Help and Advice with Sicily Please
Jun 10th, 2014, 12:01 PM
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2009
Posts: 309
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Help and Advice with Sicily Please
Hi All,
I am in the beginning stages of planning my trip to Sicily for next May. We have 2 weeks to spend and I’d like to know how to best plan my time. Also, I’d like to hear any opinions and advice with regard to my hotel choices, towns to visit, towns not to miss, etc.
Fly into Catania and drive to Taormina
Taormina for 5 nights at San Domenico Palace Hotel
**visit Mt. Etna, Castelmola, Aeolian Islands
Drive to Syracusa
2 nights at the Des Etrangers Hotel
**Noto
Drive to Agrigento
2 nights at the Villa Athena Agrigento
**are there any other places to visit within a reasonable drive from Agrigento? How about the thermal baths at Sciacca?
Drive to Caccamo
3 nights at a bed and breakfast in the village
**this is the village my family is from and I thought I could use it as a home base to see Cefalu, Castelbuono, Enna, Piazza Armerina, Parco Regionale Delle Madonie
Fly home from Palermo
Thank you for any advice you can give me. The hardest part of planning a trip is deciding how much time to spend in any given place.
I am in the beginning stages of planning my trip to Sicily for next May. We have 2 weeks to spend and I’d like to know how to best plan my time. Also, I’d like to hear any opinions and advice with regard to my hotel choices, towns to visit, towns not to miss, etc.
Fly into Catania and drive to Taormina
Taormina for 5 nights at San Domenico Palace Hotel
**visit Mt. Etna, Castelmola, Aeolian Islands
Drive to Syracusa
2 nights at the Des Etrangers Hotel
**Noto
Drive to Agrigento
2 nights at the Villa Athena Agrigento
**are there any other places to visit within a reasonable drive from Agrigento? How about the thermal baths at Sciacca?
Drive to Caccamo
3 nights at a bed and breakfast in the village
**this is the village my family is from and I thought I could use it as a home base to see Cefalu, Castelbuono, Enna, Piazza Armerina, Parco Regionale Delle Madonie
Fly home from Palermo
Thank you for any advice you can give me. The hardest part of planning a trip is deciding how much time to spend in any given place.
Jun 10th, 2014, 03:30 PM
#4
Join Date: Mar 2003
Posts: 976
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I would not do a day trip from Taormina to the Aeolian Islands--you will not be able to spend enough time there (and presumably will only be able to visit Lipari) to make it worthwhile, in my opinion. I totally love the Aeolian islands, so I'm not saying don't visit, but do make more time for them if you want to go there. To get to the Aeolies you will need to take a bus or train to Milazzo and then a boat from there to the islands (though there is service from Messina, it runs more infrequently). If it were my trip, I would spend only 2 nights in Taormina and 3 nights in the islands. Basing in Lipari is fine--you can then do day trips to some of the other islands (Panarea, Salina, Stromboli, Vulcano) if you'd like.
Jun 10th, 2014, 04:22 PM
#5
Join Date: Feb 2010
Posts: 33
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
We just got back! My favorite town was Erice , followed by Ortiga, then Rugusa/Modica!
We started in Taormina, piazza Armerina and visited Agrigento , Segusta, erice and then back to Ragusa, Modica and last two nights in ortigia.
Happy planning!
We started in Taormina, piazza Armerina and visited Agrigento , Segusta, erice and then back to Ragusa, Modica and last two nights in ortigia.
Happy planning!
Jun 10th, 2014, 04:28 PM
#6
Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 23,112
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
"...my trip to Sicily for next May." -- its a beautiful time to visit there! Do check out bobthenavigator's pictures!
"Taormina for 5 nights ... visit Mt. Etna, Castelmola, Aeolian Islands" I was glad I visited Taormina, but was NOT enamored of it and would not have wanted to spend more time than I spent there -- 2 nights. The views can be breathtaking, but so can the masses of tourists, even in May. I found going through its (very few) back streets the only way to breathe during the day. I visited Mt. Etna and the Gole Alcantara by a single day trip and got back in time to see Castelmola that evening. Add another half-day or at most one day to cover the theater and other sites.
Like aprillilacs, I would not try to visit the Aeolians from Taormina -- I think it would just be too far to be worth it. Perhaps others would disagree.
"Drive to Syracusa ... 2 nights ... **Noto" -- IMO, Siracusa itself deserves at least 2 full days, and Noto a good half day. I'm not sure whether 2 nights gives you that much time, but of course it really depends on what you want to see and do.
"Drive to Agrigento ... 2 nights at the Villa Athena Agrigento ... **are there any other places to visit within a reasonable drive from Agrigento?" I had hoped to visit the Scala dei Turchi, I believe about 7 miles west of Agrigento, but didn't have the time (and so can't speak to whether it would have seemed worthwhile). FWIW, I think Agrigento itself deserves a full day (which could be what your 2 nights give you there) -- at least 6 hours for the archeological site, another hour or better two for the museum, and hour or more to roam its medieval lanes....
