The typical week long package offers horse riding in combination with sightseeing, eating in local restaurants and exploring areas of interest. All throughout the summer months there are village feasts, horse shows, marches, special fairs and a multitude of other events going on all throughout Sicily. Your hosts try to plan riding around this, driving to the nearby town and taking in what the special events have to offer in order to make the most of your Sicilian experience. 

Please note that the below is a sample itinerary, subject to change due to weather, your riding ability and preferences or simply to make the most of interesting things which might be going on at the time of your travel. It is designed to give you a taste of what to expect and is generally followed as much as possible.

Sample Itinerary 

Day 1:

Arrival at Palermo airport. Pick up and transfer to Bed and Breakfast accommodation in Palike B&B. Guests can rest after their flight and then go out for a meal and some night life. Around the area are many restaurants, cafes and bars offering a wide choice of food and beverages. The surrounding streets buzz with activity until the early hours of the morning. (Evening meal not included in price).

Day 2:

Breakfast at the B&B. Pick-up at 09:00 and travel to Alia (expected arrival around 10.15). Settle in to the farmhouse accommodation, with time for a drink, and then head off to a local family run Sicilian restaurant in the centre of the village for lunch.

In the afternoon riders will be assessed for their ability and introduced to the horses in the school. You will then head out for a short one and a half hour ride to the famous archeological Gurfa Caves, carved out by prehistoric man over 7000 years ago. This will be followed by a BBQ with lots of food and free wine and beverages on a large terrace, overlooking the beautiful Gurfa valley.

Day 3:

After breakfast you will embark on a long ride up the valley and across into another valley, heading towards a town called Valledolmo. On the way back you will stop for a delicious BBQ lunch on top of the mountain and will enjoy a visit to a local Sicilian farm. In the evening you will dine at Casa Sagona.

Day 4: 

Today you have a break from horse riding to take an all day tour of Palermo, visiting some of the many beautiful and fascinating places of Sicily's capital. You can visit markets for shopping, view places of interest, taste some typical local specialities and generally take in the heart and soul of all that is Sicilian in this vibrant and exciting city.

In the evening you return to dine at "Chaplins" where Giacomino, the host, takes extreme pride in his cuisine and especially the sea food. A real treat for food lovers! 

Day 5:

After breakfast you take a ride up the mountain. You stop at a typical Sicilian farm for some refreshments and a look around, and proceed along the trail to a nearby village. The ride is around 4 hours long. Lunch is at the restaurant "Sotto l'Archi" and the afternoon is free. For the evening meal you will be taken to another nearby village called Roccapalumba ("Rock of the Doves"). Before dining at the local pizzeria (itself a very interesting converted 16th century mill), you will visit a planetarium and star observation centre. The clear Mediterranean night sky provides a lovely appetiser!

Day 6:

After breakfast you ride to Mercato Bianco, a village across the valley. This minute village of about 500 inhabitants is one of those places where the proverbial phrase "time has stood still" springs to mind. Except for the odd car, nothing can have changed here for at least a hundred years. You will visit a local cheese factory-turned restaurant and stay for lunch, riding back in the afternoon.

In the evening you dine at a typical, small, family-run Sicilian restaurant in the heart of Alia.

Day 7:

As usual you will breakfast at the farmhouse. You again take a long ride crossing into the nearby valley. You will enjoy a tasty picnic on the way which will be delivered by friends in the 4WD vehicles. Your last evening will be spent wining and dining with another BBQ on the terrace which overlooks the Gurfa valley.

Day 8:

After an early breakfast (and bags packed) you can enjoy one last short ride on one of the mountain trails. After lunch at Casa Sagona you will be transferred to the Alia train station or the airport for your journey home. 

The Feast of the Taratata

The blazing Mediterranean sun beat down on the animals and men that tended them. It was 1639, just ten years since Sicily was under Norman rule after centuries of Arab domination. The Christian shepherd raised water to his mouth. Gulping a few mouthfuls, he badly needed to freshen, as best he could, his hot body. As he did so, he stopped and gazed... his old cow walked away from the herd – she never did that – and strolled to a spot in a nearby field.. and there, proceeded to kneel. The locals were very superstious. They crossed themselves, believing it was a sign... Then the cow strolled back to its herd.The next day, it happened again... and for several days thereafter.. every day, same time, same spot. Convinced that this was a sign from heaven, the locals decided to escavate. Deep underground, on the very spot the cow would kneel, they unearthed a massive wooden cross. Now, there could be no doubt that the cow was divinely inspired!

