Sicily and Sardinia – Islands hidden gems

Thinking about Italy I got the feeling that, although I travel a lot also for my work, I visited just a little part of the immense range of the incredible spots that would worthy a visit. Hidden villages, off the radar natural wonders and other fantastic places we try to discover on this blog. This time I want to introduce you some of the gems of our major islands, real fairy tale regions the whole world envy us. I’m talking about Sicily and Sardinia Islands and their hidden gems. SICILY Let’s start from the magnificent Sicily, an enchanting land rich in culture, history and endless beauties and specifically Favignana, “the big butterfly on the sea” as it was called by a famous painter of the seventies. The main island and the center of the Aeganian Islands (Egadi), the island used to be known with various names such as Aponiana, Katria, Gilia, Aegusa. Far from Trapani just 9 miles it spreads for 19,38 square kilometers, it is 9 km long and 4 km wide and has very few inhabitants. Its peculiar

April 11, 2017 3:53 pm

Unmissable events: what to do in Italy in September and October

In September Italy return from its vacations and many festivals and events take place to celebrate this new season. You’ll find food festivals, historical and cinematographic events and much more. Ferrara Balloons Festival 2015, 11th-20th September The most important Balloon Festival in Italy and one of the most prestigious in Europe, in the beautiful setting of Bassani Urban Park. Multicoloured, handicraft and special shapes of air balloons flying free for a spectacular competition between 30 teams from Italy and abroad. The hot air balloons competition takes place twice a day: at 7,30 AM and at 5 PM and during the day will be organized also sport events, artistic and musical activities. Venice Film Festival 2nd-12th of September The Festival was founded in 1932 and is the oldest film festival in the world as well as one of the most prestigious and famous. The festival takes place from 2nd to 12th of September in several wonderful venues including the historic Palazzo del Cinema. Be sure to book your tickets early because the Venice Film Festival is extremely popular. Moreover don’t forget

September 10, 2015 1:03 pm

Italy, realm of UNESCO sites

Italy is the land of contradictions. On the one hand seaside, sun, sand and rocks and on the other hand mountains, snow and arid land. Different characteristics, but with one common factor: some of the most beautiful places in the world included in the World Heritage List by UNESCO. Italy is the country that holds the world record of sites, in fact it counts 51 sites included in World Heritage List of outstanding cultural and natural importance. We have chosen a few of them, from north to south, very particular sites that still preserve the greatness of the past. Laguna di Venezia UNESCO site: Venezia and the Laguna (Region of Veneto) Venice in the 10th century became a major maritime power well known all over the world, especially for its position between the West and the East. Consequently, the development of architecture arts has been noteworthy. The city and its over 118 small islands, are themselves an extraordinary work of art that contain some of the greatest artistic treasures by artists such as Tintoretto and Veronese. UNESCO site: Sassi di Matera

July 21, 2015 1:08 pm

Palermo, it's a kind of magic in Sicily

Sicily has been dominated for a long time by different populations that have made it an island full of wonderful contrasts, considered one of the most beautiful islands of the world. Lights, colours and scents distinguish this marvellous land, especially its regional capital, Palermo. Palermo has a very distinct atmosphere and is a mysterious place with conflicting characteristics which you can notice strolling through its charming streets. Its strategic position, in the middle of the Mediterranean, attracted numerous invaders including Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Normans and especially Spanish, the most influential population. Palermitan culture is therefore, the amazing result of the different ethnic groups that had left evident signs during centuries. Signs that had created a great cultural heterogeneity that today is reflected in the large number of architectural styles and dishes made by a very interesting mix of ingredients. Visiting Palermo is something like a thrilling adventure. You won’t find many restaurants with menus translated into 5 different languages, you may have troubles communicating in English in some places, but you will always find someone that is going to help you.Palermo is a

June 11, 2015 9:54 am

Islands paradise: top 3 most beautiful Italian islands

Top 3 most Beautiful Italian Islands From north to south, Italy is visited by millions of people for is artistic and natural heritage. One of its strong points are the huge treasures of every city and region, places that still preserve the greatness of the past: wonderful landscapes, the hospitality of the people and obviously the excellent food and wine culture. For these reasons, it is the only country that holds the world record of sites included in the World Heritage list by UNESCO (50 Italian attractions). But, there is especially one thing that everyone envies us, the variety of the beaches: sandy beaches, rocky beaches and black beaches that will leave you breathless. Today we want to talk about the 3 most beautiful Italian islands, surrounded by three different seas. Islands Paradise: Isola d’Elba (Tuscany) Top 3 Most Beautiful Italian Islands Elba is the biggest island of the Tuscan Archipelago and the third largest in Italy after Sardinia and Sicily. It is located in the Tyrrhenian Sea, but in the north it is surrounded by Ligurian Sea and in

