Day 9 Mazara del Vallo Explore Mozia Island

Destination: Mazara del Vallo
Meals included: B L D
Accommodations: M/V Clio

Breakfast: Onboard the ship.

Morning: Drive to Saline Ettore Infersa—the natural phenomenon of Sicily's salt pans, which began to form nearly 3,000 years ago and make for dramatic landscape views and a glimpse at the neighboring Egadi Islands.

Next, we’ll drive out to Stagnone Lagoon, where we’ll board small boats for an included tour of Mozia Island. Nearly 3,000 years ago, Mozia was one of the most important Phoenician ports, and served as a bustling hub of trade for the old inhabitants of the Mediterranean. In ancient times, Roman engineers constructed a mile-long road connecting the island with the rest of Sicily to facilitate commerce.

Today, the road is underwater, but we’ll still be able to see it as our boats glide toward the island along the ancient causeway’s path. Once we land, we’ll walk among the ruins of the settlement, and then visit the Whitaker Museum, which houses artifacts from Mozia's past—including an elegantly carved Greek statue of a charioteer, one of the finest pieces of sculpture to ever be rescued from the Mediterranean’s depths.

Lunch: After our tour, we make our way to the picturesque, vibrant Isola Lunga and settle down for a picnic lunch on the island.

Afternoon: We’ll board our boat back to the mainland and drive to the Mazara del Vallo port, where our ship awaits. Spend the rest of the afternoon at leisure, perhaps enjoying a nap onboard or spending some more time in Mazara del Vallo.

Dinner: Onboard the ship.

Evening: At leisure as we sail to Porto Empedocle, Sicily. 

12/15/24