About us and our Private tours in the mediterranean
Trinakria Tours is a a boutique travel operator that has been organizing Mediterranean tours since 2006. The first destination we offered was the wonderful island of Sicily to which we have dedicated an entire website (ShineSicily.com). This has been followed by Sardinia, Crete, Tuscany, the Peloponnese, Puglia (Apulia, the heel of the Italian boot) and, most recently in 2023, the Cyclades Islands.
Trinakria Tours promotes Mediterranean culture, art, gastronomy and tourism, offering a comprehensive outlook global vision that does not neglect its local peculiarities.
At Trinakria Tours we develop tailor-made routes, tours and authentic excursions or other activities, adapting them to the preferences of each traveler or group. We are a team of local managers with years of experience who want to transmit the passion for our surroundings: Sicily first of all, as well as other beautiful Mediterranean destinations.
We like to define ourselves as boutique Tour Operator with a great passion for personalized and authentic tourism!
Trinakria Tours is an online tour operator whose mission is to offer each traveler their own travel experience.
Our founding principles are personalized service, nimble communication via e-mail, an accessible website full of information about destinations and high-quality tourism products.
OUR WORK METHOD IS SIMPLE AND INTUITIVE
Our customers browse through the tour proposals and examples on our website before they contact us using the online form, by e-mail, telephone or Skype. We then study the customer’s requirements and send an e-mail containing an initial personalized tour proposal. As well as offering accommodation, we always try to include content that shows the individual personalities of each of our customers, so the tailor-made tour we prepare suits them as perfectly as possible. Sometimes we give up on organizing the trip if we see that we cannot offer something that lives up to the expectations of those who contact us.
Our collaborators are all family-owned hotels who will offer authentic Mediterranean hospitality ir their exclusive boutique hotels.
OUR PHILOSOPHY: WHAT MOVES AND STIMULATES US ABOUT OUR mission AND HOW WE DO IT
We believe that traveling enriches us as human beings and that this wealth should be shared by both the traveler and the people they are visiting. Our local knowledge is built on families and small boutique hotels, who, in addition to welcoming you into their intimate accommodations or homes, will share with you the true Mediterranean hospitality.
We travel to Sicily, Sardinia, Puglia, Tuscany, Crete, the Peloponnese, and the Cyclades Islands frequently to discover new places, add them to our catalog of boutique hotels and cozy B&B and to guarantee the quality of the service. We are always looking for new friends who can help us carry out our mission: to offer the Mediterranean as a tourist destination without complications and in sustainable conditions. We believe in relaxed and sustainable tourism where the main reason for traveling are the experiences you live through! That is why at Trinakria Tours we are convinced that each traveler is unique, and it is worth our while to prepare exclusive tailor-made tours, routes and authentic experiences.
How we operate:
- Our Website and the Agency are basically one and same: here you will find the personalized tours and boutique hotels we are offering for the current season.
- Communication is by e-mail, telephone or Skype. We send personalized, tailor-made proposals, we answer doubts and questions, we provide suggestions and try to interpret each person’s wishes, all within a maximum of 48 hours from receiving your e-mail.
- One of the advantages of being an online agency is that we have no geographical or linguistic boundaries: we specialize in Spanish-speaking and English-speaking markets, and our clients come from across Spain, Europe, and beyond. Moreover, if a customer living in Barcelona (or someone who happens to be in the city) wants to come and meet us personally we can make an appointment at our office. We will be delighted to welcome you and take the opportunity to chat about your next tailor-made tour.
- If we receive favorable feedback about our proposal from the customer, we proceed with the accommodation and car reservations and as soon as the trip is paid for, we send the trip dossier by e-mail (Invoice, Reservation Vouchers, Route Advice, etc.). See our contract conditions.
- We always recommend that payment be made via a bank transfer to the account of the TRINAKRIA TOURS Travel Agency. We also accept payment by credit card, for which there is an area on the website protected by an online security protocol (verified by Visa and Mastercard secure code). However, this involves an additional cost (0.90% of the total price) imposed by our bank.
- Once travelers have started their tailor-made tour, they have a telephone assistance number at their disposal in case there is any problem related to the reservation. For advice as to routes or other recommendations, travelers can go directly to the owners of their B&Bs, who are always available and helpful.
- And once you return from your personalized tour? We like to keep in touch with our customers to find out how their trip went and to invite them to participate in our blog!
OUR TEAM
Let us introduce the Trinakriatours.com team: those of us who work in the Barcelona offices and all our admirable collaborators in Sicily and the rest of the Mediterranean.
Boris Bonanno
Director and Founder of Trinakria Tours
Boris is from Sicily and has lived in Cardedeu (Barcelona) for approximately 20 years. He has worked in a variety of sectors: in restaurant kitchens as a chef, in help desks of large companies and even in the social marketing department of an NGO. In 2006, he founded Trinakria Tours with the aim of creating a Tour Operator specialized in alternative trips to Sicily and the Mediterranean. He is a convinced advocate of local and ecological products and a member of a cooperative store. In his free time, he likes to do activities with his children, discover local cuisine and natural wines or go to Montseny with his BH Lynx Race bike to do Cross Country.
GIOVANNI BUCCHIERI
Partner and Head of the Customer and Booking Area
Gianni is from Ragusa, southeast Sicily and has lived in Barcelona since 2008, the year he started working at Trinakria Tours. His professional training is focused on tourism, he has worked in large hotels and in the general offices of Hertz Rent a Car in Dublin. Gianni has been in charge of the creation of our projects in Sardinia, Puglia and Tuscany and is always available for a good chat with our customers about the tours, whether by e-mail, telephone or in person at our offices. Gianni escapes to the mountains when he can, either to walk or ride his brand-new Cannondale gravel bike.
