About Us
Our Story
Owned and operated by two women who are passionate about their roots, Secret Sicily is an example of the slow travel movement in which the focus of each part of the journey is about bringing the traveler closer to the heart of Sicily.
We specialize in small group tours that feel more like a family vacation rather than a speedy tour led by an umbrella!
Mission
Our work was born out of a belief that first-hand engagement with a place helps us to better understand our similarities as well as the beauty of diversity. We believe in a slower-paced journey to enable the traveler to truly disconnect with the, often fast-paced, way we live and return to the human and natural connections we often long for.
Reconnect with Mother Nature
Secret Sicily tours specialize in “off the beaten path” locations that enable you to see the small, quaint and colorful side of Sicily.
Because we only offer tours of Sicily, we are experts at creating experiences that enable our travelers to reset and reconnect to the world around us.
Our tours do not take place during the high travel season, because we believe in the preservation of our Sicilian traditions through sustainable tourism.
Secret Sicily's Team
Federica De Donno
Born in Rome but went to high school in Vancouver, Canada and I’ve got the best out of the two worlds: the love for nature and wilderness from Canada and the passion for ancient history art from Rome. As the nomad that I am, Sicily has been my home for the past 20 years and I’ve fallen in love with its contrasts made of fire, from the two active volcanoes, its sapphire like water that surrounds the island and, of course, the history of the many cultures that have set foot on the island in the past 3000 years is a constant reminder all around. I can’t wait to take you on a stroll on the island that, as goethe said: “to have seen italy without having seen sicily is to not have seen italy at all, for sicily is the clue to everything”
Sara Subbiondo
I have a passion for Sicily that began when I was 15 and visited the home town of my family, Santo Stefano Di Camastra. Raised as an American Italian, my love for my family and its historic past not only led me to study Italian throughout my education, but also culminated in a PhD in Transformative Studies for my research on the Aeolian Islands and the concept of sustainably flourishing. Further, in 2017 I regained my family citizenship in Italy so that I could be closer to our family roots. My dream to start this travel organization began with my own journey to get citizenship. Along the way, I traveled throughout Sicily and developed strong connections across the largest island in Italy. Coupled with my research in sustainability and over two decades as a public educator, the desire to create something that, not only educated people but also, enabled them to expand their world view was essential. Further, my time working in the non-profit sector in the US has enabled me to see how community agency can transform economies, and ensure positive outcomes for all. Federica and I met during the first year of my PhD and have been close friends ever since. Secret Sicily reflects our passion for sustainable travel that supports local communities and values the power of slow travel so that one may immerse themselves in the culture of the place. In other words... I don’t believe in "doing" cities, but instead I believe in coming to know the soul of a place through its people.
Last but not least
We believe that education is the core foundation for solving many of the world's problems. Our work was born out of a belief that first hand engagement with a place helps us to better understand our similarities as well and the beauty of diversity. We put our local currency into the pockets of the people who live where we travel and our person-to-person approach fuels the local economy in a circular way.