Eco-friendly road trip in Sicily: Franzi's travel adventure with the hybrid car
The next travel adventure is coming up, and this time I'm going around the beautiful island of Sicily in a hybrid car. I'll tell you here which climate-friendly activities I can recommend, where you can see flamingos and where my favourite beach is.
Choosing the eco-friendly vehicle
For this sustainable road trip, the first thing I do is choose the right vehicle. My friend Flo and I actually wanted to drive an electric car, as we had already discovered charging stations in Palermo. We thought that charging the battery and therefore the range for the electric car would not be a problem. But as is sometimes the case when traveling: Not everything goes according to plan. Unfortunately, we couldn't find a suitable electric car. So we end up choosing a small but fine hybrid car from Dream Rent, which uses both petrol and electricity. A good compromise. Incidentally, the battery charges automatically when idling and braking. This means we can not only reach villages off the beaten track, but also explore remote nature reserves that would be difficult to reach by conventional means of transport. My friend Flo and I affectionately call the Fiat Panda the "Offroad Panda": the hybrid car takes us slowly but surely along adventurous dirt tracks and up steep hairpin bends along the coast.
Our Fiat Panda doesn't really want to go faster than 90 km/h - but we don't need to drive any faster than that on the many small country roads anyway. This literally takes the speed out of it and makes the off-road Panda the perfect companion for our slow-traveling adventure. As you can see, it was love at second sight.
The magical itinerary across Sicily
Flo and I start in our adopted home of Palermo, the capital in the north of Sicily, where we are currently spending the winter for three months. Over the course of the almost two-week road trip, our route will take us clockwise through the diverse landscapes of Sicily - from the sun-drenched coasts and picturesque villages to the imposing nature reserves and the fiery Etna.
For your orientation, here are the places we visited in chronological order: Palermo, Cefalù, Capo d'Orlando, Milazzo, Messina, Taormina, Catania, Syracuse, Noto, Modica, Ragusa, Agrigento, Aragona, Alia, Palermo.
Sustainable overnight stays
The focus on sustainable travel is also reflected in the choices I make for my overnight stays. Here are the three ways I find my sustainable accommodation:
1. Local recommendations: Whether at events or in cafés - my secret weapon is to ask everywhere to get authentic recommendations from locals. Thanks again to the smartly dressed Italian lady who showed me the accommodation Terra di Pace with the olive plantation. The place was, as the name suggests, very peaceful and the owner very nice. Gladly again
2. Booking.com with label for sustainable travel: When searching on Booking.com, I pay particular attention to the labels for sustainable travel. These help me to find accommodation that meets my ecological standards.
3. Booking agriturismo via Google Maps: For unique experiences, I often search for an agriturismo directly via Google Maps and make a reservation by phone. Agriturismi are farms that offer vacations with fantastic culinary catering on the farm. The regional cuisine is based on organic farming and not only pampers my palate, but also contributes to environmental protection: Because most of the dishes don't have a 100-meter "journey" from the garden to the kitchen behind them. On the farm, the farmers are also happy to show you their fields, animals and anything else they have to offer. Would you like to find out more? Then be sure to check out my travel report about agriturismo.
Adventures and nature experiences along the route:
First, our route takes us along many beautiful stretches of coastline and beaches - as befits an island. I discover my personal favorite beach at Punta della Mola. I love the wild and romantic stone beach here, where we had to climb down some rocks to get into the bay. However, the short effort was immediately rewarded with the crystal-clear water and the fantastic view of the stones in and along the sea. Speaking of stones: it feels like you can explore many "old stones" all over the island, from temples to castles, such as the castle complex Castello di Milazzo. There is also an interactive sculpture exhibition of the Museo del Mar Milazzo (MUMA) for €4 per person. If you want to visit directly online, you can now take part in an online 3D tour online 3D tour.
The route now takes us from the picturesque coast a little inland. Our goal: perhaps the most impressive natural experience on the island - climbing the steep volcano Etna. A real leg workout after all that gelato and pizza, if you ask me. But the volcanic landscape with the lava rock and the sweeping views with this magical atmosphere are worth it.
After this detour - and what felt like three espressos later - we set off on a digital treasure hunt with the app Geocaching. This treasure hunt shows us the surroundings from a completely new perspective. It takes us to Riserva naturale orientata Oasi Faunistica di Vendicari, where we discover free-living flamingos and the remains of an old sardine factory. Flo is particularly taken with the pink flamingos standing elegantly in the shallow water and I have the feeling that he is a bit of an ornithologist, a bird expert at heart.
In order to continue spotting one or two birds afterwards and stay away from the mass tourism, we follow a waiter's recommendation to his favorite spot and go to the famous Scala dei Turchi to the coastal stretch Punta Bianca Beach. The small white piece of island looks like it has been sprinkled with powdered sugar. I've never seen anything like it before.
After so many adventures, we long for a little refreshment. But of course, olive oil is a must for a real Italian dish. So we head to a local olive press called Olioprincipe to find out how the oil is pressed. The excursion feels like an episode of The Mouse Show. At the end, we even get to taste the squeaky green oil with one finger: It tastes very intense and hotter than expected
With this highlight slowly coming to an end, we explore the caves on the way back Grotte della Gurfa with its impressive rock architecture.
How do I always discover the best insider tips for my travels?
Apart from the support of my trusty companion Google, I prefer to ask locals on the spot, like the waiter in the restaurant. Whether I'm at an event or sitting in a café, I always ask them where they think I should definitely go as a sustainable globetrotter. Other travelers also enthusiastically share their personal experiences, but they often don't have the cool stories in store.
However, my absolute insider tip is to visit the local tourist office. Yes, you don't want to believe it. Even in the age of "mobile first", I simply find the best treasures here. I can highly recommend the tourist information in Agrigento in particular. Without the dedicated lady at the tourist office, who took over half an hour of her time for me, I would never have gotten the tip about the local olive press. She also wrote me a list of even more travel ideas on a piece of paper, including where she was going with her family. A real travel jackpot.
Sustainable travel for a greener future
With a hybrid car like our off-road Panda, overnight stays at agriturismi and exploring small villages and nature reserves, I am helping to preserve Sicily's treasures.
Let yourself be enchanted by Sicily so that you can experience the beautiful landscapes with IMPACKT and enjoy an Aperol on your favorite beach at a romantic sunset.
Ciao and best regards,
Franzi
