That 18th-century well pulls you in fast. This is a guided look at a working, family-run farm where Pozzo di Gaspare keeps producing EVO oil, blood oranges, and almonds the old-fashioned way, with a few smart modern twists.

I especially like how the tour walks you through the farm like a story: trees, seasons, and harvesting—then you get to taste what comes from it.

One thing to plan for: transportation isn’t included, so you’ll need your own way to get to the entrance gate.

The tasting part is the payoff. You sample the farm’s EVO oil on fresh bread and then move into local flavors like cheese and cured meats, with blood orange features that taste bright and clean.

If you’re the type who reads labels at home, this makes the flavors make sense fast—because you’ve just seen the orchard and the work behind it.

Logistics are the only real catch. The farm is a few kilometers from central Catania (and also the airport), and since the tour doesn’t provide rides, you’ll want to line up a taxi, rental car, or a ride plan ahead of time.

Key things worth your attention

• A 20-meter hand-dug well with lava-stone galleries, still working from the late 1700s
• Seasonal bloom timing (March–May) to spot Zagara orange blossoms and the flowers of olive and almond trees
• A family-run operation producing Etna-area extra virgin olive oil, blood oranges, and almonds since 1943
• Owner-led English guiding with real farm stories, shared by Giuseppe Mazzone
• Food that’s more than a snack, including EVO oil tastings plus cheeses and cured meats

Pozzo di Gaspare: a family farm you can actually picture in your mind

Pozzo di Gaspare sits on the Catania plain in the Motta S. Anastasia area—near an old village that developed on a basaltic cliff. The farm itself spreads across about 42 hectares, and it’s been family-run for more than 80 years. Since 1943, they’ve produced a focused set of crops: Etna extra virgin olive oil, blood oranges, and almonds.

What makes this kind of farm tour valuable is simple: you don’t just see the final products on a shelf. You walk the land and connect what you’re about to taste to what grows around you. The whole vibe is practical and down to earth—good for food lovers, and also for anyone who wants a break from city sightseeing without spending all day commuting.

The hand-dug well: an 18th-century water project still in use

One of the strongest reasons to come is the well itself. The property gets its name from an ancient well that still exists and still works. It was dug by hand at the end of the 18th century to supply water to the nearby farmhouse, also from the 1700s.

This well is about 20 meters deep, and inside it has lava stone galleries. That matters in Sicily. Lava rock isn’t just scenery; it’s part of how land and water behave here. When your guide points things out around the well, you start understanding why farms in this area were built around water engineering as much as soil or sunshine.

Why I think you’ll like this stop: it’s not a museum feature. It’s a working reminder that agriculture is built on infrastructure, patience, and knowledge passed down.

Orchards in season: Zagara orange blossoms, olives, and almonds

The farm tour follows the rhythms of the plants. From March through May, that timing turns into a real visual treat. Your guide will help you spot the white, fragrant Zagara orange blossoms, along with flowers on olive trees and shining white almond blossoms.

If you come in bloom season, the walk feels like you’re reading the calendar off the branches. You’ll see why harvest timing matters. You’ll also understand how different crops overlap: oranges, olives, and almonds don’t all peak at the same moment, so planning has to be ongoing.

If you’re visiting outside March–May: you won’t get the same blossom show. But the core tour still works because it’s about how the farm moves through the seasons—from early growth to harvesting. You’ll just miss the fragrant floral highlight.

A guided walk that links farming work to what you eat

The farm tour is built around process, not just photo ops. You’ll move through the grounds and get explanations of nature’s steps toward the final products—starting with flowering and moving toward the harvest stage.

Here’s what makes this kind of explanation useful: it gives you a framework for tasting. When you learn what’s being cared for, when it’s harvested, and why certain choices matter, the food stops tasting random. It tastes specific.

One detail I’d call out from firsthand comments you can connect with the experience: the guide, Giuseppe Mazzone, shares stories not only about what’s growing, but also about the challenges of running a quality-driven business while staying true to tradition. That mix—old-school roots plus hands-on problem-solving—helps the tour feel like real agriculture, not a scripted performance.

EVO oil on Etna-area soil: seeing where flavor starts

Pozzo di Gaspare produces extra virgin olive oil from Etna. During the tour, you’ll learn about the farm’s approach from the plant stage onward, and you’ll end with an EVO oil tasting produced on-site.

Even without getting a technical engineering lesson, this tasting is powerful because it’s paired with the orchard walk. You’re not just drinking oil; you’re connecting it to the trees you just saw and the seasonal work you just heard about.

