and leisure in the area. The information in your location guide has been provided by our partners in Sicily who have expert on the ground knowledge of the area, combined with advice from education professionals so that the visits and information recommended are the most relevant to meet your learning objectives. Making Life Easier for You This location guide is not a catalogue of opening times. Our Tour Experts will design your itinerary with opening times and location in mind so that you can really maximise your time on tour. Our location guides are designed to give you the information that you really need, including what are the highlights of the visit, location, suitability and educational resources. We’ll give you top tips like when is the best time to go, dress code and extra local knowledge. Peace of Mind So that you don’t need to carry additional money around with you we will state in your initial quote letter, which visits are included within your inclusive tour price and if there is anything that can’t be pre-paid we will advise you of the entrance fees so that you know how much money to take along. You also have the added reassurance that, WST is a member of the STF and our featured visits are all covered as part of our externally verified Safety Management System. STUDY VISITS Sicily often surprises with its wealth of fascinating geographical sites. Mount Etna, in its constantly active state is of course a big pull factor to the island and scaling it is a tour highlight, but the spectacular coastlines and other volcanic landforms make Sicily a destination which more and more student groups want to explore. The Mediterranean climate, our comfortable accommodation options and our destination expertise all contribute to Sicily’s appeal. Guided Mount Etna Adventure Day This exciting adventure day will wow your students from start to finish. Mount Etna is Europe’s highest volcano, and also its most active meaning your group stands a good chance of seeing activity first hand. Your coach will take your students up to 1900 metres above sea level. Here they will take a cable car to climb further up before meeting jeeps which will take them up to 2500 metres. Your Alpine Guide will then escort your on foot to the height of 2900 metres above sea level where you will enjoy fabulous views of the summit, possible activity and the island below. This excursion allows Geographers and Geologists an abundance of discussion points throughout the day and is one that they are sure to remember. The Volcanic Islands of Lipari and Vulcano (Mid- March to Mid-October only) Your coach will take you to Milazzo Harbour to board your mini cruise to these two volcanic islands. The boat affords excellent views of the islands and their coastlines as you approach. First stop is Lipari, the largest island and capital of the chain, ringed with several small communities and a 16th- century castle complex towering over the main town. After an exploration of the town here, you’ll re-board your boast and head to Vulcano, the natural spa island, with bubbling mud pits, black volcanic beaches and geothermal waters. Many groups chose to enter the mud baths for a small fee. After time to explore, your mini cruise will then be waiting to take you back past the stunning coastal landforms as you head back to Milazzo harbour, for a coach transfer back to your accommodation. Vulcano Island Day (Year Round) Set sail directly to Vulcano Island on the public ferry for a day exploring this active island which went through period of volcanic unrest 20 years ago. The Island consists of several volcanic edifices whose formation overlapped in time and space. The most recent volcano is the La Fossa cone, a 391metre high active composite cone. Your group will walk up walk up the Fossa cone to the Crater, which last erupted over 100 years ago. The walk entails several active steamy fumaroles and extensive sulphur deposits, along with the smell you would expect! The island is perhaps equally famous for the bubbling mud baths, which are based on natural hot springs. The baths are celebrated for the health benefits that they provide. Like other hot springs, the water is rich in sulphur, which has anti-fungal activity so bathers cover themselves with the warm mineral- rich mud, first, and then enter the spring-warmed sea to wash off. Strait of Messina/Tindari Lake The Strait of Messina is the narrow passage between the eastern tip of Sicily (and the western tip of Calabria the south of Italy. It connects the Tyrrhenian Sea to the north with the Ionian Sea to the south. At its narrowest point, it measures 1.9 miles in width. The strait is characterized by strong tidal currents that established a unique marine ecosystem. The Strait of Messina, therefore constitutes an area of fundamental importance for biodiversity. The hydrology of the Strait of Messina accommodates a variety of populations of marine organisms You will then continue to Tindari where you will discover a fantastic viewpoint over the ‘linguetta di sabbia’ (tongue of sand), which stretches 1.5km into the sea, defiantly resisting the destructive, relentless raids of the Tyrrhenian. Clearly visible on satellite photos, the ‘tongue’ is raised about 4 metres above sea-level at its highest points and creates a lagoon area on its protected side. This is now a nature reserve and several small lakes dot the surface and provide an ideal home for a large variety of flora and fauna. Alcantara Gorges and Cyclops Riviera The Alcantara Gorges were formed by the volcanic activity of Mount Etna. The stunning basalt formation known as the Alcantara Gorge lies on the Alcantara River. Etna’s geological influence on the surrounding countryside has created a beautifully scenic site encircled by small luscious green woods. You’ll then continue along the Sicilian coast passing through small fishing villages of the Cyclops Riviera with beautiful views out over the coastline with its famous protruding rocks. The area owes its name to the ‘Faraglioni’, huge outcrops or rock forged by underwater lava which gave rise to Mount Etna. Alcantara Gorge Half Day Visit This beautiful George with its stunning basalt column formations provides an ideal stop off en-route to the airport for your flight home. Lying on the Alcantara River, this site is popular with tourists who often get into the waters and wade through down the river through the gorge itself. Taormina Half Day Visit Taormina is Sicily's most popular summer destination, a chic resort town yet unashamedly touristy and has a main street lined with high-end designer shops as well as the coastal souvenir shops. The town remains an achingly beautiful spot with gorgeous medieval churches, a stunning Greek theatre and sweeping views over the Gulf of Naxos and Mt Etna. GUIDES Our expert local guides are available to accompany you for as little or as much of your trip as you wish. They are highly experienced in working with educational groups and have vast knowledge of the sites we offer our groups There are several sites in Sicily where having a local guide is compulsory however these are mostly the Classical sites. CULTURAL VISITS Etna Land Theme Park (April to November) This award winning park now offers both a Theme park and a Water park option, both of which are very popular. Why not treat your group and enjoy a day’s visit to this popular Sicily attraction? We will arrange your coaching to drop you off and pick you up. Hotel Meeting Rooms use in the Evenings Most of our hotels are happy for groups to make use of their facilities for evening catch-ups or quizzes. Free Time Itineraries are often action packed when visiting this region but the towns you will pass through provides a scenic setting for a spot of souvenir shopping, and relaxing with a coffee or an ice-cream. Our main accommodation base in Giardini Naxos is a small very bustling fishing port with plenty going on, not to mention the beach. Taormina is a bigger coastal resort nearby and is a good option to spend some extra free time in ACCOMMODATION & MEALS Hotel Baia Degli Dei is located on the beach in Giardini Naxos with great view of the sea and Mount Etna. This comfortable hotel is classed as a 3* and rooms are usually 4 bedded for students with en-suite facilities, with staff staying in twins/singles also en-suite. All rooms have air conditioning and there is coach parking 300m from the hotel. Our hotels in Sicily operate on a Half Board or Full Board basis which is cost effective for groups here. We recommend Full Board including a packed lunch in Sicily as eateries can be limited on the most popular excursion days. .