Sicily itinerary: trying to fit in Agrigento
Apr 13th, 2009, 10:29 AM
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Sicily itinerary: trying to fit in Agrigento
My sister and I are going to Sicily for one week in late spring, flying into Catania and out of Palermo. Our tentative itinerary so far is:
Arrive Catania mid-day
Nights 1 through 4 in Taormina and Siracusa (two in each -- undecided yet on order)
Night 5 is the mystery
Nights 6 and 7 in Palermo
Fly out of Palermo early morning
For night 5, we're trying to decide between Agrigento and Cefalu. My sister favors Cefalu, but I'm afraid we'll be kicking ourselves if we miss seeing the temples near Agrigento. Is it conceivable to drive from Siracusa to Agrigento, and continue on to Cefalu the same day? Or would that be madness? We don't want to feel rushed on the trip, but don't know when we'll be back to Sicily.
Arrive Catania mid-day
Nights 1 through 4 in Taormina and Siracusa (two in each -- undecided yet on order)
Night 5 is the mystery
Nights 6 and 7 in Palermo
Fly out of Palermo early morning
For night 5, we're trying to decide between Agrigento and Cefalu. My sister favors Cefalu, but I'm afraid we'll be kicking ourselves if we miss seeing the temples near Agrigento. Is it conceivable to drive from Siracusa to Agrigento, and continue on to Cefalu the same day? Or would that be madness? We don't want to feel rushed on the trip, but don't know when we'll be back to Sicily.
Apr 13th, 2009, 10:51 AM
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It's about 3 hours from Siracusa to Agrigento and two from Agrigento to Cefalu, so it's doable, but it's a lot of driving for one day.
Does your sister favor Cefalu because it's a beach town or because of the Norman cathedral? If the latter, Monreale's cathedral just outside Palermo is a more splendid example.
zeppole evidently does not like Palermo. Yes, it's a large, crowded and hectic city, but it has a great deal to offer the visitor: Monreale as mentioned, the Norman Palace, a jewel of a Byzantine chapel, La Martorana, good archeological and art museums, not to mention some incredible Baroque oratorios.
Does your sister favor Cefalu because it's a beach town or because of the Norman cathedral? If the latter, Monreale's cathedral just outside Palermo is a more splendid example.
zeppole evidently does not like Palermo. Yes, it's a large, crowded and hectic city, but it has a great deal to offer the visitor: Monreale as mentioned, the Norman Palace, a jewel of a Byzantine chapel, La Martorana, good archeological and art museums, not to mention some incredible Baroque oratorios.
Apr 13th, 2009, 10:56 AM
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Zerlina!!!!!!!!!!
I have posted umpteem million times on Fodor's I have NEVER been to Palermo. I have no dislike for it. I have no opinion about it other than I hope to go some day. I want to take the ferry from Genova as I have posted many times.
I ASKED a question. I'm not taking this trip. I am ASKING the person who is if THEY feel like they need to see Palermo on this trip. If THEY don't, why should they go. I know -- and maybe THEY know -- that Palermo is everything you say it is. That does it mean they have to go there now if they think they would like to go to Cefalu for WHATEVER reason they have in their heads. Maybe they want a CASTLE BY THE BEACH, which beautiful Monreale ain't. It's a castle by a dirty piazza full of sad dogs.
I have posted umpteem million times on Fodor's I have NEVER been to Palermo. I have no dislike for it. I have no opinion about it other than I hope to go some day. I want to take the ferry from Genova as I have posted many times.
I ASKED a question. I'm not taking this trip. I am ASKING the person who is if THEY feel like they need to see Palermo on this trip. If THEY don't, why should they go. I know -- and maybe THEY know -- that Palermo is everything you say it is. That does it mean they have to go there now if they think they would like to go to Cefalu for WHATEVER reason they have in their heads. Maybe they want a CASTLE BY THE BEACH, which beautiful Monreale ain't. It's a castle by a dirty piazza full of sad dogs.
Apr 13th, 2009, 10:59 AM
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Sorry, Monreale is not a castle -- but I assume you get my drift.
I wish people on Fodor's would quit jawbowning people into sharing their priorities. Maybe the OP will come back and say they wouldn't dream of setting foot in Sicily without going to Palermo. I'm sorry I didn't have time to fit it in when I went to Sicily. But I didn't want to rush through Agrigento, and figured I'd go back when I had more time.
mamma mia.