Practical tip: when you taste EVO oil, slow down. Notice how fresh bread and a small pour change the experience compared with what you might be used to at home. The best part is that the flavor comes with a story attached—how the farm produces oil and maintains quality.

The tasting table: blood orange salad, bread and EVO oil, plus cheeses and cured meats

The ending is where the tour turns from education into real Sicilian eating. You’ll have an on-farm tasting that includes the farm’s EVO oil, plus local cheeses and cured meats.

From what you can expect in practice, the tasting often feels like a light lunch, not just a quick sample. In the past on this tour, people have described:

• fresh bread served with olive oil (with simple seasoning like oregano, plus salt and pepper)
• blood orange salad, including an insalata arancia Siciliana style that highlights the citrus clean snap
• olives alongside the cheese and cured meats

Some tastings also include combinations like smoked cheese with bitter orange marmalade, which is a reminder that Sicilian flavors often play off sweet, sour, and bitter at the same time.

Why this works for you: you’ll leave knowing what to buy when you’re back in town. If you decide to take EVO oil home, you’ll recognize the difference between tasting and blind shopping.

Views, lava stone, and the quiet energy of a working farm

A detail that keeps showing up with this experience is the setting. The farm’s walk includes lava stone features and a sense of place tied to the Etna region. In some stops, you’ll be surrounded by stonework and old structures that make the farm feel grounded and lived-in.

That kind of atmosphere matters. When you’re only in cities, food can feel like something you consume. On a farm like this, food becomes something you understand—grown, harvested, processed, then served with no drama.

Practicalities for your 2-hour tour near Catania

This experience runs about 2 hours. The farm is a few kilometers from central Catania and the airport, so it’s doable on a day trip—but you should plan your timing with transport in mind since the tour does not include rides.

You’ll want to wear comfortable shoes. The property includes paths around trees and historic features, and you’ll be standing and walking for the full guided time. In warmer months, add hat and sunscreen. Bring a camera if you want photos of blossoms and the ancient well area.

The tour is English-language with a live guide. That’s a real plus here because you’re not only seeing plants—you’re getting the why behind them.

Value check: is $41 per person worth it?

At about $41 per person for a 2-hour owner-guided farm visit with tastings, the value comes from what’s bundled:

• a working farm walk (not just a short orchard photo stop)
• EVO oil tasting from the farm itself
• cheeses and cured meats
• time spent with a guide sharing farm challenges and production context

If you’ve ever bought olive oil tasting sets that mostly feel like shopping with a side of facts, this is different. You’re tasting what you watched being grown and maintained. For many people, the practical outcome is they take home oil they can link to a place and a person.

Who should book this tour?

I think this is a strong fit for:

• food lovers who want to taste with context, not just sample blindly
• families looking for a real-life Sicilian experience outside the city
• people who like agriculture, seasons, and learning how crops like blood oranges, olives, and almonds fit together on one farm

Skip it (or at least rethink it) if you:

• hate walking on uneven outdoor terrain
• want a purely urban itinerary with no rural stop
• don’t want to handle transport planning yourself

Should you book Pozzo di Gaspare?

Yes—if you want a hands-on Sicilian farm stop that ends in real eating. The combination of an on-site EVO oil tasting, a memorable look at the hand-dug, still-functioning 18th-century well, and the seasonal possibility of Zagara orange blossoms gives you more than a generic countryside break.

Book it when you can align with March to May for the blossom season. If your dates fall outside that window, you’ll still get the core experience: orchard walk, farm context, and a guided tasting built around the farm’s own products. Just don’t leave transport as an afterthought—plan how you’ll reach the entrance gate, and your morning or afternoon should run smoothly.

FAQ

Where is the meeting point?

You meet at the farm entrance gate.

How long is the tour?

The tour lasts about 2 hours.

Is transportation to and from the farm included?

No. Transportation isn’t included, so you’ll need your own way to get there.

What tastings are included?

You’ll taste the farm’s EVO oil and also local cheeses and cured meats at the end of the tour.

What does the guided tour cover?

The guide shows how the farm grows and produces its main products, including EVO oil (from the olive trees), blood oranges, and almonds, plus seasonal bloom observations.

What’s the best time to visit for blossoms?

The best time to visit is between March and May to see the flowers in bloom.

What language is the tour guide?

The tour is guided in English.

What should I bring?

Wear comfortable shoes, and bring a hat, camera, and sunscreen.