Best hill town in Sicily for overnight
Apr 4th, 2019, 09:35 AM
#1
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Best hill town in Sicily for overnight
Hello everyone, my s.o. and I (30ish guys) will be in Sicily for about a week in late April-May. We will be traveling from our base in Catania to Agrigento and on to Palermo and we want to spend a night in one of the baroque hill towns in transit (I realize this is not the most direct route between Catania and Agrigento, but we want to spend some time in this area en route). We will be seeing Syracuse/Ortygia from our home base in Catania, so we are considering the hill towns of Ragusa, Modica, Noto, or Caltagirone (for ceramics/shopping) (or somewhere we aren't yet considering!) . For those who have spent time in this area, do you have a favorite town or lodging recommendation to spend the night? We would love to have a nice dinner, drinks, and stroll before turning in. Thank you in advance!
Apr 4th, 2019, 02:45 PM
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Cefalu, a cool seaside hill town close to Palermo, may fill the bill - trains and buses to Palermo.
https://www.google.com/search?q=cefa...hrome&ie=UTF-8
Just west of Palermo,
Segusta is an amazing grouping of Greek temples - trains or buses go there: https://www.google.com/search?q=sege...ih=613&dpr=1.5
Taormina is a col hill town but also very mobbed with tour buses, etc. Yet scintillating view of Mt Vesuvius and being a hill town, all over the sea. You may appreciate staying down below Taormina in a classic Italian seaside resort - lots of modern hotels lining the beach with outdoor restaurants, etc and much cheaper than Taormina and something real Italian: Taormina's train station is down on the sea.
https://www.google.com/search?q=naxo...iw=645&bih=613
If looking for budget accommodation check out Let's Go Italy - lists zillions of budget hotels, pensions (now often airbnbs) - at any main library - copy relatively few pages you will need.
For lots on Italian and Sicilian transports check www.trenitalia.com - www.seat61.com and www.budgeteuropetravel.com; Trains & Rails - Sicily-Holiday.com
Trains are nearly all regional trains and thus have a flat-fare dirt cheap and no reservations even possible - just buy tickets at stations as you go along.
https://www.google.com/search?q=cefa...hrome&ie=UTF-8
Just west of Palermo,
Segusta is an amazing grouping of Greek temples - trains or buses go there: https://www.google.com/search?q=sege...ih=613&dpr=1.5
Taormina is a col hill town but also very mobbed with tour buses, etc. Yet scintillating view of Mt Vesuvius and being a hill town, all over the sea. You may appreciate staying down below Taormina in a classic Italian seaside resort - lots of modern hotels lining the beach with outdoor restaurants, etc and much cheaper than Taormina and something real Italian: Taormina's train station is down on the sea.
https://www.google.com/search?q=naxo...iw=645&bih=613
If looking for budget accommodation check out Let's Go Italy - lists zillions of budget hotels, pensions (now often airbnbs) - at any main library - copy relatively few pages you will need.
For lots on Italian and Sicilian transports check www.trenitalia.com - www.seat61.com and www.budgeteuropetravel.com; Trains & Rails - Sicily-Holiday.com
Trains are nearly all regional trains and thus have a flat-fare dirt cheap and no reservations even possible - just buy tickets at stations as you go along.
Apr 4th, 2019, 02:55 PM
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Cefalu and Taormina are in the opposite direction from Catania and Siracusa and are not the “Baroque Towns”.
We spent three nights in Modica and visited Ragusa Ibla, Scicli, Noto. Modica was an excellent base for us (we had a car and stayed in the vicinities of Modica at the loveliest “Hotel Balarte”). Modica Cathedral and many other churches are gorgeous and Modica chocolate tasting is a real. treat.
We spent three nights in Modica and visited Ragusa Ibla, Scicli, Noto. Modica was an excellent base for us (we had a car and stayed in the vicinities of Modica at the loveliest “Hotel Balarte”). Modica Cathedral and many other churches are gorgeous and Modica chocolate tasting is a real. treat.
Apr 4th, 2019, 03:02 PM
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I just mentioned them because they said they were going to Palermo and Segusta is a short enough day trip from there - for something completely spectacular - better than Agrigento IMO. Taormina is an easy day trip from Catania and could like a smaller beach town - does not sound like OP has tracks set in cement yet.
Apr 4th, 2019, 05:00 PM
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Your call! I'm not that fond of Baroque, and so didn't visit Ragusa or Modica, but I did visit Noto and Caltagirone. I selected Noto for the playfulness of its Baroque and the warmth of the color of its stone, and was well pleased with my choice. It's an easy day trip from Siracusa / Ortigia, but I was glad to spend the night so I could see its facades under varying types of light. I went to Catlgirone for its ceramics, which were nice to see (if not as awesome as many other things I saw in Sicily).
Hope that helps!
Hope that helps!