Ever since that day in 1639, the “miracle” of the finding of this cross has been celebrated in the area around where it was found. Subsequent carbon dating of the cross has shown it to be almost 500 years old when it was discovered, dating it back to the time of the crusades. The feast is basically Arab-based. The feast's name (Taratata) is actually the name of the frenzied sword dance, in which young men armed with razor sharp swords, pit themselves against each other in a mad amazingly co-ordinated choreography where one mistake could prove disastrous. Sparks fly and metal clangs defeaningly as the swords hit their targets with uncanny precision. The dancers seem to be in a stupoured trance where nor pain, nor tiredness nor life itself seems to count.

A spectacle perhaps unique in this modern world. An echo from a distant age. The celebrations feature re-enaction of historic battles in costume and a parade of horses. The town is closed off for three days with the merrymaking carrying on throughout the nights. Incredible horse parades, recalling the victorious rides through conquered towns in the many battles between Arab and Norman armies; art galleries, food stalls and street lights all combine to create the unique atmosphere and transform an otherwise quiet lazy Sicilian town into the feast which horse lovers will find fascinating to the extreme. You will be able to join the celebrations and also enjoy some fabulous horseriding in the wonderful countryside of Sicily.

Day 1. Wednesday (23rd May)

Arrival at Palermo airport where you will be picked up and taken to Palike B&B in Piazza Politeama, possibly the hub of Palermitan nightlife. Guests can rest after their flight and then go out to enjoy the street merriment. Around the area are all sorts of restaurants, cafes and bars offering a wide choice of foods and beverages. The vibrant Piazza and the surrounding streets are buzzing with activity till the early hours of the morning (evening meal not included).

Day 2. Thursday (24th May)

Breakfast at the Palike B&B. You will be picked up at 10:00 and driven to the farmhouse in Alia (expected arrival around 11:15). You will be shown around and have time for a drink before heading off for lunch at “Sotto l’Archi” (a local family run Sicilian restaurant in the centre of the village). In the afternoon you will be introduced to your horse and ride in the school. After that there will be a short 1 ½ hour ride to the famous archeological Gurfa Caves, carved out by prehistoric men over 7000 years ago. This will be followed by a BBQ, with lots of food, wine and beverages on the large terrace overlooking the Gurfa valley.

Day 3. Friday (25th May)

After breakfast, you will take a long morning ride down the valley until you get to a nearby town called Mercato Bianco. This tiny village of about 500 inhabitants is one of those places where you can't help feel that “time has stood still”. Except for the odd car, nothing has changed here for at least a hundred years. You will visit a local cheese factory, turned restaurant and head to a friend's country farmhouse for lunch, riding back in the afternoon.

In the evening, you will set off to Casteltermini for the first night of the Taratata. This evening, amidst great pomp and celebration, the massive cross is marched through the streets of the town, followed by a procession of colourful costumes, bands playing and crowds of visitors. You will dine in a local restaurant and return in the late evening.

Day 4. Saturday (26th May)

After breakfast you will take a tour of Palermo, the capital of Sicily. You will spend the day viewing some major sites of this city, as well as markets, famous for their variety of products. Lunch will be enjoyed at a Palermitan restaurant. In the evening, you will return to Casteltermini for the second night of the Taratata. You will see the march of the horsemen on their best Arab and Andalusian steeds. This is a very late night and you are likely to return in the early hours of the morning, long before the end of the feast, which carries on throughout the night until dawn. Tonight you will dine in a restaurant in the vicinity of Casteltermini.

Day 5. Sunday (27th May)

Today you will ride up the mountainside to one of the many spectacular views of the Madonie mountains. Lunch will be a picnic in a chosen spot along the way. In the evening you will return for the last night of the Taratata where the main event is the Arab sword dance. During the evening you will have time to walk the streets of the feasts and view the many stalls of local foods and produce and join the crowds in thier merrymaking ways. Again you shall dine in a restaurant in the vicinity of the town.

Day 6. Monday (28th May)

After an early Breakfast you can set off for a ride on one of the local mountain trails. After lunch you will set off to the airport for the trip home.