...Off to Sicily in 3 weeks...need recos on this itinerary
Dec 3rd, 2011, 04:56 AM
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...Off to Sicily in 3 weeks...need recos on this itinerary
My wife and I are off to Sicily in 3 weeks and our itinerary is almost done, but need some tips...
Day 1:
Arrival to Catania @7pm. will pick up a car and drive to Taormina.
- Any recos on places to have dinner? (Have heard that everything is closed at night in Taormina)
Day 2:
Hiking in Etna.- Any recommended trails? what is the best choice of place to go in Etna if driving from Taormina...
Then spending late afternoon in Taormina and dinner..
Day 3:
Driving to Palermo: Stop in Castelmola
Afternoon in Palermo
Day 4:
Monreale, catacombs Capuchin, Norman Palace, Mondello beach.
Day 5:
Erice, then Marsala,
Day 6:
Drive to Agrigento..staying in Villa Athenea, hiking/walking along the greek temple, etc...
Would love to pass by Corleone (big fan of Il Padrino!). - is it worth it?
Day 7:
Piazza Amerina, Enna, Caltagirone.
Sleep again in Agrigento.
Day 8:
Drive back to Catania (flight leaves @7pm)
Any recos on places to stop by on the way, or would recommend to spend a few hours in Catania?
Would love to hear your POV on the itinerary as well as any tips on restaurants, places to visit / see or anything!
Thanks a lot!!!
Day 1:
Arrival to Catania @7pm. will pick up a car and drive to Taormina.
- Any recos on places to have dinner? (Have heard that everything is closed at night in Taormina)
Day 2:
Hiking in Etna.- Any recommended trails? what is the best choice of place to go in Etna if driving from Taormina...
Then spending late afternoon in Taormina and dinner..
Day 3:
Driving to Palermo: Stop in Castelmola
Afternoon in Palermo
Day 4:
Monreale, catacombs Capuchin, Norman Palace, Mondello beach.
Day 5:
Erice, then Marsala,
Day 6:
Drive to Agrigento..staying in Villa Athenea, hiking/walking along the greek temple, etc...
Would love to pass by Corleone (big fan of Il Padrino!). - is it worth it?
Day 7:
Piazza Amerina, Enna, Caltagirone.
Sleep again in Agrigento.
Day 8:
Drive back to Catania (flight leaves @7pm)
Any recos on places to stop by on the way, or would recommend to spend a few hours in Catania?
Would love to hear your POV on the itinerary as well as any tips on restaurants, places to visit / see or anything!
Thanks a lot!!!
Dec 3rd, 2011, 05:09 AM
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Where, besides Agrigento, are you sleeping? You can visit Palermo, Monreale, catacombs Capuchin, Norman Palace, and Mondello beach using Palermo as a base I do believe.
Read about Noto and Siracusa if you haven't yet. Have you read the carless in Sicily trip report yet? Some go info.
Also, if you haven't booked your flight, you could fly out of Palermo. Fly into Catania and end in Palermo. It might give you and extra day.
Read about Noto and Siracusa if you haven't yet. Have you read the carless in Sicily trip report yet? Some go info.
Also, if you haven't booked your flight, you could fly out of Palermo. Fly into Catania and end in Palermo. It might give you and extra day.
Dec 3rd, 2011, 05:36 AM
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Dec 3rd, 2011, 05:46 AM
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Recommendations:
1. Taormina--the Nero D'Avola for dinner; once in Taormina I think you could walk or take the bus up to Castelmola
2. Palermo--one of the oratorios with decorations by Serpotta
3. the ancient site of Segesta near Erice
4. Ortigia
Link to my trip report: http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...ecial-trip.cfm
I'd also recommend that you run your itinerary by Vagabonda on the Tripadvisor forum who will be able to provide excellent advice re travelling in Sicily in the winter.
1. Taormina--the Nero D'Avola for dinner; once in Taormina I think you could walk or take the bus up to Castelmola
2. Palermo--one of the oratorios with decorations by Serpotta
3. the ancient site of Segesta near Erice
4. Ortigia
Link to my trip report: http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...ecial-trip.cfm
I'd also recommend that you run your itinerary by Vagabonda on the Tripadvisor forum who will be able to provide excellent advice re travelling in Sicily in the winter.
Dec 3rd, 2011, 06:11 AM
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I definitely agree with Nero d'Avola for dinner in Taormina. Its new address is Piazza San Domenico 2B (close to the Hotel San Domenico). Last month the sign on the door said "La Taverna dell' Antiquario" since Nero D'Avola has just taken over its space. We had both a lunch and dinner there since many restaurants have closed for the season. Wish we had gone back there for our other dinner as well.
