As I said on your other thread, I would put Ortigia ahead of Taormina.

> I wonder if it is enough time for Taormina

IMO one day is enough for Taormina itself, and maybe even enough to include Castelmola and Isola Bella if you want.

I too would put Ortigia/Siracusa ahead of Taormina. I think one day is more than enough for Taormina - apart from the Teatro Greco, Taormina is a pretty shopping stop, filled with tourists shopping, with some beautiful views. And Castelmola is most beautiful and interesting when viewed from afar. Unless you're interested in tourist shops. IMHO.

I agree about Taormina - actually a few hours there is enough. It's not only about the Greek Theatre, there's the beautiful public garden which I thought was more worthwhile.

Another vote for Ortigia.

Taormina is a cruise ship stop off, great views but little atmosphere. We gave it 3 hours.

Loved spending 5 days in Ortigia and using it as a base.

@adrienne - I liked the garden too, but partly as an escape from the streets!

Thanks! Taormina just looks so beautiful (the cliffs and the ocean), even though it is touristy. But, if we are doing the islands, you're probably right that we don't need Taormina for the views so we'll just pass through. What is Ortigia like? We aren't that interested in ruins. More in natural beauty. Thanks!

We found a beautiful nature reserve south of Ortigia.

http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=vendicari+nature+reserve&hl=en&client=safari&tbo=d&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=JhbzT6qMIsr_8gP8y7DXCQ&ved=0CDkQ_AUoAQ&biw=1024&bih=672

So I am confusing myself because I just learned about Scopello and the Zingaro Nature Reserve. Is that worth it for the hiking/beaches? I am wondering if we should skip the Aeolians and do this instead. I understand now what everyone means about Sicily having so many places to see that 10 days is not enough!!

Thanks belted, that reserve looks gorgeous. Is there hiking there?

I posted about Zingaro on your other thread. I didn't have long enough there, but I enjoyed it. Plus, if you're on that side of the island, you can take in Erice, which was second only to Ortigia for me. I posted the link to pix of it on your other thread.

Thanks thursdays! I looked at those pix, and it does look gorgeous. There is just so much to see it's hard to choose! I'm wondering what people love about Ortigia? I am feeling more interested in Taormina because of its beautiful location, but I can probably be persuaded. We have 2 nights we could spend in Ortigia if we choose. Thanks!

Taormina is similar to other geographic locations I have encountered. The Bahamas and Nassau for example. Like Sicily, you take a beautiful area of the world, make a name for it on the world tour, swamp it with short stay visitors and to many it loses its beauty. Sicily, just like The Bahamas, has some incredibly beautiful corners which are relatively untouched by mass tourism. Some prefer that, some don't.

Ortigia has an unspoilt feel about it as modern developement is very restricted. It is an awful term but is shabby chic, more chic than shabby but has a very relaxing feel. Key to this is the absence of cars and their maniac Sicilian drivers.

From my TR:

"The more time I spent on its back streets, the more I liked Ortigia. Yes, there were tourists around, but not that many. Yes, there were tourist shops, but not whole streets of them. Yes, the buildings were often baroque, but not aggressively so. Mostly, I think I liked the town because of the variety. Greek ruins here, a Spanish church round the corner, modern apartment blocks down the street. It had the feel of a place that had just grown over the centuries, rather than being designed and built all at once."

I'm a fan of Ortigia as well. However, in Taormina the ancient theater is absolutely stunning. Take a look if you can. Don't know where you'll find that in the Bahamas.

Ortigia has a beautiful location on the sea. And the sublime Piazza del Duomo is, in my opinion, on of the most beautiful public spaces in all of Italy. When I was there in April Caravaggio's 1608 altarpiece 'The Burial of St Lucy' was hanging in the Church of Santa Lucia alla Badia, with no admission charge and no queues or crowds of people waiting to file by. I sat in a front pew and contemplated it and absorbed it into my memory for 15 minutes or more. Delicious!

Thanks--this is helpful. I think we would like to see Etna, so that is also part of staying near Taormina, but perhaps we will find a place more in the countryside. In terms of towns, I find myself more interested in Modica/Noto than Syracuse, not sure why but maybe we can make a day trip to Ortigia.

On another note, does anyone know anything about the ferries to the Aeolians? Is there a high probability of cancellation?

Also--if anyone has an affordable car rental agency to recommend I will take that too. Thanks very much!

Car agency

The best way is usually to use a broker who sell on behalf of the agency.

Autoeurope usually have good rates, just be careful of add ons or scams at the local office. Sicily is clearly famous for its financial games. We had an attempted charge of e50 for cleaning a clean car, simply shook out the mats and they waived the charge.

I would base in Ortigia. Modica and Noto are beautiful but have a more local feel and are smaller, they are both easy day trips from Ortigia.

IMO Ortigia is not a city like Florence, where you can rush around and see the sites, but more of a town that needs time to just soak it all in, walk leisurely around the sea wall, sit in a sidewalk cafe in the Piazza del Duomo,observe the pace of life for Sicilians who live there, walk the Passegiata, cheer on the fishermen in the evening while watching a spectacular sunset over the Porta Grande, contemplate the Fontana of the nymph Arethusa. Combine that with what one should learn about the history before travelling there, and to me that cannot possibly be absorbed in a day trip.
Do it if that's what you fancy, but otherwise, I would advise to choose one or the other.
Taormina has an entirely different feel to it, instead of watching locals, you are much more likely to be watching streams of tourists. The town is undoubtedly very photogenic, though, and it's lively. Just different from Ortigia.

For research purposes, Ortigia is the old part of Siracusa, you will find more info using that name.

