The Italian island of Sicily is steeped with history, having been at the turbulent crossroads of invasions, conquests and colonisations throughout the millennia. To those visits we can add one of our own, albeit a very benign one indeed, with our exclusive Dragonflies and Damselflies of Sicily tour.
Our tour covers both eastern and western aspects of the island, and involves two island-disecting 'transects' through the island's heartland. We will explore a range of Odonata-friendly habitats on the island, accompanied by the very best guide to the island's winged life - and when we say that renowned Sicilian naturalist Andrea Corso wrote the book where dragonflies and damselflies of Sicily are concerned, that's not merely a turn of phrase - he literally did! Author of the Atlas of the Distribution and Taxonomy of the Odonata of Sicily (2025) there's nobody better qualified to be your leader for this tour. Andrea's knowledge of the island's Odonata life and where to find it is truly second to none.
And the island represents a rich hunting ground for those with a keen interest in Odonata, sitting in the Mediterranean liminal space between mainland Europe and North Africa. Southern Italian and island endemics are present here, in addition to North African species on the edge of their world range, and of course a fine selection of general Southern European species besides.
All the ingredients are in place for a fabulous week of dragonfly and damselfly watching and photography. The group size for this tour is being deliberately kept small, to optimise the photographic opportunities for all participants. And speaking of ingredients, we mustn't forget to mention that, this being Sicily, our group can expect some spectacular food throughout the week, including the opportunity to sample world-famous Etna red wine on the very volcanic slopes of the eponymous smoking mountain itself.
Andrea is a proud native Sicilian, and his knowledge of his island home's culture and history adds further depth and richness to the week. That and his deep knowledge of other wildlife besides Odonata - everything is grist to his mill, so guests can anticipate close encounters with birds, butterflies, reptiles... a full Sicilian wildlife experience is on the cards, but with dragonflies and damselflies as the glittering crown jewels.
