More Information about…
Jenny McClendon’s Sicily – An Adventure in Health Retreat
April 7 – 17, 2027
Here’s additional information about Jenny’s newest retreat in beautiful Sicily.
If you have been with us before in Tuscany, you will be familiar with some things, but there are a few different things to be aware of. Please read through this page. It will likely answer some, if not all, of your questions.
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First off, we will be meeting up in Sicily, not Florence, as in the past. You will want to schedule your flight into Catania International Airport (Airport code CTA) to arrive around the 2 o’clock hour on Wednesday, the first day of our retreat, the 7th April.
There are currently a couple different options to consider. DELTA has announced a non-stop (about 9 hrs) flight from JFK to Catania CTA, with amazing round trip fares of about 800USD. Recently the arrival time has changed to 7:35 am. The other option is almost a direct flight with a quick plane change in Rome that arrives at the 1:45-2pm hour. The prices are still in the same ballpark. We want to pick everyone up as a group, so we will need to be coordinating this as a group, once we have all the participants on board.
Important to remember: You will need to depart the USA on the 6th of April to arrive on the 7th.
You will want to schedule your departure from Catania no earlier than NOON on departure day, the 16th of April. To date, there are flights departing for JFK at 12:05pm and later, so that should be easy enough.
(At this point I am actually seeing April flight deals less than 600USD round trip!!!! Of course its too early to book for 2027, but I am hopeful that there will still be great deals going forward.)
Let me say this about Catania: the airport is small and easy to navigate. There is a smallish restaurant across the parking lot, but I am not recommending that you arrive into Catania a day or 2 earlier, as we do with Florence. Catania is merely our transport hub, from which we head off towards all the great things to see. Catania is very ho-hum, imo, and I believe, having hosted Jenny in the past, her group will very likely travel together, arriving together and enjoying a coordinated itinerary that bypasses a rather dreary Catania.
Another note of import: by the time you travel, you will need to have registered with the ETIAS System, that has been several years in the making. It will finally be implemented this year (2026) and requires all non-European travelers to have this registration. It is not a visa per se, and there is a small cost up front. If you are unaware of this new identification requirement, you can read about it here. Do not WAIT to handle this…here’s a link: ETIAS ｜Apply Here For the Official ETIAS
Remember that travel insurance for the full value of your retreat plus any other health issues you wish to cover is required. It is the sensible thing to do, as on occasion, emergencies can arise. Due to the cost-sharing design of these workshops, we do not issue refunds once you have paid.
These retreats are made for women, by women, and we work hard to give you a huge value for your money. In this new location, while all breakfasts and several dinners are included, several meals will be ala carte, meaning that you will be responsible for them. This is the simplest way to allow people to experience Sicily and its incredible food offerings, as well as determining the time you most prefer to eat. If you want to have the large traditional lunch while out and about, great. If you prefer to have a quick snack or the prepared light fare sacks (provided) and then eat at a sea-side restaurant for your dinner, it’s an option. I can tell you, the food here is varied and tremendous. The prices are equally great. Each area has a specialty that they proudly recommend, and the people are friendly and helpful. If you have food sensitivities, they are accommodating.
We may actually have hotel lodging that has an in-house restaurant. That may be an option to consider, but from my own experience I would choose the restaurants and osterias that we will discover on our day trips – I never a had a bad meal while in Sicily.
We will be using 2 different hotel-type locations over the retreat to allow us to cover a good portion of the island while keeping our daily van time at a minimum. For this reason, I recommend that you pack judiciously – read LIGHT. And consider bringing the small laundry sheets that you can use to hand wash a few things, since there is no guarantee of laundry service. The weather will be very mild at this time; you will want a swimsuit and comfortable shoes. I recommend water socks for going into the sea or walking on the beaches.
Perhaps on some evenings, Jenny will offer some close-of-day meditations for us all prior to bedtime, but a lot will depend on our afternoons out and about.
Once you have registered you will receive an information packet via email that includes 2 forms that I will need filled out and returned, as well as confirmation of your flight information (once you have that) and your travel insurance. Two companies I have used in the past (I am not affiliated with either) for insurance are Travel Guard and Allianz. Both were reliable and easy to work with.
Over the next months I will send out additional information of interest and travel/packing tips. In the past, Jenny’s groups have created a WhatsApp group so that everyone can communicate with each other. It’s optional, but my guess is, you will want to be in the group – it’s always a friendly and supportive one. It’s also a great way to call the USA for free when you are connected to WiFi. When I mentioned earlier that you will likely make new friends, I was not kidding.
Registration will be opening in April 2026. Please check back to register at that time.
Click here to register.
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