I wish people on Fodor's would quit jawbowning people into sharing their priorities. Maybe the OP will come back and say they wouldn't dream of setting foot in Sicily without going to Palermo. I'm sorry I didn't have time to fit it in when I went to Sicily. But I didn't want to rush through Agrigento, and figured I'd go back when I had more time.
mamma mia.
Apr 13th, 2009, 11:21 AM
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zeppole, Why the harangue? Your question was, to say the least, tendentious. I simply pointed out what there is to see in Palermo.
And if you've never been to Palermo, how do you know that Monreale cathedral is on a dirty piazza full of sad dogs?
I've been to Monreale three times. The piazza was not dirty, and there were no sad dogs.
And if you've never been to Palermo, how do you know that Monreale cathedral is on a dirty piazza full of sad dogs?
I've been to Monreale three times. The piazza was not dirty, and there were no sad dogs.
Apr 13th, 2009, 11:25 AM
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Because I've been to Monreale! Which is outside Palermo. I never went into Palermo.
I can't believe you've seen Monreale if you didn's see those sad dogs in the dirty piazza. I'll never forget them. They were the most depressed looking dogs I've ever seen. (Until I got to Mondello.)
I can't believe you've seen Monreale if you didn's see those sad dogs in the dirty piazza. I'll never forget them. They were the most depressed looking dogs I've ever seen. (Until I got to Mondello.)
Apr 13th, 2009, 11:29 AM
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I knew it!!!!
I knew if I did a google image search for "dogs monreale" I would find a picture on the internet of the sad dogs.
Sure enough -- first hit:
http://www.photographersdirect.com/b...imageid=460965
All you can't see is the dirt.
and here's one from the next google page. Sad.
http://picasaweb.google.com/estradae...58656376599858
Sure you've been to Monreale, Zerlina? The sad dogs are unmissable and photogenic.
I knew if I did a google image search for "dogs monreale" I would find a picture on the internet of the sad dogs.
Sure enough -- first hit:
http://www.photographersdirect.com/b...imageid=460965
All you can't see is the dirt.
and here's one from the next google page. Sad.
http://picasaweb.google.com/estradae...58656376599858
Sure you've been to Monreale, Zerlina? The sad dogs are unmissable and photogenic.
Apr 13th, 2009, 11:38 AM
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Brava! Superb Googling skills!
Yes, I've been to Monreale. Three times, as I mentioned. If - and it's a large if - there were dogs, I missed them. When I go to see a masterpiece of art and architecture, I do not look for stray dogs. De gustibus...
Yes, I've been to Monreale. Three times, as I mentioned. If - and it's a large if - there were dogs, I missed them. When I go to see a masterpiece of art and architecture, I do not look for stray dogs. De gustibus...
Apr 13th, 2009, 01:00 PM
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Putting aside dirt and sad dogs for a moment, in response to the question whether we feel like we have to see Palermo, I'd really like to spend a couple of days there. We definitely have to wind up in or near Palermo, because we fly out of there early in the morning.
Zerlina -- Thanks for the driving times between Siracusa, Agrigento, and Cefalu. They are consistent with what I'd figured out on mappy, though I was worried about whether the estimates are realistic, not having been to Sicily before (and many of those miles appear not to be motorway miles, and across mountains). Have you driven those routes before?
I think one of the appeals of Cefalu to my sister is the possibility of visiting one of the islands, though I suspect we'd be hard pressed to find time to do that even if we ditch Agrigento.
Zerlina -- Thanks for the driving times between Siracusa, Agrigento, and Cefalu. They are consistent with what I'd figured out on mappy, though I was worried about whether the estimates are realistic, not having been to Sicily before (and many of those miles appear not to be motorway miles, and across mountains). Have you driven those routes before?
I think one of the appeals of Cefalu to my sister is the possibility of visiting one of the islands, though I suspect we'd be hard pressed to find time to do that even if we ditch Agrigento.
Apr 13th, 2009, 01:06 PM
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Well, then to Palermo you must go!
For me, Taormina is a day trip. I don't enjoy staying there because it has so many, many tourists. So I would be tempted to head straight to Siracusa, and do Taormina as a day trip from there.
OR: If you are arriving in Catania without jet lag early in the day, zip over to Taormina, see the Greek theater, say ooooo at the view, and leave the tourists behind, heading for Siracusa.
Use the time saved to see Agrigento.
For me, Taormina is a day trip. I don't enjoy staying there because it has so many, many tourists. So I would be tempted to head straight to Siracusa, and do Taormina as a day trip from there.
OR: If you are arriving in Catania without jet lag early in the day, zip over to Taormina, see the Greek theater, say ooooo at the view, and leave the tourists behind, heading for Siracusa.
Use the time saved to see Agrigento.
Apr 13th, 2009, 01:15 PM
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PS: You realize you need to get rid of your car before you go to Palermo, right? I drove from Agrigento straight to Monreale -- but then I went to Mondello (a suburb west of Palermo) to spend the night before flying out.
I'm not sure what to recommend -- other than don't take your car into the city of Palermo.
For what it's worth, I arrived in Agrigento in the afternoon, saw the monuments until sunset, and left the next morning for Monreale. I was in the Conca d'Or (near Monreale) by noon for lunch, and was in Mondello (after seeing Monreale) by 6.
I'll bet that if I had chosen to do so, I could have driven to Cefalu after Monreale and spent the night there. If I wanted to see Palermo, I would have tried to return my car in Cefalu and taken the train to Palermo.
By the way, don't the ferries for the islands leave from Milazzo, not Cefalu?
I'm not sure what to recommend -- other than don't take your car into the city of Palermo.
For what it's worth, I arrived in Agrigento in the afternoon, saw the monuments until sunset, and left the next morning for Monreale. I was in the Conca d'Or (near Monreale) by noon for lunch, and was in Mondello (after seeing Monreale) by 6.
I'll bet that if I had chosen to do so, I could have driven to Cefalu after Monreale and spent the night there. If I wanted to see Palermo, I would have tried to return my car in Cefalu and taken the train to Palermo.
By the way, don't the ferries for the islands leave from Milazzo, not Cefalu?
Apr 13th, 2009, 01:33 PM
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Yes, the idea will be to drop the car before heading into Palermo. I'm a relatively adventurous driver, but I draw the line there.
I believe there's hydrofoil service from Cefalu to the islands, but now that I've looked closely it seems it doesn't start until June 1 (a bit late for us). Thanks for pointing that out.
I believe there's hydrofoil service from Cefalu to the islands, but now that I've looked closely it seems it doesn't start until June 1 (a bit late for us). Thanks for pointing that out.
Apr 13th, 2009, 01:40 PM
#15
Doriana
We are doing a similar itinerary but with more days. When all was said & done we skipped Cefalu & the north coast. As a 'break' in between stays in Modica & Palermo we are spending 2 nights at the Baglio San Vincenzo, outside of Menfi on the south coast. A working winery/farm. Probably an hour or so from Agrigento.
Ian
http://www.bagliosanvincenzo.it/
We are doing a similar itinerary but with more days. When all was said & done we skipped Cefalu & the north coast. As a 'break' in between stays in Modica & Palermo we are spending 2 nights at the Baglio San Vincenzo, outside of Menfi on the south coast. A working winery/farm. Probably an hour or so from Agrigento.
Ian
http://www.bagliosanvincenzo.it/
Apr 13th, 2009, 01:46 PM
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I think that you could definately do this in a day, with an early start. We found the driving to be fast and easy in Sicily. Except for the ruins, we didn't find Agrigento very exciting, I'd go for it.
But you do realize that you will most likely just be spending the night and having dinner with hardly any time in Cefalu? Even if the boats were running you absolutely do not have time to drive from S.to A., see A., drive to C. and take a boat to any islands! You might be able to take a trip to the Aolian Islands as a day trip from Taormina.
How about 3 nights in Palermo with a day trip to Cefalu?
But you do realize that you will most likely just be spending the night and having dinner with hardly any time in Cefalu? Even if the boats were running you absolutely do not have time to drive from S.to A., see A., drive to C. and take a boat to any islands! You might be able to take a trip to the Aolian Islands as a day trip from Taormina.
How about 3 nights in Palermo with a day trip to Cefalu?
Apr 14th, 2009, 06:47 PM
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Are you planning to rent a car? For the eastern part of Sicily you really don't need one, and as a matter of fact,you will find parking difficult and expensive in Taormina and Siracusa. Trains and buses are an inexpensive convienent way to travel. Cefalu would be a good day trip from Palermo--again you do not need a car. I would spend day 5 and the remaining days in Palermo. It is a wonderfully, historic place. Taormina is very popular and there may be quite a few tourists, but it will is without a doubt, one of the most beautiful places on the face of the planet. My husband agrees, and he does not usually feel that way about many places. The views are awesome. The most reasonable place we found was the Victoria Hotel on the main street. It was really quite nice. Siracusa and especially Ortiga are good for exploring for a few days--again no car. The Eyewitness 10 best places in Sicily is an excellent source of information. In any case, this is your trip, and you will enjoy Sicily wherever you go.
