Sicily, Italy

What happens when you pair up a culinary experience with a fitness adventure? You get a Culinary FitCation! We’ll spend 7 nights and 6 days exploring dalle montagne al mare from the mountains to the sea.

Payment: We offer payment installments.

Trip size: 7-14 people

Your FitCation Includes:

7 nights accommodation with ensuite baths and views
1-2 fitness classes daily to complement our adventure and culinary experiences
Airport transfers to/from Catania and all transportation during the trip
Breakfast, lunch and 4 dinners

Adventure Travel

Hikes exploring Ragusa Ibla, Mt. Etna and Taormina
Alcantara Gorge Guided Canyon Trip
Kayaking in Ortigia Bay

Culinary and Cultural Experiences – See the authentic Sicily!

Cooking lesson featuring local specialties
Historic Tours of Unesco World Heritage Sites
Wine tastings from two distinct regions
Regional dining experiences
Chocolate tasting and other specialty experiences

Accommodations

Giardino sul Duomo in Ragusa
Hotel Villa Schuler in Taormina
Guest accommodations are simple and elegant rooms with views of the Cathedral of Ragusa Ibla or the Ionian Sea in Taormina.

Travel

Please fly into the Catania airport in Sicily.
Arrival: We will be picking you up at 1:00 pm.
Departure: Our drivers will return you to the Catania airport at approximately 1:00 pm.

Your FitCation does not include:

Airfare
3 dinners
Pre or post-FitCation excursions from our partner — be sure to tell them you're a part of our group!

FAQS

training notes

Sicily sample Itinerary

Day One — Your Arrival!

The cathedral in Ragusa, Italy against blue sky

LOW ACTIVITY

1:00 pm: Pick up at Catania Airport and transfer to Ragusa Ibla
3:00 pm: Check-in
4:30 pm: Orientation meeting and Aperitivo
5:30 pm: Walking Tour of Ragusa Ibla
7:00 pm: Welcome dinner

Day Two — Cava della Misericordia

HIGH ACTIVITY

8:00 am: Morning Mobility class
8:40 am: Breakfast
10:00 am - 1:00 pm: Hiking Cava della Misericordia
1:30 pm: Lunch at Baglio Occhipinti
3:00 pm: Wine tasting and tour of Occhipinti winery
Evening: Dinner on your own in Ragusa

Day Three — Modica, Scicli and Cooking lesson

LOW ACTIVITY

8:00 am: Lengthen and Strengthen class
10:00 am: Chocolate tasting at Antica Dolceria Bonajuto and stroll through Modica
12:30 pm: Lunch
2:30 - 4:30 pm: Free time (shop/nap/lounge by the pool)
5:15 pm: Wandering aperitivo through Scicli
6:15 pm: Cooking lesson and Dinner at Al Galu

Day Four — Kayaking in Ortigia

MEDIUM ACTIVITY

7:15 am: Early breakfast
8:00 am: Departure to Siracusa
10:00 am - 1:00 pm: Kayaking in Ortigia Bay (with warm up stretching)
2:00 pm: Lunch
3:00 pm: Free time to explore Siracusa
4:15 pm: Transfer to Taormina
6:30 pm: Check in at Hotel Villa Schuler
7:30 pm: Pizza dinner

Day Five — Gole dell’Alcantara and Wine tasting

MEDIUM ACTIVITY

8:00 am: Breakfast
10:00 am: River trekking in Gole dell’Alcantara
2:00 pm: Wine tasting and lunch at Tenuta di Fessina
4:00 pm: Return to Taormina
6:00 pm: Sunset stretch class
Evening: Dinner on your own

Day Six — Mt. Etna

HIGH ACTIVITY

8:30 am: Breakfast
9:30 am: Depart for Mt Etna
10:30 am: Hike and picnic on Mt. Etna
6:00 pm: Sunset stretch class
Evening: Dinner on your own might we suggest sipping prosecco on your terrace?

Day Seven — Taormina tour, boat tour, and cooking lesson

MEDIUM ACTIVITY

8:15 am: Core circuit class
9:00 am: Breakfast
10:30 am: Walking tour of Taormina
12:00 pm: Walk down the stairs to the beach
1:00 pm: Lunch on the beach
2:00 - 4:30 pm: Boat tour with Sicily Adventure
6:30 pm: Cooking lesson and dinner at Villa Britannia

Day Eight — Departure

LOW ACTIVITY

9:00 am: Flow and Easy class
9:30 am: Breakfast
10:30 am: Check out
11:00 am: Transport back to Catania Airport

Packing and Travel

Attire in Sicily tends to be casual but also stylish with attention to breathable fabrics that stay cool. Average temperatures in Sicily at the time of our FitCation are in the 80s during the day and 70s in the evening with lots of sunshine. Of course, do check the weather forecast before closing your suitcase.

