Sicily may not be the first destination to come to mind when planning a golf holiday in Italy, but with so much to offer including a number of challenging courses set in the island’s beautiful countryside, Sicily is widely considered to be an up and coming golf tour destination in Europe. As well as being home to an array of amazing Greek, Roman and Byzantian historical sites and restaurants serving up authentic cuisine, it is fair to say that Sicily offers something for everyone.
Sicily has many influences from traditional Mediterranean to Arabian, yet it is completely individual and boasts its own unique identity. Sicily is renowned as a precious jewel in the Mediterranean; with a rich culture, history and authentic cuisine, it is not difficult to see why. Not only does Sicily satisfy the interests of any history buff, with an array of stunning beaches, all sun worshippers feel at home here. Siciliy golf is on the rise not only due to the sheer quality of the golf courses here, but Sicily also boasts a mild climate all year round, meaning a Sicily golf holiday is perfect for those looking to escape the winter blues for some well-deserved sun shine.
Gastronomy
Tastes, shapes, scents and colours of Sicilian food are now, all over the world, symbols of an overwhelming pleasure.
Among the desserts stand out the Cannolo and Cassata, which enhance the freshness and authenticity of local ricotta. No less is the Granita, which here rejects the ice to be creamy: the Sicilian one is prepared in thousand flavours and is delicious to the point of “challenging” the best homemade ice cream, is really unique in the world and is accompanied by the fragrant brioche strictly with the “Tuppo”.
From Almonds, another island pride, they are obtained: pastas (soft pastries) often chosen as necessary Gifts, as if they were souvenirs, from who leaves to visit a friend far away; a refreshing and ecstatic milk; the choreographic creations of Martorana Fruit, that liven up the pastry shop windows and cheer up tourists and passers-by.
A bridge between the sweet and the salty, the juiciest red oranges from the countryside dearest in the sun and the most famous pistachio, the one of Bronte, now master of the culinary scene thanks to its gastronomic versatility, that ranges from the use of sweet cream in desserts to lively pests that marry ancient grains, in the form of inimitable first courses.
Icon of Sicilianity, the Arancino (this is the most accredited form of the recent passionate linguistic dispute): it is a wonder of rice, a frying of life, the maximum expression of Sicilian street food.
Sicily is the cradle of the Mediterranean diet, which has always been the healthiest and most varied style of food, and also enhances fish and vegetables through Caponata and Parmigiana but also under the endless typicality, “Captained” by the tomato of Pachino.
Eating in Sicily also means… go to the theatre: this is the case of “Pasta alla Norma“, with tomato sauce and fried eggplants, so renamed because it is considered sublime as the work of the same name of “Swan”, the composer Vincenzo Bellini.
Meats from historic farms, such as Nebrodi salami, complete rich and impeccable menus.
The refined hospitality offered by many wineries has spread throughout the island. Many wineries are open to the public for tastings, providing the opportunity to appreciate the production of Sicilian wines DOC and DOCG, whether red, white, rose , liqueur or sparkling, derived from the cultivation of native grape varieties: first of all the Zibibbo, the oldest, imported from the Phoenicians in Pantelleria, Black Avola, Nerello Mascalese, Nerello Cappuccio, Carricante, Catarratto, Cricket, Frappato, Perricone and Inzolia.
The only Sicilian DOCG (Registered and Guaranteed Designation of Origin) wine is Cerasuolo di Vittoria produced in the area of Ragusa with Nero d’Avola and Frappato vine varieties. Nero d’Avola.
The provinces of Trapani and Palermo produce the three DOC (Appelation of Controlled Origin) wines: Alcamo, Marsala and Contessa Entellina.
In the areas of Menfi, Agrigento and Licata several wineries produce interesting wines. They are mostly located in the territory between the D.O.C. Santa Margherita di Belice, Sambuca di Sicilia and Menfi. These wineries, in addition to the native varieties, use other international vine varieties such as Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah.
In the territory that goes from Butera, Riesi to Mazzarino, in Caltanissetta area, we find DOC Riesi, which produces white, red, rosé wines, but also sparkling wines and late harvest.
The wines of Etna D.O.P hills are high quality wines that constitute the uniqueness of a territory whose soil is originated by the lava boiling into its bowels. The protagonists of this dream wineries tour will be the red, rosé and sparkling wines produced by Nerello Mascalese and Cappuccio, and the white wines created with Carricante and Catarratto, Inzolia, Grecanico.
It is also worth mentioning the area of Messina with its three DOC wines: Faro, Mamertino and the famous Malvasia delle Lipari. Exactely Lipari, the largest island of the Aeolian archipelago, gave the name to this golden-yellow wine with a pleasantly aromatic scent.
Climate
Mild and moderately rainy winters, and hot and sunny summers. In the inland, at hilly levels, the climate becomes slightly more continental, with moderately cold winters and still warm summers while in the mountains it becomes colder.
Sicily is sensitive to the sirocco, the hot wind coming from Africa, which can bring temperatures even higher than 20 degrees in winter, and at 40 ° C in summer. Another frequent wind is the mistral, a cooler wind that blows from the north-west and mainly affects the western part of the island.
The sea in Sicily is warm enough to swim from May (for the bravest ones!) until September-October. In May the sea is still a bit ‘cool, while in October, after the summer, its average temperature is still decent (around 23° C): on sunny days, sometimes with the sirocco wind, Sicilians still go to the sea!
The amount of sunshine in Sicily is excellent in the summer; the skies are often serene or very little cloudy; in winter, sunny periods alternate with periods with rain, wind and thunderstorms.
The rainfall trend in Sicily is Mediterranean, with a maximum in autumn and winter, a drop in spring and a minimum in summer. Above 1,000 meters of altitude, rain is more abundant than on the coast, so forests grow there. On the coast instead rainy days are less frequent and rainfall range between 400 and 600 millimeters per year.
In Sicily winter’s cold waves last only a few days and are not much intense along the coasts, where the temperature rarely reaches 0 degrees even on the coldest days. Snowfalls on the coasts are also very rare. In more hilly areas in the inland, on the other hand, snowfalls are more frequent, although limited, while in mountainous areas it can sometimes be abundant, such as on Mount Etna (3350 m), where snow is present at least 6 months a year.
The best period to visit Sicily is from April to October. Spring is the ideal period for excursions and sightseeing, while in July and August it can sometimes be very hot to move around in the open air. In October the temperatures are still mild but the weather can be rainy and windy. For a beach holiday instead the best period goes from the end of May to September, even if in mid-September, the first rains begin.
Trolley
