SICILY, MALTA & THE AEOLIAN ISLANDS 15 CAPTIVATING DAYS | P ALERMO TO VALLETTA Stay on 4 incredible Mediterranean islands - Lipari, in the gorgeous Aeolian islands, pretty Ortigia Island by Syracuse, Sicily and sensational Malta. Cruise to whitewashed Panarea, Vulcano island with its hot sulphur mud baths, and Stromboli to witness the volcano’s fiery eruptions against the night sky. Stroll through the baroque heart of delightful Noto, Ragusa Ibla and Scicli, and enjoy a special ‘Modica Experience’ evening. In Malta, stay four nights in beautiful Valletta, visit Gozo, the Blue Grotto and 5,000-year-old stone temples. Enjoy lazy lunches and dinners on seaside terraces, in classic restaurants and unusual locations in the Sicilian countryside. Utterly amazing! TOUR INCLUSIONS ALL excursions, scenic drives, sightseeing and entrances as described Fully escorted by our experienced Tour Manager Travel in first-class air-conditioned coaches for touring, transfers and sightseeing 14 nights specially selected hotel accommodation Hotel porterage (1 bag per person) 23 Meals – including breakfast daily, 3 lunches and 6 dinners Tea, coffee and a complimentary beverage with all included dinners Hand Selected Albatross Experiences - Aeolian Islands cruise to Panarea and Stromboli, visit to Vulcano island, Malta Two Harbour boat cruise, visits St John’s Co-Cathedral and the Malta Experience, day trip to Gozo, the Ħaġar Qim and Mnajdra stone temples, Blue Grotto boat ride. Local guides as described in the itinerary ALL tips to your Tour Manager, Driver and Local Guides Personal audio system whilst on tour Free WiFi on most coaches and at hotels Add a subheading THE ALBATROSS DIFFERENCE Leisurely 2, 3 and 4 night stays Small group sizes - from just 10 to 28 Genuinely inclusive, NO extra 'on tour' costs Stay in traditional style hotels in superb locations Easier days with 'My Time' guaranteed! MESSAGE FROM THE MO: WANDERLUST… “To have seen Italy without having seen Sicily is not to have seen Italy at all,” said German writer Goethe in 1787. “I have a serious case of wanderlust… I crave the unexplored, the other lesser-known, beguiling sights, the rich, local cuisine – and by that I mean the real stuff! And always at my own pace, new discoveries that dance in my anticipation“ said Albatross Tour Designer Euan, aka ‘The Mo’. But this wanderlust is a disease I am happy to have, and feed. One of the most important parts of that paragraph above is “always at my own pace”. In 2019 my wife Julie-anne and I visited the Aeolian islands. We were pretty well exhausted from a far too busy, multi destination, product finding mission. So, practicing what we preach, we slowed down and savoured these mesmeric islands. Friend and business partner Adam joined us, with his vivacious wife, Sue. Four nights to play and explore. Delightful! And the itinerary you see here is exactly what we did, and at the same pace. We ate at the same restaurants as you will, stayed at the same hotel with sunset cocktails on the hotel terrace overlooking a bay. We swam in the azure waters off gorgeous Panarea, and like you will, at dusk we moored off Stromboli as jets of lava stormed into the air like Roman candles… and then we slapped hot, therapeutic mud on each other in the natural thermal sulphur mud pools beside the sea on Vulcano island. It was wanderlust at its best. Investing ourselves in the moment, fantastic food, boat rides, playing in mud pools… filling that internal bucket of memories, feelings, and laughter. And this tour has that in spades. Like the beautiful towns in baroque, south east Sicily. When we stood at night on top of Modica Alto gazing far down into a valley of village lights that have twinkled there for 3,500 years my wanderlust was satiated. Malta was our last stop, and it blew my mind away. Valletta was utterly impressive by day, and so elegant on an evening promenade. And that is precisely why I insist we stay 4 nights right there, by the historic old city… not a ferry or traffic challenged, bus ride away, but an easy, casual stroll just across the road. What an extraordinary city and island. Just one, on an amazing tour of a gathering of several islands, both ancient and evocative…ahh, here goes my wanderlust again! TOUR ITINERARY Day 1: Palermo Welcome Your tour commences this evening in Palermo. Join us tonight for a welcome drink before dinner. This is an ideal chance to meet, and get to know, your Tour Manager and fellow travellers. Day 2: Cefalù, Lipari, Aeolian Islands A leisurely start to the day as we cross northern Sicily to arrive