To us Sicily means .... pastries and marzipan, gelato and granita, it means pasta con le sarde, spaghetti al nero di seppia, pizza siciliana, primosale cheese and the amazing Sicilian red and white wines. It means beaches and restaurants, yacht clubs and street markets. And it means rowing. Excuse me? Yes. Rowing. Twenty-six different rowing clubs populate the waters of Sicily, between those on the Mediterranean and those on freshwater lakes.

We take you there not as tourists but as rowers.  In the morning when we get off the water there'll be hard-earned cannoli waiting, in the evenings white wines from Alcamo and Erice to accompany dinner and stories.  During the days we'll be visiting Greek, Arab, Roman, Norman, and Bourbon sites... sometimes all in the same building!  We'll take a look at the incredible museums and churches and rub shoulders with the crème of Palermo at their exclusive clubs. Bring a healthy appetite, elastic waistbands, comfortable shoes, and your favorite rowing trou... and your camera! 

2008 - Oct 26 to Nov 2
2009 - Feb 9-16
2009 - April Apr 5-16 (with Southern Italy as well)
Meeting place: Palermo
Minimum number of participants 4 – maximum 16.
Skill level required: able to row a racing double

We'll meet in Palermo and settle into our hotel a quarter hour away in the beautiful beachfront town of Mondello. We’re here, this is Sicily. Tonight we meet in a special restaurant to indulge in a grand array of Sicilian specialties while we get acquainted with each other and discuss our plans for the week.

We are guests at a 20 year old rowing club on the sea complete with a restaurant, immaculate lawns, and strong rowers and sailors in its membership of 1500. We will row their boats each day at their Palermo rowing site and, time permitting, on a nearby lake for a different perspective of the rowing life in Sicily.

When not rowing, we visit Palermo where we take in the shops and outdoor markets. We pass the Golfo di Castellammare, part of a huge nature preserve, en route to the enchanting medieval city of Erice where we soak up the vistas of the plains of Trapani and the west coast of Sicily from its mountaintop setting. In Selinunte we have a chance to see Sicily’s ancient Greek ruins considered some of the most spectacular in the world. In Monreale we find the Chiostro del Duomo di Monreale with its ornate mosaics that now stand in the place where William II founded a Benedictine monastery in the 1170s.

Days are filled with pastries and coffee and the nights are filled with pasta, wines, cheese and, if we want, more pastries. Sicilians put their own spin on traditional Italian and Arabic dishes making use of local ingredients like swordfish, sardines, ricotta cheese, almond paste, capers, eggplants and olives. The renowned Sicilian cannoli is exquisite, the delicately flavored cool creamy filling inside a crispy homemade shell, … it is without equal.

These are some of the daily activities anticipated for the tour of Sicily. The itinerary may vary somewhat in order to take advantage of local festivals, markets, or events of interest as well as weather conditions. Non-rowing companions (spouses, friends) are welcome; the itinerary anticipated holds intrigue for all.

Space is limited and a deposit of 200€ (Euro) is required to secure your reservation.

The following are included in the quoted price:

Hotel accommodations for 7 nights, double occupancy with a single supplement available; all meals; boats and oars, fees, access to boat clubs; transportation to and from Palermo and all day trips during the week.

Cost does not include:

Airfare; travel & health insurance (required); personal items, toiletries, wine and souvenirs; telephone calls; transportation and trips not organized by the tour but by the individuals(s); museum entries and other special fees that will be discussed when necessary.

Price – 1900 Euro for Rowers and 1700 Euro for non-rowers.
(excluding airfare) for double occupancy, add 100 for single occupancy.