May 26, 2015 10:20 am

From Naples Port to Herculaneum Sorrento and Positano

Most romantic places in South Italy

Italy is undoubtedly known as one of the most romantic places in the world It is not surprising that in Italy there are the top European honeymoon destinations. Italian cities are extremely beautiful, they offer picturesque and breathtaking landscapes, very rich in history and art, plus there you can relax and get lost in the warmth of italian culture. For this reason it is actually difficult to narrow down a list with only few spots. If you are looking for alternative places to Rome, Venice or Verona, this list will guide you through the 4 most romantics destinations in South Italy. Most Romantic Places In Italy Most romantic places in Italy: Polignano a Mare (Puglia) A small town near Bari, with its 12 kilometers of coastline, it is one of the most beautiful and famous seaside resorts on the coast of Puglia. Situated on a rocky outcrop overlooking the sea, it alternates some stretches of rocky coast and other of fine sand which at sunset take your breath away. One of the most romantic sites in the world is a

September 22, 2014 12:28 pm

Free outdoor baths in Italy

The italian Thermal Baths are famous all over the world especially for the natural beauty of the landscapes by which they are surrounded Immerse yourself in a natural pool and be pampered by the warm waters of small wellness oasis surrounded by the nature, in Italy it is possible and also free. In fact, from Piedmont to Sicily, our country offers pools excavated into the rock and natural waterfalls, real natural spa in the open air, ideal places to regenerate your body and mind.The healing properties of the thermal waters were already known in ancient times. During the ancient Roman Empire, the thermal phenomenon had a huge development. Initially the use of the baths had a purely hygienic meaning, later, the frequentation of the baths behan to have therapeutic purposes such as the treatment of respiratory and kidney diseases. Let’s find out some of the most charming free thermal baths in Italy! Thermal Baths Bormio (Lombardia) The thermal baths of Bormio are natural pools formed by stones and located at the feet of a creek, which collects the hot thermal

August 28, 2014 2:15 pm

Sicily: wine and food itinerary Vol.2

What To Eat in Sicily We want to talk about the Sicily through another aspect of its culture, maybe the most famous.An ideal culinary Sicilian tour of tastes, to discover the most authentic Sicily, through its gastronomy. What to Eat in Palermo Palermo is one of the street food world capitals. It differs from other Sicilian provinces for the use of poor food especially with regard to the cheap cuts of meat. U pani ca meusa (bread with spleen) the quarumi (bowels veal boiled with onions, celery, carrots, parsley), and the stigghiola (guts lamb wrapped around a leek and cooked on the grill) are food for the strongest stomachs. Instead sfincione (a sort of soft and very high pizza with tomato sauce, onion, anchovies, oregano and chunks of cheese on top) or pani e panelli (deep-fried chickpea fritters, which are included in a sesame bun called Mafalda) for the less brave. Palermo is also known for other dishes like salad of oranges and anchovies, anelletti al forno, pasta con le sarde e mollica (pasta with salted anchovies and toasted breadcrumbs)

August 11, 2014 12:24 pm

Sicily: wine and food itinerary Vol.1

What To Eat in Sicily Sicily has an enviable gastronomic complexity, with dishes that change from province to province. Is not that difficult to left this region with 5 kilos more, you are going to eat divinely there. When you will get off the ferry boat you will feel like invaded by the scent of the “arancine” cooking, the first dish that you can not miss! Many of these dishes don’t go beyond the boundaries of a little village, so can be tried only on-the-spot. With this article we want to suggest you a series of plates that the island has in store for you; a sort of map in different steps for an ideal culinary tour of Sicily. Hope it can be useful, so try to follow it and bon appetit! What To Eat in Trapani The first step of our culinary travel takes place in Trapani, on the north-west coast of Sicily. In trapanese cooking stand out many red tuna dishes, one of the most catched fish in the area, along with groupers, mullets etc. Among the pasta

August 10, 2014 2:03 pm

Reviews

5 Over 665 Reviews

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Clayton Killinger 2 year ago

My wife and I had an incredible 2 day private tour with Max. Be ready to experience a lot, learn a lot, and walk a lot. Best tour guide ever. We highly recommend him.

