Cooking in Siracusa™

Join our Italian Mamma in the historic center of Siracusa for hands-on traditional Sicilian cooking and a true food lover’s experience. Your week includes three hands-on cooking classes, a visit to the fish market, a local prized vineyard and olive oil maker.  Discover Sicily’s flavors and nonna’s kitchen in the historic seaside setting.  Immerse in Sicily’s culture and learn about artisan pasta, cheese, wine, and olive oil while touring and soaking up the local culture.

Sicily Cooking Classes

Our Italian Mamma leads you in hands-on cooking classes using her family recipes and local farm-to-table ingredients.   Passion is a key ingredient in cooking and she teaches the history and culture behind each recipe, reflecting the many different influences on Sicilian cuisine.

After each cooking class everyone enjoys the food that was made in class including a full-course lunch or dinner with wine and beverages included.

Menus vary and are based on the season, and may include: fried pizzette with tuna & anchovies, Sicilian cheese with pepper, beccafico fish, cherry tomatoes, olives, impanate and caponata.  First courses include couscous with fresh fish or eggplant timbale, or perhaps a fresh tuna fish with mint caponatina.  Learn how to prepare Mamma’s favorite, a local fennel and orange salad dusted with sea sald.  Sicilian desserts cassata, Sicilian cake with ricotta or semi-freddo, a soft gelato with fresh fruit.

Siracusa

Discover beautiful Siracusa.  Dating back in time from the once Greek rule of this land, Siracusa is steeped with ancient traditions of cuisine, history and folklore.  During your stay, you can also visit a most interesting part of Siracusa, a straight which is divided into nine neighborhoods (each with a name also in Sicilian dialect): Graziella (Razziedda), Bottari (‘Uttari), Mastrarua (Masciarrò), Spirduta (Spidduta), Maestranza (Mascianza), Duomo (Domu), Giudecca (Jureca), Turba (Tubba), and Castello Maniace (Casteddu).

The Piazza Duomo offers a great place to have a caffè and people watch or simply admire the incredible architecture around you, presided over by the impressive Baroque-faced Duomo dedicated to Santa Lucia, the patron saint of Siracusa. The Duomo was originally a Greek temple dedicated to the goddess Athena, and the Doric columns can still be seen along the sides of the Duomo, though now built into the walls after two major earthquakes shook the ancient frame.

The island’s picturesque alleyways make for wonderful evening passeggiate, strolls, and the area around the Castello Maniace at the southern tip of the island, and the seafront promenade along the western shore is the center of local nightlife and is lined with cafés, bars and restaurants. The Castello was originally built in 1038 AD as a fort, but was transformed into a castle in the 13th century. Today, events and exhibitions are held in the parade ground inside the fortress walls.

The Fonte Aretusa, is the freshwater spring on the western shore of the island, named after the nymph Arethusa, who, according to Greek mythology, was transformed into this spring that flowed underground from Greece to Sicily while trying to flee from the river god, Alpheus. Papyrus plants grow in the spring today, and legend says that Greek flowers appear in the fountain, whose waters, they claim, flow directly from Greece.

Sicily Accommodations

Boutique B&B

Nestled against the backdrop of a natural harbor, this enchanting B&B radiates the quintessential charm of Sicilian hospitality. The B&B prides itself on offering guests detailed and thoughtful recommendations for exploring the beautiful city of Syracuse, with its myriad stunning destinations. The neighborhood of Ortgia, beloved for its vibrant atmosphere, fine dining, and rich architecture, makes for an ideal base for travelers seeking an immersive experience. Each room is air-conditioned and offers elegant parquet flooring and modern amenities, including a personal computer with complimentary Wi-Fi and an LCD TV. Comfy bedding and Italian linens adorn each bed – complete with an ensuite private bath. Rooms feature a balcony overlooking the ancient temple of Apollo. Guests can enjoy a breakfast buffet on a terrace overlooking the sea, where both sweet and savory Sicilian delights are served. Breakfast is served daily, including homemade Italian cakes, breads, and biscotti made by the host, along with fresh fruit from the garden, coffee, tea, juices and jams.

Luxury 5 – Star Siracusa

Nestled in the heart of historical Ortgia, the extravagant 5 star property stands as a testament to architectural grace since its construction in the late nineteenth century. The hotel maintains its original Liberty style and charm, offering an ambiance of subtle luxury. Each room features breathtaking views Syracuse over city rooftops, ensuring a stay that is as unforgettable as it is comfortable. Guests can easily reach key attractions, enjoy artisan to high-end shopping, and walk through layers of ancient history. Guests are treated to spacious and elegantly appointed rooms that provide comfort and serenity after a day spent exploring the city’s rich tapestry of sights and sounds. Comfy bedding and Italian linens adorn each room – complete with an ensuite private bath. Breakfast is served daily, including homemade Italian cakes, breads, and biscotti made by the host, along with fresh fruit from the garden, coffee, tea, juices and jams.

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Itinerary: 7 days, 6 nights

This program is available 12 months per year. You can check in and start your program on any day of the week.

Day 1: Arrival and Check in Welcome Dinner featuring Chef’s Tasting Menu

• Arrival transfer from Catania Airport.
• Check in and relax and enjoy your Cooking Vacations’ Welcome Bag.
• Later in the evening, enjoy your Welcome Dinner featuring a Chef’s Tasting Menu.

Day 2: Discover the Fish Market & Cooking Class 1

• Breakfast is served.
• Meet our Italian Mamma and visit the outdoor market of Ortigia to see the fresh catches of the day and the many different types of seafood on offer, and learn how to choose the best fresh fish for every menu.
• Following the fish market tour, tie on your aprons for Cooking Class 1 with our Italian Mamma preparing a full course menu.  Dinner follows with the foods prepared in class. Wine and drinks included.

Day 3: Discover Siracusa

• Breakfast is served.
• Following breakfast, meet your driver and English-speaking guide for a visit to Siracusa, one of the most historic cities in Sicily.  Discover the Greek Neapolis Archeological Park with the Theater, the Amphitheater and Dionysius’ Ear.
• Lunch included at a local Sicilian trattoria.
• Your full-day tour continues in the afternoon, visiting in particular the historic island of Ortigia, the oldest neighborhood in Siracusa. Visit the piazzas, churches, palazzos and temples that make this incredible part of Sicily famous throughout the world.
• Return to the hotel in the late afternoon. Dinner is on your own with suggestions provided.

Day 4: Sicilian Vineyard, Wine Tour Tasting Lunch

• Breakfast is served.
• Morning free to relax or go for a stroll on your own.
• In the early afternoon, visit a local vineyard with light lunch and tasting included. This vineyard has been owned and making wine by the same family since 1908.  Taste Sicilian wine from the property with an olive oil tasting too.
• Return to the hotel in the late afternoon. Dinner is on your own with suggestions provided.

Day 5: Morning Free to Relax or Shop & Cooking Class 2

• Breakfast is served.
• Following breakfast, explore the town, shop, sit in a caffe or enjoy a gelato.
• In the later afternoon, tie on your aprons for Cooking Class 2 preparing a full course menu.  Dinner follows with the foods prepared in class. Wine and beverages included.

Day 6: Cooking Class 3

• Breakfast is served.
• Following breakfast, tie on your aprons for Cooking Class 2 preparing a full course menu.  Dinner follows with the foods prepared in class. Wine and beverages included.
• Evening is free and on your own.  Stroll the town, enjoy a gelato and soak in the culture from a local caffe.

Day 8: Check Out & Departure

• Breakfast is served.
• Check out and departure.
• Transfer to Catania airport.