Quite simply, Sicily offers everything: nature, culture, cuisine. It’s a microcosm. A beautiful collision. As the largest island in the Mediterranean, this triangle of land was a strategic point that has been invaded by many cultures over centuries. Each leaving their mark and their legacy, traditions and monuments from classical temples and rural cave dwellings, to Byzantine mosaics and Baroque hill towns. Now it’s a living museum with real-life inhabitants to welcome visitors and introduce them to a place like no other.
Food is a big part of my fascination with Sicily and one of the reasons I want to share the best of my island’s cuisine with visitors. It all comes from the land: Mount Etna’s volcanic soil has blessed Sicily with fantastically fertile soil which seems to grow everything in flavoursome abundance. Blood oranges – called tarocchi– and lemons, pistachios and almonds, tomatoes, wheat…and the surrounding seas bring tuna from Trapani, red Mazara shrimp and sardines for the perfect pasta sauce. From the humble chick-pea panelle stuffed into a roll at Palermo’s open-air markets to mulberry granita served in cut glass dishes, Sicily offers unexpected flavours on every corner.
Being surrounded by the sea means a whole new adventure is at our fingertips. Over a thousand kilometres of coastline includes everything from isolated nature reserves to elegant beach clubs, The off-shore islands each have their own personality and magnetism – the volcanic Aeolians in the north with their rugged terrain and fiery temperament, the crystalline waters of Isola Favignana in the west and sultry Lampedusa in the south. Each can be reached by private sailboat or helicopter and are well worth a detour for their tantalizing experience of a simpler life.
I am personally connected to Sicily by birth, as well as through many deep friendships. Memories of my own holidays in Sicily have left me with a passion for the place. For that reason, I’ve always been committed to sustainable travel, giving something back and finding a way to conserve the heritage of this wonderful island. My main aim is to shine a light on the hidden corners and celebrate innovative people. I love to work directly with small producers (of wine, olive oil and salt), private families who generously open their fine homes and independent hoteliers with small, stylish hotels. Visit, and you’ll be amazed at the traditions, stories, and craftsmanship of all the local people you will meet during our Sicilian journey.
Alberto Ciarallo, founder Cognoscenti Travel
