About Antilia Travel
Who or What is “Antilia”?
You’ve probably heard of the Antillean Islands — the Greater and Lesser Antilles of the West Indies — made up of island nations like Cuba, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, St. Lucia and (my favorite) Grenada.
But do you know where that name came from?
Antilia (or Antillia) was a legendary island, supposedly settled in the 8th century and much sought out during the 15th-century age of exploration. It was thought to lie in the Atlantic Ocean, west of Portugal and Spain, and was sometimes referred to as the Isle of the Seven Cities. For centuries it was written about and noted on maps of the time drawn by cartographers from across Italy and Spain.
But much like the legendary and mysterious island of Atlantis, it may not have actually existed after all. Scholars think it may have originated from an Iberian legend.
Exploration, mystery, legendary finds — all what makes travel so exciting!
Oh yeah, “Antilia” also happens to be a mashup of my two favorite travelers,… Anthony & Cecilia….and they’re pretty legendary too!
Meet Antilia Travel
Denise Marinucci – Nicholson
Owner, Antilia Travel
Growing up, I took advantage of every opportunity to travel that came my way. From a very young age, my family and I would travel to Washington DC or the North Carolina coast every summer. Soon enough, I was ready to hit the road without my parents and would travel for long weekends away with my grandparents. When high school rolled around, I was fortunate enough to have the chance to visit Italy in both my Freshman and Sophomore years, and I jumped at the chance both times! As I got a little older, I’d do anything I could to travel. Need to run a marathon and raise thousands of dollars for charity so I could go to Hawaii…twice? I’m in!!
Anytime someone would ask me what I wanted to do “when I grew up”, I’d always say, “something in travel!” I thought I wanted to be a travel writer long before travel blogging was a thing. After years of working in the corporate world, and never really feeling fulfilled, I finally broke into the travel industry and found a place I felt at home!
Favorite Destination: This will always be Italy. It holds a special place in my heart since it’s the land of my family’s heritage and I could never get tired of visiting. The food, the people, the scenery, the experiences, and yes, even the crazy driving are like nowhere else!
Dream Destinations: French Polynesia, Iceland, Seychelles, Fiji
Donna Grabosky
AGENT, ANTILIA TRAVEL
Hi, my name is Donna and I am a Travel Consultant with Antilia Travel. Although my background is in Physcial Therapy, a field I worked in for more than 20 years, I have always wanted to gain knowledge and grow. While still working in PT, I helped a friend with his Miami vacation rentals part-time and on the weekends. This soon grew into full-time gig. Bored with that venture, I began a journey in the wine industry, eventually gaining a Level III Sommelier Certificate from the Philadelphia Wine School.
My husband Tom and I have always loved to travel. We were married in St. John USVI and traveled extensively throughout the Caribbean. We are both big sports fans and enjoy sports travel as well. Since we are the “parents” to seven (yes, SEVEN) little furry ones, most of our travel has remained domestic. We have visited most of the 50 states and have enjoyed many of America’s National Parks. The desert Southwest has become a repeat destination and we plan
to retire in Southern Utah.
Favorite Destination: It’s a tie: Anguilla and Zion National Park!
Dream Destination: A River Cruise on the Danube!