Our recently-introduced cookery courses and gourmet experiences are proving to be a big hit with many of our guests who are keen to travel beyond the beach to explore more of the island. Spending a few hours visiting local vineyards and farms and tasting some of the island’s best food and wine provides the perfect opportunity to see more of the island’s gorgeous rural landscape and is also a great way of learning more about the island and its history.

Our multi-sensory tasting and cooking experience close to Ragusa in south east Sicily is a popular option. As diehard Bake Off fans prepare for the programme’s last BBC episode, the Sunday Mirror has rounded up some of the top 10 Foodie Breaks, including this multi-sensory experience. The half-day excursion kicks off with a guided farm tour to introduce Wish Sicily guests to a variety of herbs and spices that are commonly used in Sicilian cooking. Guests can then participate in an optional cookery lesson, in a magnificent outdoor setting with views of the sea, and learn how to prepare a four-course menu that includes fava beans with wild fennel, cavatelli pasta and cannoli with home-produced honey.

The experience is available to guests staying at a large selection of luxury villas in Sicily, many with pools, in and around Ragusa and the baroque towns of south east Sicily. Other food-related experiences in the region include vineyard visits and wine-tasting in the Val di Noto. Further north, but still on the east coast, you can choose from pasta and pizza-making courses in Taormina, cookery classes with visits to the famous fish market in Catania and a whole range of wine experiences on the slopes of Mount Etna.

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