Thanks, all! My last (hopefully!) question is this: Should we base ourselves in Panarea or Salina for our 4 nights (maybe 3) in the Aeolians? I want somewhere beautiful, which I have heard Panarea is, but I have also heard it is very quiet. That is fine, but we do want to be able to go to restaurants. Any lodging suggestions in either of those locations would be great too!

Have a look at this one in Salina

http://www.mammasantina.it/hotel_salina_reservation.asp

Mid range price, good views, and has its own restaurant, reportedly good food.

Ok, plane tickets are booked! Thanks for all your help. Our probable itinerary in early September is:

Fly into Catania
2 nights stay near Etna, and climb Etna on Sept. 6 (Relais Monaci delle terre nerre)
4 nights Aeolian Islands, probably Salina (prob Hotel Signum)
1 night in Modica
3 nights at Azienda Mandranova near Agrigento
1 night in Palermo, fly out of Palermo


The one change I might make is to skip Modica and spend 2 nights near Palermo, maybe exploring Erice on our way up there. I wasn't considering Palermo at all, but it does make sense itinerary-wise so I would love any thoughts on that. Thanks!

bmk for later

Two nights in Palermo is a much better idea IMO than overnight in Modica. The overall plan seems to zigzag back and forth a bit though.

If you stop in Palermo, I would urge you to consider a stop at the cathedral in Monreale - it is truly spectacular.

I agree re monreale superb. Palermo is in my opinion v underrated...it isnt naples, much friendlier and i love the place. All i can say is u are covering some yards!

We visited Sicily in late September 2011 -- our first visit, though we've been to mainland Italy at least a dozen times.

Despite being very leery about Taormina after reading all the warnings about its "touristy" rep, I loved the place. I'd return in a heartbeat (though not in June, July or August -- it would be too hot and crowded for me). It's not a place to daytrip to, though, because that IS when the cruise ships spew out the tourist groups; the best times to luxuriate in its atmosphere are mornings and evenings, when you can walk around and enjoy peace and quiet along with the beauty. We also hiked a bit in the hills around the town, which was delicious: we were the absolute only people on the trails, and we ran into several families of goats and sheep. We did not make the trip to Etna, but at least we could see it from our hotel every morning at breakfast.

Modica is lovely, but a day there is more than enough (we spent 2 nights and 2 days); in fact, the night time is the best there, imo: the way the hills are lit at night is almost otherworldly in its beauty.

Cefalu is lovely, too, in a completely different way (beach).

Ortigia did not ring my bell, but I only spent a day there, and I also know I'm in the minority on that!

Palermo was the great surprise, though: beautiful, interesting, and rich with life. 3 days was not long enough for us; it is another city to which I really do hope to return & explore.

Ditto what LucieV says about Taormina! If you want to be near Etna, you *might as well* stay there. However, the center of town is a pedestrian-only zone, so make sure your hotel has parking - and that you can get to it without too much trouble!

FWIW, we stayed at the Hotel Schuler. It's a bit of a budget hotel, but we got a very good rate on a room with a balcony. The staff was friendly and helpful, and breakfast on the terrace simple and delicious!

Agree with ggreen that you may use Taormina as a base.

Personally, I love Taormina, and have visited the town several times on holidays in Sicily. When I was young and single, I worked for a couple of years in the administration office with a ferry service to Sicily, and they used to give us 2 free tickets per month during the Summer months, so we used to go even for a weekend sometimes, or for just the day to do some shopping.

True, many tourists from northern countries in Europe visit it, as well as locals, but I just love the atmosphere, especially in the evenings. Mid September is not its peak tourist season, August is, when the Italians have their Summer break. Saying that, I have been in mid August and still enjoyed it.

Also before we had kids me and my husband were driving overland to mainland Italy from Sicily, and we drove and stopped for lunch in Taormina (I told you - I just love this town). We had managed to find parking somewhere up the hill at that time, but of course the pedestrian-only zone was already there in its centre.

People would be strolling up and down the main street in the evenings, maybe stopping for a gelato or a coffee or a drink at one of the bars,there is also a belvedere and beautiful gardens, as another Fodorite mentioned. I just love it in the evenings.

There are public lifts from upper Taormina in the centre, to lower Taormina, where the long sandy beaches are. We used to lo ve our swims there in our younger days. There you also find plenty of restaurants, bars, discos etc to enjoy.

It is not really a town where you go for culture or sight-seeing. It is more a relaxing holiday to enjoy the seaside, for nightlife and its lovely views. If you intend to stay in the centre of Taormina I would stay in a hotel that offers a view, really breathtaking.

Agree with ggreen that you might want to find hotel with parking, as main street is a pedestrian only zone, otherwise you would have to park on outskirts, or down the hill close to where buses etc stop, and then maybe take a very short taxi ride up the hill close to hotel.

Just in case you are interested, there are a couple of coastal towns, just a few km away from Taormina, they are not up the hill, but still offer spectacular views and are summer resorts with lovely beaches. One is called, if I remember well, Letojani - sorry I can't remember the other name, but if you want I can research for you.

One thing I must tell you. Since Taormina is a popular tourist resort, it is not cheap. Accomodation and restaurants are expensive compared to rest of Sicily. These coastal towns I mentioned above might be a cheaper option for sure, plenty of restaurants, bars and lovely beaches for a swim,lovely sea views,and you can easily visit Taormina, Etna, Catania and so many other places from there. Many tourists prefer to base themselves from there, due to more affordable hotels.

You might very easily experience nice hot weather in September, so if you love swimming in the Mediterranean Sea, I would suggest you take your bathing costume with you.

If you need any advice, I would be more than happy to assist you.

ggreen, we also stayed at the Schuler, and could not have been more delighted. Personally, I am amazed that it's considered a "budget" hotel...it was one of the nicest, most beautiful, most pleasant stays I've ever had in all the years we've been traveling, and we've stayed in a few "luxury" hotels.

