Sicily – A Story That Stays in Your Heart

Mario G Figlioli
Apr 21
2 min read

An experiential trip to Sicily, told by someone who has truly lived it—with passion, wide eyes, and an open heart.

There’s a reason why everyone who sets foot in Sicily dreams of returning. It’s not just the sun warming ancient stones, or the sea that looks like a painting. It’s something deeper. Sicily calls you. It speaks to you. It takes your hand and guides you through a timeless story.

I’m Mario, and with Sicily West by Mario, I don’t offer typical vacations—I offer experiential trips to Sicily that stay with you forever.Because Sicily isn’t just a destination. It’s a feeling.

I still remember the reaction of an American couple during a sunset in Erice:

“Mario, this isn’t a vacation. It’s a poem.”And they were right. Every corner of this island is a verse, every stone a word, every dish an emotion.

Sicily – A Story That Stays in Your Heart

Walking through the Valley of the Temples at sunset, with golden columns glowing red, feels like hearing ancient voices whisper in your ear. Selinunte, with its solemn silence, leaves you breathless. Segesta, Piazza Armerina, Caltagirone, Taormina, Siracusa, Ortigia—each city is a world of its own, a past that awakens beneath your feet.

Then there’s the Baroque side of Sicily, which embraces you like a dance: Modica, Ragusa Ibla, Scicli. No words needed. Just lift your eyes to the carved stone balconies, breathe in the scent of orange blossoms, and let yourself be cradled by beauty.

And what about wild nature? Mount Etna, immense, watches you with ancient eyes. The Madonie Mountains, with timeless villages like San Mauro Castelverde, welcome you with silence and the scent of pine. Then come the coasts: San Vito Lo Capo, Scala dei Turchi, Cefalù, Marzamemi, Capo Milazzo, Tindari, Isola Bella—each view is a caress for the soul.

But the real secret of an experiential trip to Sicily is the people.In a smile given for no reason, in a grandmother who offers you a slice of homemade cassata, in a farmer who lets you taste a freshly picked orange. Loquats, prickly pears, olives… in Sicily, even the fruits seem to tell stories.

And the food? It’s a hymn to life. Pasta alla Norma, cannoli, arancina that crunches perfectly, Mazara’s seafood couscous, pane cunzato that tastes like home. And the wines—ah, the wines! Nero d’Avola, Marsala, Etna Rosso. Best enjoyed as the sun sets and everything turns to gold.