Sicily and Sardinia
Tajikistan
SICILY, SARDINIA & THE GARGANO
Ninety kilometres south of still active Mount Etna we find Monte Ible’s dry limestone slopes which in spring are adorned with a wonderful show of flowers.
Anemones, Irises and Asphodels are abundant in the abandoned fields and terraces above Syracusa but it will be the orchids that will steal the show. A dozen or more species can be seen in some of these tiny fields. Spectacular Pink Butterfly Orchids are joined by Orchis longicornu whose deep purple, white and pink flowers make it one of Europe’s prettiest orchids. Amid Giant and Naked Man Orchids we’ll enjoy a prolific show of bee orchids with abundant yellow and pink Sawfly Orchid, colourful Ophrys bertolonii and fur-rimmed Mirror Orchid. Sicily is a hotspot in the evolution of this group of orchids. Yellow-edged Ophrys biancae and both Ophrys lunulata and Ophrys panormitana are found nowhere else in the world and several others can only be seen here or on the nearby mainland.
We’ll explore limestone gorges, wooded valleys and even coastal nature reserves where a fascinating saltmarsh and dune flora will keep us busy when we’re not looking at the Flamingos, Black-winged Stilts and Slender-billed Gulls!
For the second week of the trip we move to Sardinia and the ‘lost world’ of the Giara di Gesturi is a landscape as unexpected as it is strangely beautiful. Outcrops of pinky-black basalt and prehistoric ‘nuraghi’ emerge from marshy meadows and dwarf Cork Oak woodlands on plateaux two thousand feet above sea level.
As a chorus of trills from Tyrrhenean Tree Frogs rises from pools we’ll enjoy lovely Crocus minimus and pink-purple Romulea revelieri amongst several orchids. Newly described Ophrys ortuabis blooms with yellow Anemones under the shadow of six-thousand feet high Monti del Gennargentu. We’ll visit a wood full of the endemic Paeonia morisii, a startling sight. Lower down the beguiling landscapes that lie between our ideally placed hotel and the Fluminese are rich in orchids. One of Europe’s most beautiful orchids, Orchis longicornu is rather common, and mixes with Pink Butterfly Orchid and the endemic Orchis ichnusae. The lovely Mirror Orchid is a frequent sight and amongst a host of commoner Bee Orchids we’ll see plenty of the island’s specialities of which there are quite a number! Ophrys eleonorae has lips of glowing blue and purple, endemic Ophrys chestermannii large velvety square flowers, and oval-lipped flowers of grey, purple and pink belong to exquisite Ophrys morisii.
The little green orchid Gennaria diphylla joins several species of Romulea, Bellardia and Barbary Nuts in one of Europe’s pre-eminent wetlands, the little-known Sinis. Corsican Swallowtails fly amongst dunes by lagoons that are home to birds such as Audouin’s Gulls. Even as we land at Cagliari’s airport we’ll see flocks of Greater Flamingos on lagoons next to the runway – Sardinia’s that sort of place!
The third week of the tour takes us to the Gargano’s tranquil limestone hills that rise to over three thousand feet and manage to pack an unbelievable flora into an area only fifty miles across. From the beautiful cool green beech and oak forests and limestone karst moonscapes of the higher reaches the hills plunge towards a deep blue Adriatic where the local inhabitants cling to the cliff-tops in stunning jumbled white-walled towns.
No less than 72 orchid species have been recorded and we should see over 48 during our stay. The sheer abundance of Pink Butterfly Orchids and Green-winged Orchids is a revelation and amongst these we can find swarms of the Gargano’s speciality – Bee Orchids. Many are found only in this region – Ophrys apulica, Ophrys archipelagi, Ophrys parvimaculata, Ophrys promontorii and the abundant and aptly-named Ophrys garganica. There’s Serapias apulica, improbably decorating a motorway verge, and Serapias laxiflora, also Ophrys virescens, rare Ophrys sipontensis, Ophrys funerea and the lovely Spectacle Ophrys. In Southern Murgia we shall find the local endemics Ophrys tarentina and Ophrys celiensis. But orchids are only part of the show. Swathes of Anemones, Cyclamens, Violas and Narcissus poeticus decorate the woodland floor. Woodpeckers, Hawfinches and Flycatchers inhabit their newly leafy boughs. Swallowtails and Southern Festoons sail across fields adorned with superb shows of Irises and Wild Tulips.
At reed-rimmed coastal wetlands are Spoonbills, Glossy Ibis, Bearded Tits, Greater Flamingos and colonies of pink-washed Slender-billed Gulls. We’ll find the huge blooms of Paeonia mascula and gorgeous Paeonia peregrina, endemic Campanula garganica, half a dozen Star-of-Bethlehem’s, Tulipa sylvestris, and amongst several irises are fine groups of Iris pseudopumila, Iris lutescens and the endemic Iris bicapitata. Rare Arum apulum inhabits the lovely Itria Valley. We have chosen very peaceful hotels so that you can enjoy the wonderful fauna, flora and scenery of the Gargano right up to your hotel balcony!