Cappuccinos and brioches with fresh melon on the Hotel Schuler patio in the ever-so-quiet of the intense morning sun, looking at Etna, is going to be a memory that I carry to my grave.

Forgot to add - Erice and Trapani, are worth a visit, and also Monreale and a day visit to Palermo. The scenary to the north west of Sicily is really breathtaking. Messina is also a lovely old city. There is a clock tower in the centre of the city that has statues that move mechanically every day at noon.

Wow, both of you just gave me goosebumps - such an instant, vivid memory of Taormina from your descriptions! I absolutely loved walking around in the evening and browsing the amazing window displays, and then in the morning exploring the narrow streets out to the English gardens and the Greek arena...

My trip was two years ago, and we were starting our vacation in Sicily in order to visit my sister who was living there at the time. The Icelandic volcano shifted our trip by a week, and she wasn't able to put us up on the first night, so we went to Taormina instead. I'm so happy we did! She picked us up at the airport in Catania, drove to Taormina and parked in a parking structure on the edge of the pedestrian zone. (From what I remember, the parking was reasonably priced.) We then schlepped our bags all the way down the street to Hotel Schuler! We could have easily driven there, dropped the bags and returned to the parking garage...

At any rate, Taormina and the Hotel Schuler were the perfect antidote to all that cattle-car travel. LucieV, I agree that it's so surprising that the hotel is considered budget! It was so reasonably priced for a room with a sea view. And you described the morning perfectly. In all the subsequent hotel breakfasts we had on that trip, only one had a comparable view, and none had comparable quality (even the "luxury" hotel in Rome). For me, too, I won't soon forget it!

ggreen - I absolutely agree with you that in my opinion Taormina is a must if you visit Sicily. It is considered the elite town of Sicily and many tourists from Switzerland and northern countries visit it repeatedly - at least they used to when I used to visit it. Now you are making me want to go there again after many years, lol (I always tell myself that I have had enough of Sicily).

Yes, it does get way too crowdy in July/August, but I guess that is the case everywhere in many cities in Italy, like in Florence or in coastal towns and resorts like in Rimini,, but also in so many other countries in Europe. That is why nowadays I prefer to take holidays in September or in the Wintertime. But in my younger days, when I was single and used to go on holidays with friends, I used to love joining with the crowds and holiday makers in the peak season, especially for the fun atmosphere and nightlife.

And yes, unless I am just passing through for a stop (this happened to us on the way to Salerno to visit my cousin) , I would definitely prefer to spend at least one night there to savour the atmosphere in the evening, plus the daytrippers would be all gone. You would be missing out on the best of Taormina if you don't.

EuropSept2012 - Try and avoid at all costs that you drive into Catania, it is the ultimate nightmare in its centre, my husband many years ago had sworn he would never drive into that city again - it was his worst driving experience in a city centre for sure. It is congested, crowdy and with cars driving in every direction with no attention to driving rules whatsover, and motorbikes crossing in front of you all the time - a bigger nightmare during the day as they make an open air market in the centre. Unless you are a really experienced driver in Sicily (which is already an experience on its own level) I would not dare to venture into Catania. But very close to Catania, there are three small coastal towns that are really really beautiful, one is called Aci, another Aci Castello - sorry I can't remember the third name, but you will find it if you do some research. They are really lovely and have a promenade, and you might be interested in doing a day trip to Catania from there, maybe using public transport.

If it were me, I would be unsure about staying in Palermo, maybe I would stay in a nice nearby coastal town and do a day trip to Palermo from there. Strangely, Messina is not much mentioned on Fodors - I would certainly include it in my visit to Sicily. And I repeat, try to head to the north west at least for a day, it is really really breathtaking scenary.

Just remembered - the other coastal town close to Taormina is called Giardini Naxos.

anna - thank you so much for your invaluable information.

i am storing it all up for our hoped for trip next spring.

You're welcome, annhig. You will enjoy it for sure in the Spring, when it is not yet too hot, and not the peak tourist season.

Thank you Anna and everyone! We will definitely check out Taormina even if we can only do one night. And we will not attempt to drive into Catania! In fact, we are looking into taking a bus from CTA to Taormina. We then need to get to Milazzo from Taormina however, which seems more difficult by public transport. Anyone with any thoughts on that, I would love to hear them! Thank you!!!

To get from Taormina to Naxos, you catch the train at the Taormina-Giardini Naxos station and change in Messina; it takes about an hour and a half. Though buses are usually recommended for Sicily, we took the train from Siracusa to Taormina and found it very clean and comfortable.

An alternative is to catch a boat from Messina directly to Salina. Here's the schedule: www.usticalines.it/en/dettaglio_porto.asp?id_destinazione=46

Another vote for the Hotel Schuler. And we wished we had more time in Palermo.

"To get from Taormina to Naxos, you catch the train at the Taormina-Giardini Naxos station and change in Messina, it takes about an hour and a half".

Mimar - you might have mixed up the names of towns - Probably you intended to write Milazzo instead of Naxos?

EuropeSept2012 - I am looking again at your revied itinerary. Four nights out of your short trip is for Salina in the islands (would you consider staying for 3 nights instead since there is so much to see in Sicily?). Modica is in the very south of Sicily, I do not think it is feasible to do all that driving just to stay one night - I would skip it for sure. Agrigento is on the west and definitely a long drive from the north east coast, but if you are interested in visiting it, then of course do so. If you still want to fit in Modica you can do a day trip from Agrigento, since you have three nights there.

The relais you found close to Etna is very close to Taormina - so you might consider choosing accomodation between the two so that you would not waste much time to get to and settle in accomodation.