TASSOS KASSANDRINOS
Travel Designer for Greece
After living more than 10 years in Barcelona and joining the Trinakria team in Ass. Cult. La Miranda, Tassos decided to return to Greece; the perfect time to begin the professional collaboration with Zàgara Travel / Trinakria Tours as manager and travel designer of the trips to Greece. Their base is in Kalamata (the Peloponnese) where, together with their partner, they set up their own creative tourism company. For those of our customers who are interested, they can propose activities that are out of the ordinary and alternative routes in this wonderful little piece of mainland Greece and on the island of Crete.
greece@trinakriatours.com
Trinakriatours.com relies on a large network of collaborations throughout the Mediterranean that make all this work so well. The hearts and minds behind Trinakria Tours are the owners of B&Bs, agrotourism accommodations or hotels, guides and organizers of unique experiences both in Sicily and Sardinia, as well as Puglia, Tuscany or Greece. The marvelous Trinakria Tours family is made up of the following wonderful people, among others:
Aitor and Marcela
From the Giróscopo Viajero
ANTONIO and GIOVANNA
From Al Sakali
Carmelo
From EtnaTao (here with Boris in Trinakria)
Cesare
From La Casa di Pippinitto
Quique
From ViajaBlog
Giacomo
From Nabla Studio (and Boris's brother)
MARIO and MARIAN
From Tururi Tours
Chiara
From Zuleima Food Experience
PierFILIPPO
From Val di Kam - Guias Experenciales
And to get better insight about us, we leave this comment from one of our travelers, which we believe to be a good reflection of our personal and professional traits:
“Our first success was the right choice of the Agency (Trinakria Tours n.d.r.), which is always risky, to open the doors of an island totally unknown to us. It is truly rare to find professionals who are so decisive and effective when planning a personalized tour. Of course, you only realize this on your return. We already sensed something from the start; the friendly atmosphere, the extra efforts and the information that was provided. But when you get there and see that everything really is like they said it would be, that you know it was no illusion. In fact, I am writing for the first time in a travel blog because I think they deserve public recognition for their work” (Luis, Girona)
”
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
WHY CHOOSE TRINAKRIA TOURS AMONG THE MANY TRAVEL AGENCIES OUT THERE?
Since our website saw the light in 2006, our mission has always been to offer travelers unforgettable experiences, and we can say with complete confidence that we have achieved that goal! We have opened the way for thousands of travelers to experience Sicily, Sardinia, Puglia, Peloponnese, the Cyclades Islands and Crete in a way that is as authentic as it is original. Whoever contacts us seeks quality service and the guarantee that, as specialists in our destinations, we know how to best advise travelers and provide them with the service best suited to their needs. Like custom tailors, our tours are designed to fit each of our customers. Another advantage is not having to worry about contacting several accommodations and tourist service providers (with the additional obstacles posed by the local language, whether written or oral). You will be able to place your trust in a single Tour Operator who will manage everything, advise you throughout the planning stage of the trip and also afterward (if any problems take place). Those who have entrusted us with their travel plans have always highly valued our complete dedication to the design of the tour, our advice concerning the routes they choose and how we follow up on customers during the preparation phase of the trip. To find out more, see what our customers say about us.
WHY DO WE MAKE IT SUCH A POINT TO CHOOSE OUR HOTELS PERSONALLY?
This question requires a meticulous answer, as it represents the essence of how we view tourism:
- The personal choice arises from our conviction that sharing our criteria and taste with customers goes beyond depending on comments and ‘stars’ online. That is why we do not collaborate with all the hotels in a region.
- Each hotel is run by people who understand hospitality personally. We strive to choose those with whom we share an elective affinity, thus guaranteeing an authentic and exceptional welcome.
- We consider staying in a hotel to be an experience in itself, not just a place to rest. We believe the best trips are built from the combination of a captivating destination, meaningful connections and the comfort and grace of a carefully selected hotel.
ARE YOU AN ONLINE AGENCY?
Yes, we are. Our work method is designed so all the travelers who contact us can receive detailed, easy-to-consult and clear information about the package we have prepared in comfort at their home. In addition, we are constantly improving to ensure that our service is more efficient, faster and more straightforward. We are a small Tour Operator, but our computer platform is very advanced.
DO YOU HAVE OFFICES?
Our offices are located in the heart of the old neighborhood in Barcelona. We share a co-working space with other tourism professionals. Generally, we make the first contact via e-mail or telephone, but as soon as we clearly define the type of tour you want, if you prefer, we will be happy to arrange a personal interview in our offices over a cup of coffee to get to know each other and talk about the tour. Otherwise, if you are not in Barcelona or prefer to do everything via e-mail or phone, our system is agile, fast and practical.
WHAT GUARANTEES DO I HAVE THAT YOU ARE A RELIABLE TOUR OPERATOR?
The first and most important assurance you should count on is your own instinct. After contacting us and receiving the first travel proposal via e-mail, you will be able to get your own idea about us. Our legal information: Trinakria Tours, SL registered in the Mercantile Registry of Barcelona, Volume 39243, Folio 0106, Sheet/Dup 342825. The title-license granted by the Government of Catalonia under our request is GC-1441.
You may also want to search for opinions about our company in Google to get a general idea of how satisfied our customers are.
WHAT DO YOUR PACKAGES INCLUDE?
Our tours normally include accommodation, breakfast and a rental car with comprehensive insurance against damage and theft. The packages also include a dossier of the chosen destination with many tips on places to visit and see, special beaches or where to eat off the beaten path. VAT, taxes and our administration fees (approximately €30 per person) are also always included in our packages.
We can also include optional activities through our network of collaborators in our destinations, such as excursions, wine tasting or a cooking course.