in Cefalù. Set on a headland, the winding narrow streets of the historic old town encircle the fine, Norman cathedral. You will have plenty of free time to explore and relax in one of the many private, beachfront, terraced restaurants. Moving on to Milazzo, we board an inter-island hydrofoil which will whisk us out to Lipari, in the superb Aeolian Islands, where we will stay the next four nights. Volcanic in origin, the Aeolian Islands lay well off the regular tourist route, and whilst we are here, we visit three other islands. You will love their unique style and laid back nature. Your hotel is perched right on the rocky seashore, and this evening you will enjoy a welcome dink and some tasty antipasti up on the Roof Garden. Your views will be directly over the azure blue sea. Day 3: Lipari and Acquacalda lunch Joined by a local guide we enjoy a walking tour of the little old port, and up to the Castello di Lipari – the 15th century, cliff top castle complex, with its ancient buildings and churches. The views from the little Greek Amphitheatre down along the rugged coast are magnificent. We have included entrance to visit the Cathedral of St Bartholomew and the old Norman Cloisters. The rest of your morning is free to grab a coffee and shop. Later, we visit the little rocky beach town of Acquacalda, on the north of the island, to enjoy a leisurely lunch. The town is quite non-descript, but we are there for the food. Buon Apetito! Returning to Marina Corta, the rest of the day and evening is free. Day 4: Aeolian Islands cruise - Panarea & Stromboli A lazy start. Mid-morning, we jump on a cruise boat to cross the Tyrrhenian Sea visiting the delightful islands of Panarea and Stromboli. On arrival at Panarea, we anchor in a quiet bay filled with wonderful yachts floating on the glorious azure waters. If you want, take the opportunity to enjoy a refreshing dip in the beautiful water. Later we cruise on to the nearby village of Panarea where you will have free time in the gorgeous town. The tiny harbour is surrounded by whitewashed villas, and pedestrian streets boasting little boutiques and al fresco dining. So peaceful, so relaxing. Magical! Next stop is the famous ‘volcano island’ of Stromboli. We enjoy a long stop in the town of San Vincenzo where you have time to explore and find your own charming restaurant for dinner. Follow the pedestrian street up hill and you arrive at the compact city square, with its magical views. Then, as dusk approaches, we again board our boat to chug out around the little Isola di Strombolicchio, to the far side of the island, where we pause at sunset (at a very safe distance!) to watch the Stromboli fireworks by night. A constant, regular evening feature, it is thrilling to first see the jets of lava flare atop the volcano like a Roman candle, and then moments later, hear the whoosh and jet engine roar. Thrilling! We return to Lipari mid evening after a full but oh so rewarding day. Day 5: Vulcano mud baths and ‘My Time’ An easy day, with heaps of ‘My Time’. Catching a mid-morning hydrofoil, we will take you across to another nearby Aeolian island, Vulcano. Named after Vulcan, the Roman god of fire, this is a very different experience to yesterday. Whereas those islands were lush, this is quite barren. Your time on Vulcano is free to do as little or a much as you want. There is a cute little township by the beach, with a number of shops, cafes and restaurants. You can hire boats, paddle boards, quad bikes etc to explore the coast and inland. One amazing experience is wallowing in the thermal hot mud baths, beside the village. Knee deep, the mud bubbles around you. Wallow, or stand, cover yourself with mud and become one of the laughing mud creatures! Let the sulphur mud coat you and do its work, and after wading into the sea and washing it all off, your skin will be like that of a baby! Then it’s lunchtime, do what you want at your own pace. What fun! Afterwards we catch the boat back to Lipari for a relaxing afternoon. You may decide you would like to stay a little longer on Vulcano and take a later boat back. No problem, just grab yourself a one way return ticket locally at the port when you are ready to head back. Dinner this evening is ‘al fresco’ on your hotels’ seaside restaurant terrace. Day 6: Lunch in ‘The Godfather’ village and Ortigia Catching the hydrofoil back to Milazzo, we board our coach and drive down Sicily’s eastern coastline. Peeling off the highway, we climb up the steep mountainside on a series of tight hairpin bends to reach the perched village of Forza d’Agro.