IF it were me, (as after all this is your holiday, and you would know your preferences the best), I would organize the holiday as follows:

3 nights in Taormina or in the relais you liked - depends whether you want to spend the evenings in Taormina (given you stay in Taormina during that time you might spend a day on the Etna, a day in surrounding countryside maybe booking a cooking class, and maybe fit in the gardens and arena). Alternatively, if you do not mind travelling to multiple destination, do 2 nights at the relais and 1 night in Taormina.

3 nights Salina (before starting off to Agrigento, if you have to change stations in Messina,as Mimar said, I would go for a short visit to the small city of Messina.

3 nights Agrigento

2 nights in Palermo, or in a coastal town very close, where you would have some time to visit Palermo, and also a full day to visit some coastal towns on the north/north west like Monreale, Lerici, etc.and the surrounding beautiful scenary.

Will you be hiring a car and driving around? And will you be taking the car and driving in Salina? If not, you might consider travelling from Catania first to Salina, and hiring a car after the 3 or 4 nights there, and then do your stop in Taormina/Etna area, then you drive to Agrigento, and lastly to final destination close to Palermo, depositing car at airport before flying back home.

Agrigento to Modica is at least a three hour drive, one way. Doesn't seem like a daytrip to me.

Thank you for your suggestions! We may consider just 3 nights in Salina, but I really want to see Modica so we are not going to skip it. I guess it's kind of a lot of driving--though really it seems like only 3 1/4 hours from Milazzo to Modica which to me is nothing. We are fine doing just one night there. We did think of doing Salina first, but since we won't be arriving in CTA until the afternoon it didn't seem feasible really. But perhaps we will spend an extra night in Taormina and just do 3 nights in Salina. Thanks for your thoughts.

Right, I meant to write "To get from Taormina to Milazzo." Aaaargh!

And thanks for the train/bus tips as well! We don't want to take the car to Salina so would prefer to pick it up after we get back from the islands.

You will be happy you decided to stay in Taormina. If possible get up early and be the first ones to get your entrance to the Greek Theatre before the tours start. Seeing Etna through the ruins is magical.

Modica recommendation (we stayed here 2 nights last September):
http://www.casatalia.it/english/stanze.htm

Bellissima, simpatica, meravigliosa!

If you do not mind checking-in at various hotels, and doing lots of driving in a short time then go for it - otherwise you might regret not having managed to visit places you longed to see.

But also bear in mind that driving in Sicily is not the same as driving in other countries in Europe,it is more strenuous, and you have to be extra careful and keep your eyes on the road all the time, as they all like to make their own regulations and have the first come first served attitude, even on their highways. You do get used to it of course, who drove there would know what I mean that it is not an enjoyable experience.

Yes, I know Modica is also far away from Agrigento much further south, but whether you stay there for the night or not the itinerary and the position of the towns mentioned are quite far away from each other. Your itinerary confused me when checking geographical positions of towns etc you want to visit. Just bear in mind that whilst Catania/ Agriturismo close to Etna/Taormina on your way to Salina are all to the east and roughly same route, other destinations are south and west and again you would have to drive northwards to Palermo to catch your flight back home. So you are going to go northwards from Catania, then to the very south to Modica, then drive westwards, then north again. It is a pity that you already booked tickets - I would have landed in Palermo.

So driving all that way, then doing just one night does not really give you time to see anything (I have done it myself several times just to experience the atmosphere of a particular town or area and have always regretted it afterwards, as we always ended up arriving in the evening and hardly any time to see anything or relax a bit. Then we do some sightseeing the next day and end up arriving again late at next destination. Why don't you lessen your one night stays by making 2 nights in Agrigento and 2 nights in Modica, since you really seem to want to stay there as well? LucieV describes the town with many nice adjectives, so that town might warrant a 2 night stay just as Agrigento does. If you have time on your hands during these 2 nights at Modica you might be interested in visiting Ragusa or Noto or even Syracuse during that stop.

Regarding Taormina and the agriturismo close to Etna (from map it seems close to the coastal resort of Giarre - I have been there to a disco long time ago in the late eightees lol - they are only a very short drive or bus ride from each other (roughly destination near Etna is roughly half way between Catania and Taormina), so in that case I would consider a 2 night stay at the Agriturismo and a 1 night stay in Taormina. Alternatively, choose one place and stay 3 nights and try and fit in the Mount Etna visit, Taormina, and the cooking class. Sundriedpachino is so right about Taormina in that you won't regret staying there - even the Sicilians themselves love this town.

I have never been to Modica, but I have tasted their chocolate a few times - must say I was not impressed - the chocolate is too coarse since the sugar granules are not melted so you feel them on your mouth. But it is all a matter of taste of course. I love the Sicilian jams, especially the marmalades and lemon jam, yummy the best, and also their caponata sauce and so many other delicious sauces, you must try them out, and their really really good pastries especially the almond ones and the rikotta cannoli.. Last but not least, their seafood platters,fried or the zuppa di pesce, boiled with lots of herbs etc like in a broth are so divine!! So try and taste them all, lol!!!

So maybe you can divide your itinerary as follows:

Arrive in Catania

2 nights agriturismo near Etna

1 night Taormina

3 night Islands (Salenta)

2 nights Modica

2 nights Agrigento

1 night Palermo area (really wish you had 2 - but at least you might view lovely scenary on the way - north Sicily is lovely)

Glad to be of assistance if you need any help!!



.

Thanks for all the advice. We are a little sad to be missing North Sicily, but we will have to save that for another trip. I do hear you about the driving but we've driven in South America (including inside Montevideo which was a crazy experience) so we feel pretty confident we can handle it. I do appreciate your thoughts, and I'll let you know how it all turns out!