An extension takes us to Molise is one of the smallest and off the beaten track regions in Italy, where a popular recurring joke is that “Molise doesn’t exist”. While very small, Molise is an area of green, rolling hills that rises from the Adriatic up to the impressive 2000+ metre peaks and ridges of the Matese Mountains bordering Campania. Fabulous high-altitude grasslands are covered with millions of yellow or purple-blue Viola eugeniae, Anacamptis morio, Orchis pauciflora, Bellevalia romana and Spring Gentians. Extensive Beechwoods are full of Dactylorhiza sambucina and Dactylorhiza romana, Anemone apennina, Corydalis cava, Cyclamen repandum and Scilla bifolia… and being a limestone massif there’s plenty of orchids including rarities such as Oprhys minipassionis.
Dates and Prices
3rd April - 26th April 2025 (24 days)
* doesn't apply if you're willing to share and a room-mate can be arranged
Spring Flowers, particularly Orchids. Also Birds, Reptiles and Amphibians, and superb rural Landscapes.
Stefano Doglio , Alice Hunter , Matt Cauldwell
One leader for a group of up to 6, two leaders up to the maximum group size of 12. Stefano is first leader throughout, aided by Alice for the first and last week and Matt for the middle week as required .
All flights. All transport, meals and accommodation in Italy. Services of your leaders. Please note: drinks, tips, and items of a personal nature including travel insurance, are not included.
The whole week of the first week will be spent at the delightful Feudo Bauly in Sicily. Feudo Bauly is an ancient property from the 1300s. In the 18th century, it was the noble residence of Baron Gabriele Judica, the archaeologist who started the excavations of the Greek Theater of Palazzolo. Now owned by the Corsino family Feudo Bauly has been converted into a welcoming 4-star hotel, with comfortable rooms, a restaurant and a swimming pool surrounded by nature and the natural splendour of the Iblean countryside. The restaurant is exceptional and provides plenty of traditional Sicilian fare.
For the entire second week on Sardinia we stay at the Agriturismo Su Massaiu. Set atop a low hill and surrounded by orchards this lovely little hotel has views up to the Giara and is close to the famous Nuraghe of Barumini. Almonds and Olives populate Su Massaiu’s orchards and the farm is well-known for its organic produce that includes lavender, melons, lentils, vegetables and the precious Turri Saffron. The pleasant rooms are set around a wide courtyard in which there is a swimming pool. Each room has its own verandah entrance.
For the third week of the trip we move to the Gargano, starting at the Hotel Poggio Degli Ulivi situated on a hill just west of Rodi Garganico and with wonderful views out over the Adriatic. We’ve three nights to enjoy the restaurant which serves great local cuisine, the swimming pool (if it’s warm enough!) and the bright modern air-conditioned rooms. Later we’ll move south to the Palace Hotel San Michele, over 2,500 feet above sea-level, and with magnificent views south to the Golfo di Manfredonia. This very comfortable hotel has a fine restaurant, orchid-filled terraces in one direction and the lovely old town-centre of Monte Santangelo a short walk in the other! Both are quality four-star hotels.
On the extension we’ll stay at the Agriturismo Le Due Arcate. The rooms are straightforward but comfortable and they serve truly excellent cuisine. All rooms on this tour have en-suite facilities.
Relaxed and easy. Always at a slow pace, ideally suited to photographers. Much the time will be spent in fields and terraces on limestone where the ground may be a little rough.
UK direct flights are from London Gatwick to Catania. The return is direct from Bari to London Gatwick, or if you opt for the extension from Naples to London. Other indirect routes from regional UK Airports* are available.
*These routes may incur a supplement.
Variable but mostly clear and sunny with daytime temperatures between 12°C and 25°C. Rain is likely at some point and is occasionally prolonged.
This tour is part of a four week Italian spectacular which can be split into one, two or three week parts.;
For three week tours see Cilento, Calabria, Sicily and Sardinia and The Orchids of Italy.
For two week tours see Cilento, Calabria & Sicily , Sicily and Sardinia , and Sardinia & The Gargano
For individual weeks see Cilento and Calabria Sicily, Sardinia and The Gargano
Contact us to check if there is availability for the number of places you require. Click on the ‘Book this Tour’ button on this page to be taken to the online booking form or contact us and we will send one to you which you can complete and send back to us. You will receive confirmation of your place, and then a detailed information pack will be dispatched to you about twelve weeks before departure. This will contain up-to-date health information.
