Tour Details
Our Aeolian Adventures guided foodie tour was created to share the best of these tiny islands with you. The tour is the ideal way to experience at first hand a gastronomy and lifestyle that has been unaffected by the passage of time. Food on the Aeolian Islands is an expression of love and the simplest of ingredients are combined to create recipes that have been handed down through the generations.
Cooking classes
We start at the colourful fish market of Catania, set in the heart of the historic city, where the fishermen have been trading for over 300 years. Our first cooking class is close to the market, where we learn to prepare Sicilian street food. Our next two classes, where we have fun cooking local specialities with homegrown ingredients are at a rustic trattoria set high in the panoramic hills of Vulcano. The final cooking class is led by chef Mario Gullo on the island of Salina.
Food and wine tastings and experiences
Local farmer, Fabrizio, will introduce us to the process of ricotta production on a visit to his goats’ cheese farm, followed by a mouthwatering breakfast of fresh ricotta cheese, honey, pastries and homemade jam.
But the holiday is as much about the wine as the food and we’ll meet local wine experts and producers, with one day dedicated to visiting vineyards on the Aeolian Islands. Wine production on the islands goes back over generations and most of the wineries remain small and family run. We take a boat trip to Salina to explore the vineyards and sample their aromatic Malvasia wines. The private boat trips we take also leave time to swim in crystal clear waters in secluded seas.
We also enjoy several thrilling night time adventures at sea. These include fishing for squid, with dinner on board prepared and cooked by our captain Felice.
Volcanoes and hikes
Away from the kitchen and vineyards, steaming volcanoes, mud baths and hot springs come with the territory on the Aeolian Islands. We organise several jeep excursions and optional hikes to ensure that you don’t miss out on the islands’ extraordinary landscapes and natural phenomena. We also take a nighttime trip to see the volcanic eruptions on Stromboli.
A single supplement of £250 is payable on the Aeolian Adventures tour.