When you’re choosing outfits to pack, think of how you can layer throughout the day. When you pack items that can be worn in multiple outfits, not only does it help to save space in your carrier, but you also have more room for Italian goodies to bring home. 😉

Leslie is our resident FitCationer who has mastered the art of traveling light with all of the necessary essentials AND leaving room to pack potential souvenirs.

Fitness class attire: Traditional fitness clothing that won’t restrict movement and is sweat-wicking/breathable. For your daily classes, you’ll find almost everything you’ll need in your BSF swag bag including a day pack, water bottle, yoga mat, and bands.
Day trip and sightseeing attire: We will often go from hiking into lunch or site seeing. Athletic leisure attire such as hiking shorts, capris pants, skorts, or light pants can cross over for active wear and sightseeing. Women will need to cover shoulders in any church, so please bring a light wrap or scarf.
Beach attire: Swimsuits, cover-ups, hats, sunglasses and water shoes are a must.
Italians dress to impress for dinner, but there is no need for a sport coat or high heels. Casual slacks, chinos, nice jeans, skirts, or sundresses will meet the needs for anything on our itinerary.
Bring a light jacket or wrap for when the nights get cool.
Water shoes or water sandals: All of the beaches are rocky and difficult to navigate in flip-flops or while barefoot.
Fitness footwear: Trail shoes with a stiff sole are mandatory for our hike on Mt Etna (sneakers will not suffice on the volcanic rock). Light fitness sneakers are recommended for fitness classes and can also double during walking tours. Sight-seeing shoe: Choose a comfortable walking shoe or sandal that you’ve done some miles in—you don’t want to get blisters or find out too late that they’re uncomfortable.
Evening shoes: Loafers, sneakers, dress sandals, flats or wedges work well. We recommend avoiding high heels and stilettos as they’re more challenging to wear while navigating cobblestone walkways.
- Toiletries
- Mosquito repellant
- Sunscreen
- Motion sickness medication or sea bands
- Rain jacket
- Hat
- Sunglasses
- EU adapter for plugs
- Travel-sized USB charger
- Travel wallet (with RFID protection for your security). Also consider uploading a photo of your passport and/or driver’s license to a password protected cloud storage service (Dropbox, Google, Microsoft) and credit cards to an encrypted mobile wallet. *Do not save photos of identifying information on your phone in case it is stolen.

TRAINING NOTES

Our adventure FitCation is designed at a moderate activity level. Participants should not be new to movement and current injuries need to be disclosed so our team can offer alternatives when needed.

Hikes are between 4 miles to 8 miles, moderately strenuous on uneven terrain including stairs, fire trails and single tracks, without drastic elevation gains. The pace will be adapted for all participants — go at your own speed.

River trekking will involve walking in the water over rocks and uneven surfaces.

Kayaking will be at a beginning to intermediate level. Fitness classes will be tailored to the group and appropriate for all levels.

Your Hosts

LISA VONNEGUT, CSCS

Lisa has been a trainer and a coach since 2000. She first got the travel bug in 2007 on a solo trip to the Amalfi Coast. She was inspired to create Body Synergy FitCation as a way to integrate her passions: travel, and health and fitness. Her experience working in clinical psych and acute rehabilitation settings has led her to facilitate a nourishing and motivating environment in her training sessions. In addition, Lisa is studying the application of neuroscience to training in Z-Health Performance and Next Level Neuro, bringing another unique and innovative facet to her coaching. She is currently living as a digital nomad, dividing her time between the SF Bay Area and Southern Germany.

Sophia Gottlieb

Sophia has been guiding active tours and planning vacations up and down Italy since 2011. A California native with a background in wine, food and events, she first fell in love with Italy when she came for a winery job in 2008. Now officially relocated to the heel of the boot, Sophia is fluent in Italian and specializes in itinerary planning, hunting out the best trails, history guides, tastings, meals, and scenery Italy has to offer.

Pre and Post FitCation Add-On Tours and Experiences

Interested in extending your time in Sicily? Our partners at Uncovered Sicily have put together some great tours and experiences for all areas of interest: