rosetravels

Hello,
DH and I will in Sicily for 10 days in late December, traveling with our adult son and his GF and I'd welcome your input on our itinerary. Roughly, we've come up with this -

December:
20. Arrive Catania at 7:30 pm, pick up rental car, stay at nearby Agriturismo
21. Agrigento (stay near there?)
22. ?
23. Ragusa or Modica
24. Modica
25. Modica
26. Syracuse
27. Syracuse
28. Syracuse
29. Catania (return rental car first)
30. We fly to Milan for an ON before flying to Vancouver, they fly back to Berlin

Background
We travel often and love Italy and southern Italy (esp Naples - I say that so you know we're happy to be in chaotic cities) but I've never been to Sicily. Our son was in Palermo for a week last year so we've decided to focus on the south/southeast for this trip. We love cities, old towns, art, architecture, beautiful scenery, local foods and wines. We're happiest when we can walk a lot and we tend to want to be in one place for several days to get to know the lifestyle. We prefer not to rush about in order to see all the sites. About us: I'm an artist, DH is a geologist, our son is getting his PhD in economics and his GF is at the end of a masters program on environmental sustainability.

I've got many questions for you:
- Thoughts on the overall itinerary?
- We are thinking Ragusa or Modica or both as a base for that area. Is that too much time?
- Should we add a day or two elsewhere, like Trapani/Erice?
- Also, is Modica too quiet, would we be better off in Ragusa or is Modica the less touristed alternative with decent restaurants to be found? I think we'll rent an apartment there and in Syracuse.
- Is there a winery we can visit in this area?
- And I'm thinking of a day tour in the Ragusa area - recommendations?

Thanks so much in advance! I look forward to your thoughts.

annhig

My first thought is whether you really want to be hiring a car and driving after arriving in Catania at 7.30pm. It will be dark and disorientating. You don't say where you'll have flown in from but even if it's a short flight, I cannot imagine doing that. So I would suggest getting a cab into Catania and spending the first night there, and picking up a car the next day.

If Agrigento is a priority, then by all means go there and work your way back to Catania; because of the short day length you'll probably want to spend the night there and see the temples the following morning. En route you could go to the Villa Casale which has the most wonderful Roman mosaics - they were one of the highlights of our trip. On the way back, I would stay in Ragusa - there are some nice places to stay and some wonderful restaurants, but OTOH we didn't stay in Modica so I can't say what staying there, or indeed in Noto, would be like.

What time is your flight out? You might find that you could get to the airport very easily on the morning rather than staying in Catania; we drove from Taormina to the airport on the morning we left and the roads are pretty good in this area if you can avoid rush hours.

Orytigia is the prettiest part of Syracuse - a lovely place to stay.

rosetravels

Hi annhig - I was hoping to get your thoughts on this. Thank you for your help.

We've had a LOT of conversation about that first night. Our current thinking is we arrive (from Berlin, after we've visited a week), get a car and head to an Agriturismo that's 20 minutes away from CTA and serves a lovely meal. We've also talked about taking a cab into Catania, staying there and getting the car the next day.

Our flight out is at 08:30 on the 30th. Do you think it would work to stay at Catania at the beginning and stay in Ortigia even that last night, getting to the airport before that flight?

annhig

Hi rose - I can see that for your flight out it would be cutting it fine to drive from Ortyigia to the airport to get there for 6.30am in order to have time to return the car etc. That said, it's only an hour and the traffic wouldn't be too bad. Only you know if you want to be getting up that early and driving on your last morning.

I have to say though that that would be preferable, to me, to be driving on the first evening, in the dark in a strange place. Catania is a big city and i know that others didn't find the driving too bad but we found the traffic and the [to us] apparent lack of compliance with any normal driving rules quite trying. What about getting a cab to the Agriturismo? not cheap but as there are four of you, not prohibitive, and the agriturismo might even book you a car service to collect you.

Otherwise the itinerary looks good to me. Personally I would go for the last night in Catania by which time you should be "Sicily Savvy" and be able to cope better with the city, and you'd be in the best place for your onward flight.

massimop

why don't you stay in Catania and see the morning market? Should be quite lively in the run=up to Christmas.

Otherwise, I'm not sure of your routing. Given the chance of rain, I wouldn't commit myself to an unbroken long drive.

Overall, if you haven't asked these questions on Tripadvisor's Sicily forum, I highly recommend it. The advice given there really is extraordinary for logistics, budget & cultural reward, plus avoiding pitfalls. Lots of great suggestions for otherwise unknown b&bs, trattorie, and up to date info on what might be closed

rosetravels

Thanks again annhig. I think we will stay that last night in Catania, find a good restaurant for a last meal and then take a cab to the airport. I'm one of those people who arrives 2 hours early for flights.

annhig and massimop - I've been thinking the drive from the airport to the agriturismo (28 km to the south, this one, http://pietredigelo.it/en/) would be easy and with little traffic. Am I mistaken? If so yes, we'll stay in Catania. I was thinking this was the more relaxing option.

Agrigento - DH is interested in visiting, it's not a must-see for me. Do you think it's a little out of the way for this trip? It's 2.5 hours + each way from Modica.

And I haven't asked on TA yet but I will. I do find you all (annhig and massimop and others) really good on the more vague questions I've got. I'm hoping the Sicilian woman who's so helpful there will answer my Modica v. Ragusa questions.

annhig

Rose, I've not driven from Catania Airport at that time of night, in the dark, and it may be fine [gogglemaps says it's between 3--40mins] but it does feel to me like an unnecessary stress to impose upon yourselves, especially if the plane is late. And a shame not to be able to enjoy a nice relaxed evening there instead of rushing to eat when you get there.

BTW, I think that your link isn't working properly, because of the last ). Here's one that should work:

http://pietredigelo.it/en/

If you're not set on Agrigento, then why not go to the Villa Romana del Casale instead:

http://www.villaromanadelcasale.it

The mosaics are really extraordinary and IMO it's well worth the trip. it's about 90 mins from Catania, and then a further 90 mins to Ragusa, so it fits in well with your plan to stay in the south east.

how about this as an idea:

20. Arrive Catania airport at 7:30 pm, stay Catania.
21. drive to Villa Romana, then Ragusa
22. Ragusa
23. Ragusa
24. Ragusa
25. Ortygia
26. Ortygia
27. Ortygia
28. Agriturismo
29. Agritourismo or Catania (return rental car first)
30. We fly to Milan for an ON before flying to Vancouver, they fly back to Berlin

kja

Consider reversing your trip: Take public transportation from the Catania airport to Siracusa, where you probably won’t need a car, at least not for a day or two. Pick up your car when you are ready to leave Siracusa. Stay in Ortygia.

I second the recommendation to consider including the Villa Romana del Casala.

The Valley of the Temples is quite remarkable. If any of you have an interest, seeing it can be a very special experience.

Enjoy!

Marija

I liked Ragusa but four nights is a lot, unless you are planning day trips. We left after two nights.

kja

I agree with Marija, but it depends on your interests. Are you fond of Baroque architecture? I must admit that I am not, so I skipped Ragusa and Modica and found 1 night and part of a day sufficient for Noto (where I enjoyed some unusually playful Baroque, unlike what I believe you would see in Ragusa or Modica).

rosetravels

Hi kja and Marija,
Definitely planning day trips though we haven't tackled that yet. Our general preference is to do day trips but with a home base so we can get to know a town in the evening. For instance in Umbria I stayed in Spoleto and spent the days visiting the other towns up the valley. I can't quite tell if Sicily lends itself to that approach.

Modica/Ragusa sound good, though I like but don't love baroque art/architecture. Is there an alternative town or city you'd suggest we consider?

annhig - thanks and yes, I think we'll stay in Catania that first night. I always enjoy at least one night in an Agriturismo so later in our stay may work.

One of the things I do look for in a town/city is a lively passeggiata. Would we find that on our itinerary? What have others seen/enjoyed?

I love mosaics so I'll add Villa Romana del Casala. That'll be a good day trip.

rosetravels

Tours: has anyone used and enjoyed Uncovered Sicily? Is there another recommendation?

kja

While I understand the appeal of base cities, IMO, Sicily doesn't lend itself well to that approach -- but again, it depends on what you want to see and do. Ragusa and Modica are not necessarily well positioned for day trips to other parts of Sicily, but maybe you have some specific interests that would make them worth considering. Without knowing your tolerance for driving distances for day trips, I would note that both Ragusa and Modica are within an hour or hour and a half of Siracusa; relocating might not make that much sense if you prefer day-tripping -- particularly in December, when you might want to base in a place more likely to have a wider range of year-round options. I could be wrong....

I enjoyed a wonderful passeggiata in Ortygia (and also in Palermo), but I was there in May -- I have no idea what it would be like when you are there.

If you prefer taking a tour, by all means, go for it -- but there really is no reason to consider a tour in Sicily unless that is your preference. Traveling independently in Sicily is not difficult.

rosetravels

Thanks kja - we're just looking at a half-day archaeological tour. Sorry I wasn't clear!

kja

Again, I'm not sure a tour is necessary -- but an archeological tour of what site(s)? Sicily has many....

rosetravels

Hi kja - I'm not sure, which is why I'm asking. On a trip to Evora, Portugal, someone here told us about an archaeological tour. We took it, it was fantastic and helped us see the landscapes in a different way.

If there's a fascinating tour with a good guide in the area we're traveling in I'm interesting in knowing about it!

kja

Makes sense! But in that case, I think you need to settle on your itinerary. Sounds like you are more-or-less committed to Siracusa, considering Agrigento, are unlikely to make it to Selinunte or Segesta, and have decided not to consider Taormina. Most of these are far enough from one another that I doubt that many/most would be covered on the same "generic" tour. I think you probably need to narrow you options down a bit....

I would urge you to get a good guidebook -- perhaps the Rough Guide or Michelin Green. In comparison to the cost of your trip, the cost of a guidebook will be nominal, and you will have a wealth of information at your fingertips.

rosetravels

annhig and others - I have another itinerary thought I'd like to run by you:

1. Catania. Arrive, O/N Catania
2. Pick up car, drive to Cefalu (2.25 hour drive)
3. Wander around, O/N Cefalu
4. Drive to Agrigento (2.5 hour drive), visit site, O/N nearby Agriturismo (A. Baglio San Nicola)
5. Stop at Villa Romana, then to Modica. O/N Modica. (Modica rather than Ragusa because I wasn't able to find an apartment I loved in Ragusa, but Modica has a couple of promising ones.)
6. Modica (12/25)
7. Ortigia (12/26)
8. Ortigia
9. Ortigia
10. Return car. O/N Catania

kja - thanks so much! I have two guidebooks and I've read them. Plus many trip reports. The challenge with guidebooks is the focus on 'sites' but I'm more interested in enjoying the atmosphere and history and politics/land use/food of a city or town, which is the delight of information on forum like Fodors and why I've been coming here to plan travels for more than a decade. Hiring a great guide for a few hours to get to know the history of a city or neighborhood isn't a priority but if there's one where we're staying who would help us see the depth of history and understand the culture, then we'd do that for a few hours. I've only hired a guide a few times: a megalithic tour just outside of Evora for 4 hours and a morning tour of the forum in Rome. Both were by PhD archaeologists and were so interesting. Also, a tour of the caves at Matera. But that's the kind of thing I have in mind, rather than a wide ranging tour of multiple places. That is of no interest to us.

kja

Could be good!

I haven't read many positive comments about Cefalu, but its cathedral was recently added to the same UNESCO World Heritage Site citation that covers the extraordinary cathedral in Monreale. Consider visiting it, and also -- if you are going that far west -- consider a stop for Monreale's cathedral. It is, IMO, one of the world's gems.

Re: Agrigento: IIRC, I spent about 6 hours on site, with another 1.5 hours at the nearby archeological museum. And I enjoyed roaming the medieval city after dark, and eating an excellent meal there. I don't know how much time you would actually have on site during winter hours....

Good to know you have some guidebooks. They can compensate for some of the limitations of even the best trip reports (e.g., you don't know what you missed.)

I agree that there is lots of good info on Fodors -- which is why I'm happy to participate -- but I also find the input here best in conjunction with some good guidebooks. To each his/her own! Having done all that research, I'm sure you will understand why I was puzzled by your request for "a half-day archaeological tour" on an island as full of wonderful archeological sites as Sicily.

Good luck!

massimop

Yes, a find the input here is best done in conjunction with asking on Tripadvisor Sicily forum, since residents of Sicily post there. They know the local weather conditions in December (Sicily is full of microclimates) and what's open and what's shut in December. That is a big part of settling on an itinerary for Sicily to avoid disappointment.

As to the latest draft itinerary you posted, I'm guessing you mean to take a coastal route rather than attempt to go over the mountains in December. Cefalu mainly has the attraction of being a somewhat sanitized beach resort (although it obviously has genuine historic underpinnings). Not sure what the draw is for you in December. If you are headed in that direction I would highly recommend taking advantage of the fact that Taormina will be uncrowded, with a minimum of tourists. It has spectacular sights and while the souvenir stands and commercialized side of the town is off-putting, I think it is a small price to pay in December for the chance to see the setting an the sights without the tourist mob.

The so-callled Baroque towns of Sicily were for me among the highlights of my visit to Sicily, mainly because I spend so much time on coastal Italy that places like Ortygia aren't so novel to me, athough the sights there are certainly worth seeing. As you probably already know, the temples of Paestum are the best preserved Greek temples in Europe, and I am guessing you have seen Paestum. Agrigento is certainly rewarding to see and I'm glad I did but flying & out of Catania you are committing yourself to a lot of driving and inevitably curtailing your time in other places.

Maybe rather than making you priority settling on an itinerary, try to identify first what experience of Sicily you most want to have. When I went the first time for 8 days (at a different time of year), I was totally focused on a manageable sightseeing agenda -- I picked places to go for their historic architecture, from antiquity forward. That meant a lot of steady driving every day to execute that list, and elminating a lot of secondary attractions.

Perhaps one of the reasons I so liked the Baroque towns was it threw me into the middle of functioning modern day Sicilian culture (the towns are economic hubs beyond tourist trade), and I found Sicilian every day life fascinating. Were I flying in and out of Catania, I would want to see Catania for its local culture (plus it has spectacular architecture) -- but you might not want a big city on your itinerary at all.

It's impossible to combine in one short trip all the possible experiences Sicily has to offer. I really enjoyed my flit-around-the-antiquities focused trip. I think I would have just as much enjoyed an off-the-beaten-track-small-towns-trip, or a mosaics-above-all trip, or all-fish-&-markets-all-the-time trip. Sicily bursts with fun and surprises, and even if you stick to just one focus, the rest of Sicily will intrude on you.

But if you can drop the idea of consquering a guidebook must see list and instead step back and ask something like "What do we want to be open to finding every day?" might guide you to some unexpected desinations but ones easy to fit with your flight tickets.

How expensive were those tickets? Does it make any sense to junk one half of them and fly in or out of Palermo?