"Drive to Caccamo ... home base to see ... Enna, Piazza Armerina..." I'll only comment on the two places I visited: I enjoyed an evening in Enna, but think it is probably something you can skip if necessary to make time for other options. In contrast, the Villa Romana del Casale is worth making a high priority IMO.
"Fly home from Palermo" - I loved Palermo and thought it worth a minimum of 2.5 days (3 or more would have been better). Whatever else you do, do consider making time for the cathedral in Monreale, which is truly exquisite. It is one of my favorites of all the man-made spaces I have ever been privileged to see, and I've seen a lot!
Sicily is wonderful -- enjoy!
"Taormina for 5 nights ... visit Mt. Etna, Castelmola, Aeolian Islands" I was glad I visited Taormina, but was NOT enamored of it and would not have wanted to spend more time than I spent there -- 2 nights. The views can be breathtaking, but so can the masses of tourists, even in May. I found going through its (very few) back streets the only way to breathe during the day. I visited Mt. Etna and the Gole Alcantara by a single day trip and got back in time to see Castelmola that evening. Add another half-day or at most one day to cover the theater and other sites.
Like aprillilacs, I would not try to visit the Aeolians from Taormina -- I think it would just be too far to be worth it. Perhaps others would disagree.
"Drive to Syracusa ... 2 nights ... **Noto" -- IMO, Siracusa itself deserves at least 2 full days, and Noto a good half day. I'm not sure whether 2 nights gives you that much time, but of course it really depends on what you want to see and do.
"Drive to Agrigento ... 2 nights at the Villa Athena Agrigento ... **are there any other places to visit within a reasonable drive from Agrigento?" I had hoped to visit the Scala dei Turchi, I believe about 7 miles west of Agrigento, but didn't have the time (and so can't speak to whether it would have seemed worthwhile). FWIW, I think Agrigento itself deserves a full day (which could be what your 2 nights give you there) -- at least 6 hours for the archeological site, another hour or better two for the museum, and hour or more to roam its medieval lanes....
"Drive to Caccamo ... home base to see ... Enna, Piazza Armerina..." I'll only comment on the two places I visited: I enjoyed an evening in Enna, but think it is probably something you can skip if necessary to make time for other options. In contrast, the Villa Romana del Casale is worth making a high priority IMO.
"Fly home from Palermo" - I loved Palermo and thought it worth a minimum of 2.5 days (3 or more would have been better). Whatever else you do, do consider making time for the cathedral in Monreale, which is truly exquisite. It is one of my favorites of all the man-made spaces I have ever been privileged to see, and I've seen a lot!
Sicily is wonderful -- enjoy!
Jun 10th, 2014, 05:26 PM
#7
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 9,754
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I agree. No more than two nights at Taormina. 1 was enough for me. If you want to visit the Aeolians spend the other 3 nts there . I spent 5 and loved it.
Do not miss Villa Romana! It was the single most amazing thing I saw on my three and a half weeks trip to Sicily.also if you can do try to get one more night at Ortigia. you will love it.Sicily is fantastic. Have a wonderful time
Do not miss Villa Romana! It was the single most amazing thing I saw on my three and a half weeks trip to Sicily.also if you can do try to get one more night at Ortigia. you will love it.Sicily is fantastic. Have a wonderful time
Jun 10th, 2014, 08:22 PM
#8
Instead of Villa Athena, I would highly recommend the B&B below. It was a delight from start to finish, with large, beautifully decorated rooms, several rooftop terraces, one of which overlooks the Temples and is spectacular at night, and which boasts probably the best host I have ever run across in all my travels.
http://www.tripadvisor.ca/Hotel_Revi...to_Sicily.html
http://www.tripadvisor.ca/Hotel_Revi...to_Sicily.html
Jun 11th, 2014, 11:49 AM
#9
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2009
Posts: 309
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Many thanks for your replies. Bobthenavigator, I enjoyed your trip report.
Most people said not to spend so much time in Taormina, but my thoughts were that it would be nice to spend a lengthy amount of time upon our arrival in one place--to chill out at length before hitting the road. Maybe I'll do one less day there and add it to Syracusa.
Most people said not to spend so much time in Taormina, but my thoughts were that it would be nice to spend a lengthy amount of time upon our arrival in one place--to chill out at length before hitting the road. Maybe I'll do one less day there and add it to Syracusa.
Jun 11th, 2014, 12:09 PM
#10
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 1,319
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I found Taormina well-suited for recovery from jet lag. Here's what we did with our two weeks in Sicily, http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...ecial-trip.cfm. Loved every bit of it.
