Flüge nach Catania

MARCH 2023

Luxurious hotels, magnificent views, and stunning beaches. Scandinavian Traveler lists all the locations we’d all love to visit from the popular television series The White Lotus.

Ever since Matt Damon and Jude Law, in their casual, pique shirts, and Gwyneth Paltrow, in her alluring lavallière blouse, captured the hearts of moviegoers everywhere in the classic film The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999), people have dreamed of spending their summers on the exclusive, sun-swept Italian riviera. Once the second season of the hit series The White Lotus (an action-filled social satire about the lives of the employees and guests of a luxury hotel) premiered on HBO Go this fall, those dreams returned in full force, as the show of course takes place amid the opulent, sun-drenched backdrop of Sicily. Here are the places that make us dream of spending a vacation living “la dolce vita”.

Catania

Any visit to this island in Southern Italy should ideally begin with a stay in the lively college town of Catania, where one of the largest airports in Sicily is located. Catania, which is the next-largest city in Sicily, after Palermo, is filled with charming trattorias, trendy wine bars, and splendid Baroque cathedrals. There’s plenty to do in this fast-paced, multifaceted city, making it the perfect stopover before a relaxing stay in one of the luxurious hotels along the coast.

Fiumefreddo di Sicilia

The first stop on the ultimate White Lotus bucket list is the iconic Castello degli Schiavi in the Flumefreddo di Sicilia region. Not only is the castle one of the Di Grasso family’s favorite haunts in the series, it also features prominently in Francis Ford Coppola’s classic The Godfather (1972).

Taormina

Drive about an hour by car from Catania, and you’ll soon arrive in the charming town of Taormina, where the gorgeous 16th century Four Seasons hotel, San Domenico Place, features prominently in the series. Even if the San Domenica is a little too rich for your blood (a standard room costs around 2,700 euro), Taormina, with its charming pedestrian alleyways, romantic atmosphere, and unparalleled panoramas of Naxos Bay and the active Etna volcano is well worth a visit. You can also reach the myth-enshrouded island of Isola Bella from Taormina’s coast or, if you prefer, explore the ancient 4th century Roman amphitheater that Portia and the Di Grasso family visit in the second episode of The White Lotus.

Photo: Unsplash

Planeta Sciaranuova

For wine aficionados, the ultimate tour winds several dozen miles farther west toward the feet of Mt. Etna. This is where you’ll find the Planeta Sciaranuova winery, where in the sixth episode of the series, four of the characters get their feathers ruffled, to put it mildly. You’ll enjoy some of the best wine Sicily has to offer along with an intoxicating view of the volcanic landscape.

Noto

Not really a wine lover? Make a jaunt instead to the 17th century city of Noto on Sicily’s southeastern coast, where Daphne and Harper spend a delightful afternoon together. You may recognize the city’s historic cathedrals, stunning architecture, and famous piazzas from movies such as Cyrano (2021) or the classic L'Avventura (1960).

Cefalù

Our next stop on the ultimate tour is Cefalù, a small but lovely Mediterranean city on Sicily’s northern coast to which millions of tourists flock each year. Just a stone’s throw from the plazas, churches, shops, and cafés is the powdery white-sand beach that’s featured in the climactic opening scene in Season Two of the series. Although the scene was originally supposed to take place on the Spiaggia di Isola beach in Taormina, the director opted to shoot it instead under the breathtaking cliffs of Spiaggia di Cefalù. Relax and enjoy the turquoise water and the fine, silky sand – but watch out for unpleasant surprises (spoiler alert!).

Palermo

Finally, it’s time for our tour to make its way to the capital of Sicily. Palermo is a bustling, fascinating urban metropolis that boasts everything from picturesque, time-weathered facades to modern street food and pulsating nightlife, which we experience when Tanya and Portia leave their luxury hotel in Taormina on a, needless to say, eventful road trip to the city.

On the outskirts of Palermo lies the palatial 16th century Villa Tasca, where Daphne takes Harper after their adventurous afternoon in Noto. The elegant interior is decorated with magnificent frescoes and Italian maiolica pottery while roses bloom next to lush palms and lemon trees in the expansive garden.

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