Enjoy your trip EuropSept2012. I am absolutely sure you can handle it, especially since you are an experienced driver in places where it is not so easy to drive, you will get used to their way of driving after a couple of days for sure - and it is relatively very easy outside city centres, like everywhere else.

But if I were you I would still buy excess insurance at car hire office on pick up of car to be on the safe side so that you would be fully covered, as in this case it is not only how you drive, but how the locals drive. Once we had found the side mirror broken, I remember, whilst our car was parked.

Be careful of pickpockets especially in city centres of Catania etc - my mother and several of my friends were robbed (this was many years ago - I used to visit Sicily at least 3 times a year during that time mostly for the shopping, I live in Malta which is only 60 miles away from Sicily, and a one hour and a half away by ferry crossing to Pozzallo, or a 20 minute flight to Catania, but nowadays, I prefer to visit further to the north of Italy or visit other countries, but my husband did mention he would like to visit Sicily again lately, so I will be happy to visit Sicily again soon for sure.

I would not know whether situation regarding theft is better now, as last time I have been to Sicily was in the mid ninetees with my husband and son, baby at the time, in a resort hotel close to Palermo). Anyway, a motorcyclist drove right near the pavement where my mum was walking, took her handbang and drove away with it. She went and reported the it to the police, who gave her little information but just said that they had a handbag which was found on a pavement and handed over to them, but of course the purse with money was gone.

So as much as possible, don't carry valuables, passports etc on you, and if you do have to, see that they are secure in a pocket belt etc. I used to find it best just to put some money in my jean pockets and that's it. We really used to go to Catania or Syracuse to do some shopping, eppecially for the Italian shoes and clothes, and of course to Taormina to chill out. But we did sometimes include some sightseeing in other towns and cities during the vacation. When I got married it was a matter of driving through Sicily to cross over to mainland Italy and then drive overland northwards.

I only once had something mugged, an itemm of clothes I had bought had been snatched without even me noticing as I was holding several plastic carrier bags. But as I said, hopefully the situation is much better now.

I would love to hear about your trip, and how you decided to divide your vacation days, one advice - go to the places where you really want to visit, and do not lose heart, otherwise you will regret it when you go back home!!!

Anna_Galea, you're killing me with the reminders of the food!

My visit was in spring, and there was such an abundance of lemons, blood oranges, yellow figs - trees in the fields and along laneways practically falling over with the weight of the fruit. My sister pointed out to me that Fanta orange soda is popular there - because on the island it's made like Orangina with the fruit pulp at the bottom-! Pistachios are local, too: look for pesto and jars of other sauces made with them that you can bring home for a continued taste of Sicily. We had a crema di pistacchio that was sooo good over wide pasta like fettuccine with a little grilled chicken...

We would stop at the markets attached to gas stations or little groceries in the center of small towns. They always had wonderful fresh sandwiches and fried snacks, especially arancini rice balls which happily have started to become popular here in NYC. (Well, my taste buds are happy even if my waistline suffers LOL.) I don't know if it was only because we were there in springtime, but arugula (rocket) was everywhere, especially good in bresaola salad that was popular there. At dinner, I could never get enough of the seafood, especially shellfish...

Condorelli is a brand of local Sicilian chocolate. I don't know if it's the stuff from Modica that Anna_Galea mentioned, but we enjoyed it! Especially the truffle-style ones filled with lemon, orange or pistachio, and also the chocolate-covered almond/pistachio nougat.

Okay, now I'm full just writing all this.

Sicilians drive *fast*, but IME follow road rules: stay in the middle or right travel lane, and move to the left only to pass before moving back to the right. Towns are almost always on hilltops, and between the ancient, narrow, twisting streets, pedestrian-only zones, parking challenges and the joys of manual shift, it can get a bit hairy. GPS helps a lot - make sure you have up-to-date maps, though! My sister said the roads are continually being improved, including changes to the routes themselves.

As for petty crime, we carried out the "usual" precautions - which for me means being aware, partner's wallet in front pocket, but not so far as a money belt or anything - and were careful not to leave anything visible in the vacant car (or to move something from car to trunk while parked at our destination). No problems. When my sister picked us up at Catania airport and then headed out of town in her car with all the windows rolled down, she did tell me to take my purse off my lap and place it under my feet in the passenger seat. Once we were out of Catania, she said it didn't matter as much.

Yes, definitely agree with your sister that Catania is the worst for pickpockets, (maybe that is why I am too aware of it since we used to visit mostly Catania for the shopping) but I used to be extra careful in Syracuse as well. But, as I said, I haven't been to Sicily for many years now - I guess I just had too much of it and saw it all in my younger days and it didn't seem like a vacation to me any more, as nowadays I prefer to visit other regions in Italy, so many of themm but I think it will soon be time for another short vacation there - you Fodorites are making me want to go again.

So hopefully pickpocketing has lessened considerably in Sicily.

I do not think that the Condorello chocolate is the same as the Modica chocolate. The ones I tasted was a plain chocolate which had whole suger granules that you could feel in your mouth, apparently this chocolate is hand made and its recipe originates from Spain, if I remember well. They purposely do not allow the sugar granules to melt whilst preparing it.

Yes, Sicilian food is so good and abundant, especially the seafood and shellfish, they have their own special way of cooking it. And of course their sauces, with pasta or meat. I also have been to several markets in Sicily, they have them everywhere - the fish markets, food markets with their abundant fruit and veg, and of course the ones that sell clothes, shoes, etc like the huge one in Catania, and in Syracuse.

I will try the Fanta orange for sure when I go again, I didn't know about that. Yes, the fruit is exquisite, especially the citrus fruits and the figs and nuts. And the rocket, but I really do not miss that much as we also get them in our country, since it is so geographically close.

