Wellness in Sicily doesn’t have to come from a dedicated retreat—it can be woven into every day of the journey. By slowing down the itinerary and building in meaningful encounters with the island’s food, culture, landscapes and people, advisors can
deliver both.
There’s a meme I often see on social media that says, “I don’t need therapy, I just need to go to Sicily.” Certainly, travel itself can be renewing. The sense of adventure it creates perfectly aligns with what psychotherapist Esther Perel discusses in her work—experiencing wonder and discovery makes people feel alive, curious and vibrant.
“Wellness travel” immediately conjures an image of tropical sandy beaches and palm trees or a mountain spa with hot springs. Such a vacation may include daily yoga classes, massage treatments and protein shakes. I too love slow vacations in Tulum or the Caribbean, but now, as a tour operator focused on Sicily and someone who for years worked in an office in New York City 40-50 hours per week with a limited amount of vacation days, I have a different idea. It’s clear to me that my clients want to use their precious personal time-off to explore the world while also gaining a sense of renewal for their bodies and spirits.
As a travel designer focused on a destination in Europe, I know that if my clients are going to spend their hard-earned money on an international flight, they don’t want to only see the inside of a yoga studio or spa—they want to immerse themselves in Sicilian culture and have a sense of place. So, when I plan my itineraries—and not just those that are called “wellness” retreats—I keep pacing top of mind. And I am careful to not only consider each day’s experiences and what they feel like, but also the entire itinerary as an organism. Each component plays off the other.
Our work and home lives are so focused on getting things done that they are often isolating. To counter that and give our Experience Sicily guests a vehicle for feeling alive, curious and vibrant, I strategically include different experiences in a travel plan that are spread over many days. First and foremost is a sense of connection to other humans. Sure, we’re connected to people all day through our personal computers and our smart devices, but what really fills one’s soul is receiving a smile across the dinner table.
Creating slow moments of shared meals with friendly conversations between our guests, who in many cases, just met, is foundational. As a tour or retreat leader, I introduce participants to each other, so they know where they have common ground. Those entry points make conversations between them flow more easily.
The expectation is that a trip to Europe includes historic highlights. In Sicily, for example, there are seven UNESCO World Heritage sites. These, let’s say, are the headliners. What I’ve found though, is that the aspects of our tours that guests remember most are the shared moments and the profound intellectual and cultural elements that provoke emotions and reminders of what it means to be human.
I take the expectation and approach it strategically.
A visit to Monreale Cathedral outside of Palermo is deeper than the surface-level spectacle of 63,000 sq. ft. of mosaic tile decorations. It becomes a story about how its architectural design combines aesthetics from Latin and Greek-Christian, Arab-Muslim and Jewish heritages to create a masterpiece of humanity like no other in the world. The multi-cultural harmony created from what one might consider to be dissonant approaches is awe-inspiring and intellectually provoking.
A boat excursion on the Tyrrhenian Sea becomes an opportunity to feel the wind on one’s face and to submerge one’s body in the healing properties of salty water—meditation in motion. A visit to a mountain village turns into an encounter with the sheep that make the milk that’s used to make the ricotta that is stuffed into the fresh cannoli your clients eat for dessert. Your clients may think they’re going to a winery to have lunch with a few glasses of wine. Not so fast. In Sicily, we slow it all down. We walk through the vines, pick a few grapes that they squeeze into their mouth, and then they learn about the old ways of winemaking when the women stomped on the fruit with their bare feet in a palmento. If it’s olive harvest season, we shake the trees to capture the drupes and then bring them to the mill, where we dip crusty bread into the freshly pressed EVOO. Learning how our food is produced and from where it comes often makes us think differently about what exactly we’re putting in our bodies.
Each day has a nugget encouraging our guests to notice. I want your clients to hold beautiful, hand-painted ceramic platters in their hands. See the saturated colors and run their fingers on the smooth surface. I want the herbalist Aldo to pick a sprig of rosemary from his bush and push it into their nose. I look for sacred festivals that are happening, so travelers witness the joy and wonder when a community gathers to venerate their patron saint.
Whenever possible, I want visitors to put their hands in the flour to feel the satisfaction of making their own pasta dinner. When the musicians arrive with their tambourine, guitar and accordion, I want visitors to get up and dance with them. Sing along even if they don’t know the words! The sense of moving to the rhythm together and engaging one’s body in synchronistic movement with fellow travelers activates a vitality that many don’t have access to regularly. It gives one a sense of play and belonging.
Walks in the countryside; interaction with locals who have different world perspectives; exposure to ancient history—when we connect to nature and humanity through simple interactions as well as through timeless monuments, a different kind of nourishment occurs. This is a different definition of wellness.
As we professionals plan retreats and travel experiences, we must meet our guests where they are, yet also strategically and gently push them beyond their comfort zones. The results will surprise them and create a sense of renewal they may not have thought possible from a tour abroad. It’s about slowing it down and as always, creating moments when they can feel present.
Importantly, I have nothing against psychotherapy; however, I must agree. The right itinerary in Sicily could be equally effective.
Allison Scola is the founder, owner and curator of Experience Sicily. A Sicily and Italy travel specialist, she writes and lectures about the region, leads immersive tours and designs custom itineraries.
