Discover Your Italy can arrange culinary and cultural itineraries to Sicily: here there are a number of hotels that make for good bases for exploring the island. At the top of the line there are two Belmond hotels both located in the northeastern coastal town of Taormina: Belmond Grand Hotel Timeo, next to the city’s Greek theater, has been a favorite of visitors to Sicily since the 19th century and Belmond Villa Sant’Andrea is in a converted 1830 villa with an oceanfront view. The Planeta Estate, where Chef Angelo Pumilia holds his classes, is nestled among vineyards near the southern town of Menfi. The hotel is a convenient location for exploring Agrigento. In Ortigia, the ancient center of Syracuse, where you can see sites from a Greek temple and Baroque churches along the waterfront, the Algilà Ortigia Charme Hotel is a good value offering modern four-star comforts in two converted Baroque palaces.