And I just love their pastry shops, where they often also sell, as you said the arancini, and other yummy yummy snacks. But mostly I love their almond/pistaccio/fig etc sweet pastries, and when I crave for them I buy them online from cookiesfromitaly.com. They are homemade and are despatched from Sicily. They sell them online worldwide I think, and are so very very delicous. The really wrap them up beautifully as well, I ordered 3 times from them and was always satisfied. They also sell homegrown origano, and give so many good recipes on their website. Fodorites might be interested in having a look at this site.

I am sure that the roads are improving all the time, like they are in my country and in so many others - especially because of EU regulations and subsidies. And hopefully their driving got better too, lol. But all in all, the Sicilians are really really friendly people, I find their easy going character so unique from the rest of the Italy.

So EuroSept2012, enjoy every minute of this island, and try and visit as many areas that you might manage to fit in!!!
Have a lovely trip!!!

Villa del Casale at Piazza Armerina is a UNESCO World Heritage site.. a mostly intact Roman villa with many impressive mosaics. Well worth a detour.

Giardini Naxos has many hotels, restaurants and the beach, near Taormina. Its a good alternative if you dont find accommodations in Taormina that suit your tastes and budget. There is also a local bus to Taormina if parking outside of the pedestrian zone is an issue.

anna - thanks for the link to the cookiesfromitaly.com. site. I am unlikely to order and of the biscuits, but the recipes look good so i have subscribed to the newsletter and am looking forward to receiving my first copy!

EuropeSept2012- Sicily offers an embarrassment of riches – but Taormina is a jewel.

Bottom line – there is a reason WHY it has been so popular with visitors for centuries- fabulous natural beauty with remarkable architecture. Mt. Etna, though distant, dominates the landscape.

Granted I spent a week there in late February about ten years ago so there were not many tourists. Many complain about the number of souvenir shops, but that doesn’t bother me because I am not a shopper and just pass them by.

You have some great advice here from every perspective – enjoy Sicily….

EuropeSept2012 -- I'm coming late to this string but I see that you haven't received many (if any) answers to your questions about the Aeolian Islands. They're possibly my favorite place in the world (been there 3 times in the past few years), and I recommend that you stay as many days as you can spare.

Here's a link to the blog I wrote while on my around-the-world trip last fall. The September 2011 entries are from the Aeolies (Panarea, Salina, Lipari), where we spent 3 weeks. Pictures included (if you're interested you can also take a look at my photo book from the trip, which I recently added to the blog). http://aprilaroundtheworld.blogspot.com/

To get to the Aeolians from Taormina or Catania you can take the train to Messina and then transfer to another train to Milazzo. Milazzo station is a few miles from the port, so you'll have to take a (cheap) local bus to the port. (Try not to get impatient and do what we did on our first trip--we took a taxi and were seriously overcharged, 25 euros.)

The advantage of taking the bus from Taormina (also requires a change in Messina to another bus) is that the latter bus drops you right at the port, making it unnecessary to take the local bus from the station. Either way is fine, however--they just take time.

During the season (July-early September) there is also a direct bus from Catania airport to Milazzo. We've never had the opportunity to take that, so I can't comment on how efficient it is.

From Milazzo you can catch the hydrofoil or ferry to the islands on either the Siremar and Ustica lines. Last year we took a hydrofoil from Palermo to Panarea (about 3 hours), but I think they stop running on September 15. You can also take a boat from Messina to the islands, but they run less frequently than the Milazzo boats and the schedule may be way briefer after Sept. 15.

Be aware that boats CAN be canceled if the weather is bad. A couple of years ago we were stuck in Milazzo for 2 days while we waited for the sea to stop roiling and the boats to run again. That was in May, though--on our September trip we encountered no bad weather and everything ran smoothly (though on island time--expect delays). You'll likely have to stop in Lipari first and may have to change boats, depending on which island we choose.

I adore both Salina and Panarea and would find it hard to choose between them. They really are different -- Panarea is classy, with small lanes and no cars (golf carts and walking are the means of transportation). The villas are gorgeous, whitewashed, flower-covered. Views of Stromboli and the little islands off Panarea are spectacular. There's an amazing rounded-stone beach at one end of the island, as well as a decent sandy beach (not great, but it's a place to sun and swim). You can hike from one end to the other and even do a round-trip if you're fit (my husband did it early one morning while I slept in). Several good restaurants, which should still be operating in September. Can't recommend a hotel because we've always rented places there.

Salina is different but just as nice in its own way. Much bigger, with 3 distinct towns and several smaller villages, including the stunning Pollara, where we stayed last September. There's a small inn there, but I didn't see inside (again, we rented). Malfa is a nice town with good hotels, as in Santa Marina, which might be the best location if you want to be in a town. Again, it doesn't lack for good restaurants. To get around you can rely on the local bus, which covers the whole island and is very convenient, or rent a car or motorbike.

From both Salina and Panarea you can arrange daytrips to other islands, which I recommend (most of the trips involve opportunities for swimming off the boat in beautiful coves--awesome).

Have a great trip!

Aprillilacs, thank you for the post. I did refer the OP to your trip report in her first thread!

And thanks for the link to your blog. I am going to bookmark that.

Annhig - you are welcome - they do post really good Sicilian recipes on their site.

apprillilacs - you describe the islands beautifully, they must be so different to mainland Sicily. It might just be a problem if weather gets rough and one has a plane to catch - that is always what puts me off visiting a small island off mainland. But is sure seems to be worth the risk for total relaxation..

Wow, thanks apprillilacs. That's very helpful! I think we might split our time between Panarea and Salina, or may base ourselves in Salina and do a day trip to Panarea. I am very excited for this part of the trip as the Aeolians juts seem incredible!

