Messina, Italy

Organized by another member: Tyndaris and Cefalu with www.sicilylife.com we have 4 confirmed and 4 spaces left. Pricing is 4 = 80 euro p.p 6 = 60 euro p.p 8 = 48.50 euro p.p To arrive in Sicily and only enjoy Taormina would be a crime. Whilst beautiful, the real Sicily is on your doorstep waiting to be discovered. We have chosen a magnificent drive along the northern coast line with wonderful roads overlooking the Ionian sea and over the Eolie's Islands. We will stop first and visit Tyndaris, which began as a settlement back in the Bronze Age (about 1500 B.C). We will visit the amphitheatre, which was built in the 4th century BC. It has the ruins of simple temples and the so-called basilica, a fine example of Greco-Roman architecture begun in the 4th century B.C. and successively modified for use as a meeting place. We will also see the very important Christian Sanctuary that sits high on the hill above the city. It is famous for its black Madonna statue that draws visitors from afar, and gives it its name, the Sanctuary of the black Madonna. We then take a drive to visit Cefalù, a charming unspoiled village with winding, narrow, medieval streets and delightful restaurants overlooking a rocky coast. The most important monument is the Duomo of Cefalù which was begun in 1131 by Roger II and it was intended as the principal religious seat in Sicily.