Dec 3rd, 2011, 07:31 AM
#6
Another good possible resto in Taormina: http://www.licchios.it/
Your Day 7 - Piazza Amerina, Enna, Caltagirone. Sleep again in Agrigento - is probably too ambitious. Driving is Sicily is easy - except for the towns & parking. I would skip Enna & focus on the other two but you will be backtracking to get back to Agrigento. As above Ortygia is a notable exception from your itinerary.
Ian
Your Day 7 - Piazza Amerina, Enna, Caltagirone. Sleep again in Agrigento - is probably too ambitious. Driving is Sicily is easy - except for the towns & parking. I would skip Enna & focus on the other two but you will be backtracking to get back to Agrigento. As above Ortygia is a notable exception from your itinerary.
Ian
Dec 4th, 2011, 06:36 PM
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Another vote to eat at Nero d'Avola in Taormina.
> Hiking in Etna.- Any recommended trails? what is the best choice of place to go in Etna if driving from Taormina... Then spending late afternoon in Taormina and dinner
I took a bus trip from Taormina to Mt. Etna with fairly brief stop in Gola Alcantara (sp?). As I recall, the bus left Taormina before 8 a.m. and didn't return until after 5 p.m. Excepting the part near the top of the mountain that can ONLY be reached by foot, everything else was by public transport. Granted, the route was not direct, but it was a LONG way! At the top, there were two options: Two people went off on their own to hike to the highest peak; they did so with no guarantee that they would return in time to use public transportation back down the mountain. As I recall, they nearly missed the bus - we waited for them quite a while, and many passengers wanted us to leave without them. We were just pulling out, more than an hour late, when they appeared. Again, that was a choice about hiking only the very highest section of Mt. Etna, the section that is not accessible by public transport. Most of us joined a guide who showed us around the rest of the "peak" - various vents and spouts and other places where volcanic activity was evident. So I think you can join a tour of Mt. Etna from Taormina and return in time for dinner, but I'm not sure you can hike from Taormina to Mt. Etna and return in a day and I think you would need to do some research to identify reasonable day-long hikes that are within your competencies. But I could easily be mistaken.
> Day 7:
Piazza Amerina, Enna, Caltagirone.
Sleep again in Agrigento.
Seems WAY too ambitious to me. It might be possible, but I can't imagine that it would be enjoyable.
Hope that helps!
> Hiking in Etna.- Any recommended trails? what is the best choice of place to go in Etna if driving from Taormina... Then spending late afternoon in Taormina and dinner
I took a bus trip from Taormina to Mt. Etna with fairly brief stop in Gola Alcantara (sp?). As I recall, the bus left Taormina before 8 a.m. and didn't return until after 5 p.m. Excepting the part near the top of the mountain that can ONLY be reached by foot, everything else was by public transport. Granted, the route was not direct, but it was a LONG way! At the top, there were two options: Two people went off on their own to hike to the highest peak; they did so with no guarantee that they would return in time to use public transportation back down the mountain. As I recall, they nearly missed the bus - we waited for them quite a while, and many passengers wanted us to leave without them. We were just pulling out, more than an hour late, when they appeared. Again, that was a choice about hiking only the very highest section of Mt. Etna, the section that is not accessible by public transport. Most of us joined a guide who showed us around the rest of the "peak" - various vents and spouts and other places where volcanic activity was evident. So I think you can join a tour of Mt. Etna from Taormina and return in time for dinner, but I'm not sure you can hike from Taormina to Mt. Etna and return in a day and I think you would need to do some research to identify reasonable day-long hikes that are within your competencies. But I could easily be mistaken.
> Day 7:
Piazza Amerina, Enna, Caltagirone.
Sleep again in Agrigento.
Seems WAY too ambitious to me. It might be possible, but I can't imagine that it would be enjoyable.
Hope that helps!
Dec 4th, 2011, 11:29 PM
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Overall this is a good itinerary, similar to what I did last year.
Etna is overrated in my opinion, I would skip hiking to the top and just have a short walk around the two little craters next to the main parking lot.
As mentioned by kja, Day 7 is very ambitious. From what you have planned, I would definitely gor for Enna and climb up the ancient tower in the town centre, the view is just breathtaking.
While driving in the countryside is OK, avoid the busy city centres if you can (especially Palermo). Traffic is a mess and finding a free parking spot tends to be very difficult.
Etna is overrated in my opinion, I would skip hiking to the top and just have a short walk around the two little craters next to the main parking lot.
As mentioned by kja, Day 7 is very ambitious. From what you have planned, I would definitely gor for Enna and climb up the ancient tower in the town centre, the view is just breathtaking.
While driving in the countryside is OK, avoid the busy city centres if you can (especially Palermo). Traffic is a mess and finding a free parking spot tends to be very difficult.