Hi all--just wanted to let you know we are back from an amazing trip to Sicily! Thank you for all your help. I am not sure I have time to write a trip report, but briefly--it was all fabulous. 1 night in Taormina was perfect--it's beautiful, but too touristy for us. 4 nights in the Aeolians (Panarea and Salina) were wonderful--I could have spent even longer. So beautiful and remote--we loved just relaxing by the pool, hiking and going to the beach. The islands are like another world.

We loved Modica and are so happy we made it there--didn't mind the distance at all from Milazzo. We just wandered the city for our full day there and enjoyed our b&b's terrace at night.

Our time at Mandranova near Agrigento was also great. The temples are fascinating, and the Azienda is charming with wonderful food. We spent our last day in Scopello, an incredibly cute little town with a great cove for swimming, and our last night in Castellammare del Golfo, which was super convenient to the airport. All in all, the trip was one of our best! Thanks to all of you for your advice. Any questions, let me know. I will try to check back here.

Europe,

Please make time for a trip report. Think of all the help you got here, now it's time to repay that. I'm heading to Sicily in April 2013 and would love to hear more about your experiences!

Grazie!

Glad to hear you enjoyed it - thanks for letting us know!

Woohoo! I loved Modica, too. Especially at night: it's like a fantasy land.

I am so glad you enjoyed your holiday in Sicily. A thank you from me as well for letting us know.

Hi europe,

thanks so much for letting us know what a great time you had, and your impressions of Sicily.

i understand about not wanting to do a full-blown trip report, but is there any chance of your posting the details of the places you stayed? with a sentence or two about each of them? i know that several of us are hoping to go to Sicily next year and personal recommendations [or not!] are most valuable when it comes to trip planning.

Hello all,

I am happy to give more details if not a full trip report, and will try to check back if anyone has questions. The basics:

Fly into Catania, pick up rental car
1 night at Hotel Taodomus in Taormina--great location, nice room, great view of Etna from the roof during breakfast. We visited the greek theater and took a walk around town. Taormina is beautiful, but a bit too touristy for us and we knew we'd have great views in the Aeolians.

We then drove to Milazzo for the ferry to Panarea. We spent 1 night at Hotel Raya in Panarea. Panarea is beautiful, the views from the pool and decks at Raya were amazing. Raya is overpriced, even in the low season, but it was worth it for us to get to see Panarea.

After Panarea, we went to Salina where we stayed at Hotel Signum for 3 nights. Signum is a beautiful hotel. THe views from the pool are amazing and the food is great. We loved Salina. One of my favorite places in the world. We went to Pollara, hiked Monte dei Porre, and just enjoyed the hotel and beach. I could have stayed even longer.

We then took a ferry to Milazzo, picked up our car from long term parking (very easy) and drove to Modica. This was a 3 hour drive, but it wasn't bad for us at all. We arrived in Modica in the early evening. We stayed at Le Lumie for 2 nights which had easy parking (they will meet you at your car and show you how to get there). The B&B was great, very nice rooms, beautiful views. We loved just walking around Modica and enjoying the view at night from the hotel courtyard.

Our next stop was Azienda Agricola Mandranova near Agrigento for 3 nights. This place is great. Very nice rooms, incredible home-made food, beautiful olive orchard and great pool. There is not a lot to do around here except for the temples, but we were happy to relax by the pool.

Our last full day we drove to Scopello and ate lunch and hung out on the beach at the tonnara. We were going to hike Zingaro but it was closed. We then stayed in Castellammare for one night and drove to the airport early the next morning. It was very easy.

All is all, we loved the trip. We are in our early 30s and have done a lot of traveling and found Sicily to be a pretty easy place to travel, though perhaps a bit more of an adventure than other places in Western Europe. We actually loved that about it, though. Hope this helps!

europe - grazie mille.

this is just the sort of info that we need to plan our trip. I think that like you I'd like to see Taormina, but without the tourists hoards, so a "one-night stand" sounds like a very good idea.

I'm adding your recommendations to my planning list.

Europe,

Thanks for the additional information. Do you know why the Zingaro Preserve was closed? Seasonal? Rain damage? I want to hike through too on my trip.

Annhig, I decided to stay in Castlemola at Hotel Sonia. Looks very good for views and a one nighter at much less $ than the view hotels in Taormina.

Hi, europe: we also stayed one night at Le Lumie. Are the owners/family the nicest people in the world or what?! The next two nights we stayed at Casa Talia, whose owners designed Le Lumie. Talia was a tiny bit more upscale, but not snottily so, and we really appreciated having access to the gardens. Loved both places.

Dayle: the only problem with staying in Castelmola is that it's a long ride from Taormina and there is really nothing to do there. My husband and I usually enjoy "nothing to do" places, but Castelmola was, in our experience (as day-trippers), a bit lonely & isolated. But I admit that I am one of the minority who was surprised to fall in love with Taormina (we stayed 3 days and nights), and would go back in a half of a half second!

> Castelmola was, in our experience (as day-trippers), a bit lonely & isolated.

I was glad to have spent an hour or two in Castelmola. I was very, VERY glad that I chose to spend my one night in the area in Taormina itself. I thought it wonderful once the day-trippers had left.

kja, I felt exactly the same. Taormina is delicious in the mornings and evenings.

