🌿 Giarre and Beyond: Discovering the Agricultural Heart of Sicily

Between Mount Etna and the Ionian Sea lies a lesser-known Sicily — a land of citrus groves, lava stones, olive trees shaped by the wind, and villages where time slows down. This is the Sicily that doesn’t make it to the glossy travel brochures, but the one that stays in your heart.

A land of roots, not routes

Just a few minutes inland from the Riviera dei Ciclopi, the hills of Giarre, Santa Venerina, and San Giovanni Montebello open up like a forgotten storybook. The roads are narrow, the stone walls are ancient, and the scent of lemon blossoms and wood-fired bread greets you at every curve.

This is not a Sicily of luxury resorts. It’s one of family-run vineyards, hand-tended orchards, and people who still call the land by its old names. It’s the perfect place to understand what it means to grow things slowly — with patience, respect, and a bit of stubbornness.

The rhythms of rural life

In this part of Sicily, the seasons still dictate life. You’ll find farmers working volcanic soil that gives unique depth to local wines like Nerello Mascalese or Carricante — grapes born from lava and sea breeze. The Strade del Vino dell’Etna offer a wonderful way to explore these wine routes at a relaxed pace.

Markets here don’t cater to tourists. They’re filled with real produce, real smells, and real conversations. Visit Macchia di Giarre on a weekday morning and you’ll see locals chatting over baskets of zucchini flowers, or debating which bakery has the best “pane cunzato”.

A new beginning for others, too

It’s in these lands — rural, gentle, alive — that we dream of creating a space not only for people, but for animals rescued from cruelty. While we haven’t yet settled on the exact location, somewhere between Giarre and Acireale we hope to build a sanctuary: a safe haven for donkeys, goats, sheep, and cats who were born into the wrong story.

This future sanctuary will be called Sotto la Panca — “Under the Bench”. Because sometimes, life begins in the humblest of places.

Slow Sicily, the real one

So if you’re looking for the real Sicily, don’t stop at the coast. Head inland, even just a few kilometers. Wander through Santa Venerina, sip a coffee with pistachio cream in Mangano, or enjoy a sunset walk through San Leonardello.

And when you look around, remember: this is not a postcard. This is Sicily, alive — and still growing.

🔗 Internal links:

• Etna: Wine, Lava and Myth

• Sicilian Native Grapes: From Frappato to Nero d’Avola

• A Local Guide from Manchester to Catania

🔗 External links:

• Strade del Vino dell’Etna

• GAL Terre dell’Etna e dell’Alcantara

• Visit Etna – Official Site

• Sotto la Panca Sanctuary (official site)