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dan1184 2 year ago

Had a wonderful time seeing Rome with our tour guide, Marco. He was very informative, personable, and great sense of humor. It may not be possible to see all of Rome in a day, but you’re going to get your money’s worth on this tour! Highly recommend. Definitely a highlight of our vacation!

Room-in-my-suitcase 2 year ago

The Capitaline Museums, located on Capitaline Hill, lays claim to one of the finest collections of ancient sculpture in Rome. My DIY tour had me meandering through the museum's various buildings, 2 of which were designed by Michelangelo. Most of the buildings housed a 'major in' sculpture and a 'minor in' art galleries with collections closely linked to the
ancient city of Rome. My favorite exhibit was the 'She Wolf' a major symbol of Rome. I browsed the gift shop chucked full of guidebooks and I did relish the Museum's rooftop restaurant with it's fine view over the city.

A great option to explore the ancient city of Rome.

Courtney Brickey 3 year ago

We booked Max for the 2-day tour of Rome. It was truly a VIP experience! The knowledge that he has of Rome is extraordinary. And the skip the line benefit was awesome. We would have never seen a quarter of what we saw with Max if we had done this with another tour company or on our own. We learned so much about the beautiful city from him. He is passionate about Rome’s history, and you can tell he knows everyone. Thank you, Max, for making our two days in Rome fun and educational. We can’t wait to visit again and see more! We highly recommend Italy Rome Tours and Max, when you are in Rome. It is worth every penny.

GS 3 year ago

Having researched every company that offered a private Rome tour, I decided to go with Italy Rome Tour based on prior reviews for my family’s quick 3 day trip to Rome. We booked the private 2 day tour with the owner, Max Parini, , as our guide and also booked the optional luxury Mercedes Van as the source of our private transportation. Let me just say this was the absolute best decision for our trip. Max’s knowledge was never ending when it came to the history of this amazing city and he knew the answer to every question my children ( 13 and 16 y.o) asked. Having witnessed so many other tour groups both large and small throughout our 2 days, it was clear we were with the best. Max chose a wonderful pace and itinerary for our 2 day tour and we couldn’t be happier with how much we accomplished and were able to see so many major sites in Rome all while feeling like a VIP throughout the entire tour. If you are looking for a 5 star truly remarkable private tour of Rome…look no further… Max’s Italy Rome Tour is it. I just can’t say enough great things about it. Ciao.

Adam Page 7 year ago

Exceptional Tour-Skip The Lines. If you want to feel like a celebrity and to be treated like a VIP then this is the tour company for you! The lines at the Coliseum and Vatican were over three hours long but with Max, our guide, we walked by them all and went straight in. Max has 20 years of experience and navigated us around the city with knowledge only an insider would know. I highly recommend this tour company.

Bruce Olson 8 year ago

Max,

Thank you for the awesome tour of your Beautiful city. Dawn and I both felt like we just had one of our best friends show us around the city. Seeing all the great places that Rome has to offer, your suggestions on places to go to eat. Everything was great and loved every minute of the tour.
Thank you again

Bruce and Dawn

Jill Wade 9 year ago

My husband and I had 3 short days to spend in Rome, and knew right from the start that we had to make the most of our time. While planning our trip, I happened across Italy Rome Tours, here on TripAdvisor. With over 400 excellent reviews, and nothing less, it was an easy decision to choose this company as our way to see as much as possible, in our limited time in Rome.
We decided on the Rome in a day tour, and made our reservation, very easily, online. The day of the tour arrived, and there was Max himself, right on time, in the Mercedes mini van, waiting to whisk us away through the beautiful, ancient city.
The next eight hours were nothing less than amazing. The Vatican, the Catacombs, the Appian way, lunch in a quaint villa garden,the Colosseum, and so much more! All of this with Max giving us more information than we could have imagined. He has a real passion for his city and it's amazing and varied past.
This was undoubtedly the best tour we could have taken. As all the other reviewers seem to state - "Worth every penny!" We'll use this company any chance we get!! I would highly recommend Italy Rome Tours to anyone who wants to do more than just see Rome.

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