Agree with kja and LuciaV - I also absolutely love Taormina, rather elite, always IMO, - atmosphere is so different from rest of Sicily - you need to stay the evening as well though. Maybe it is because I was younger when I visited quite a few times this town, but I just loved strolling along the main street with friends, stopping for a meal, gelato or coffee or a drink, at a restaurant, or cafeteria or bar in the evenings, and enjoying my swims during the day at the beach below (there is a lift that takes you from Taormina centre to the beaches below - plenty of restaurants, bars etc there as well). It is also a good base to visit Etna - so annhig, if I were you I would consider staying there for two nights, since your other stops are not on the eastern coast. Taormina is not cheap though - many tourists from northern Europeon countries visit this town, as well as Sicilians come even from Catania and elsewhere to chill out.

For those who want to stay close to Catania, but not, understandably in Catania itself, just to the north a few kms away, there are the nearby coastal towns called Acireale and Aci Castello (where are are picturesque castle ruins near the rocky coast, which are lovely.

One can also do a day trip to Taormina or Etna from there, as they are all on the eastern coast, and easily can be done in a day trip, and if you feel up to it, also visit Catania or visites some towns inland. Maybe they would be less packed with tourists than the renowned areas (they are not much mentioned here on Fodors - but loved by locals for sure - again several bars and restaurants on the coast - if I remember well, Acireale is larger and has a nice centre. If interested, do some research on these places.

Forgot to add - you are going to enjoy the Sicilian cuisine so much - their sauces, the way they cook their seafood - th suppa di pesce or fritti etc, the fresh anchovies, their grilled aubergines, their cherry tomatoes, their confectioneries, their jams - I could go on and on and on - are to die for. Big meals might be expensive in Taormina though - so leave them for everywhere else.

anna - you've sold me on 2 nights in Taormina - probably.

it all depends on how long we're going to have, which as the moment i don't know.

and please stop talking about the food - it sounds so tempting.

Though Taormina is not cheap, it is also not impossible to visit without breaking the bank. Especially if you don't eat every meal at a restaurant, and instead take advantage of the nearby (within 10 minutes walking distance) "grocery" store that sells most of the wonderful things anna just described! e.g., I could happily make a meal out of a container of mascarpone (which I don't even care for in the US).

True lucieV - it won't break the bank for sure even to have a nice plate of pasta at a restaurant, not unaffordable for sure, I was just comparing Taormina to say, Catania or Syracuse or Palermo. We always ate in restaurants in Taormina, (I would never cook when I go on holiday, I do so much cooking at home, I would want a break from the kitchen for sure - the ones that are not in the very centre would have better prices.

annhig - I don't think you will regret staying in Taormina for 2 nights - you can do a daytrip during the day, and chill out in the evenings in Taormina. It makes a change from the usual Sicilian towns and cities.

Yes, their food is tempting - Sicilian cuisine is unique, and sooo abundant, especially fish. Don't forget to try their zuppa di pesce - oh dear, there I go again!!!

I completely agree, Anna. I never cook when on vacation either; especially when I'm in a country where the food, even from a hole-in-the-wall that's not in anybody's guidebook, is invariably wonderful!

Dayle-Zingaro seemed to be closed because it had been raining the night before. But--the entire middle of the park is indefinitely closed due to fire damage. So you can hike from Scopello in a bit and then from San Vito Lo Capo in a bit, but you cannot hike the middle. At least not as of now. You should try to check when you get closer. It looked gorgeous from the parking lot--we were sad to miss the hike!

Lucie--yes, the owners at Le Lumie were so so so nice! I really loved staying there. Drinking wine in the courtyard at twilight was one of my favorite memories of our whole trip!

Europe - Thank you for that detail. As I get closer to April, I will check the status. If I can only hike in from Scopello that will probably be OK.

You all are making me second guess my decision to stay in Castlemola. I am only going to be there for 1 nt and 1 day so maybe it's not worth the trip back and forth from Castlemola to see the theater and stroll a bit in the afternoon when I arrive?

I'll be leaving early the next morning for Lipari and don't plan on visiting Etna. No interest in volcanos (other than as a view) more than I've already seen in Hawaii.

> You all are making me second guess my decision to stay in Castlemola. I am only going to be there for 1 nt and 1 day so maybe it's not worth the trip back and forth from Castlemola to see the theater and stroll a bit in the afternoon when I arrive?

I liked the views from Castelmola, but was glad I spent the night in Taormina. Early one evening, I took the bus from Taormina to Castelmola, stopped for a glass of almond wine on the open-air upper-story deck of a cliff-side restaurant, and then walked back downhill. All together, that probably took about 1.5 hours. I would not have made it my highest priority for a night in Taormina, but to each his/her own!

Dayle, I strongly suggest re-considering Castelmola. As I said, I really wanted to stay there, and I even booked a room -- which I cancelled about a week prior to our stay (and lucked out by getting into Hotel Schuler.) I continued to second-guess myself until we actually took the bus up to Castelmola one afternoon. Our hour in the actual town of Castelmola was more than enough. Instead of taking the bus back, we hiked down to Taormina, which was AMAZING, because we were literally the only human beings on the trail, and it felt very Siciliano as we ran into herds of goats grazing on the foliage; admired and then plucked a few prickly pears (DON'T do it!!); and just enjoyed the spectacular views.

btw, we didn't "do" Etna either. It was very visible (and very beautiful) from where we were staying, but we just didn't feel like spending a full day doing the trek. No regrets, either.

omg, kga: jinx, you owe me a Coke!

Thanks Lucie & kja. Maybe I'll reconsider. I'm only there 1 nt and part of a day. Just enough to see the theater and stroll, have a nice dinner. Just didn't want to pay those resorty prices, but maybe it't not worth the time to go back and forth to Castlemola.

I am the one who didn't care for Capri after all!

Dayle - One advantage I've noted to staying in certain places for only one night is that it isn't a huge problem if it turns out to have been a less than ideal choice. Maybe it's time to stop re-thinking?

EuropeSept2012 - sorry for helping take your thread off-track!