Sicily: Selinunte, Worth the trip?
 

i have an itinerary of
Leave Erice...drive to Segesta...see the one perfect temple. My next night is in Agrigento which Selinunte is on the way... i have a car BTW. Is Selinunte worth my time if I am going to see the temples in Agrigento anyway. I really love temples but i don't want to be redundant. If i skip them i might be able to leave Agrigento early and have more time at the Piazza Armenia (my next stop).
SO, is it worth the stop ??

I did all three temples when we were in Sicily in July. They were all a little different. My husband and I asked each other which was our favorite, which one would we have skipped if we had only decided to do two of them. While we both felt Segesta was our favorite, we really couldn't pcik one to skip. Since it's really not out of your way I guess I'd say do all three. If you'd like to see some photos of each I have them at: pbase.com/annforcier and the trip report I posted to fodors is at: fodors.com/forums/threadselect.jsp?fid=2&tid=34657352

I know some people say they spent many hours visiting the temples, but we only spent a couple of hours or so at each site. Probably the most time at Segesta as we walked up to the greek theatre (you could take a shuttle bus). Whatever you choose to do have a great time.

Yesm Selinunte is definitely worth it. Some of the structures there are considered a more advance example of costruction than in Athens. you will also see some Phoenician remains mixed in with the Greek.

We really enjoyed our time at Selinunte, but we stayed only a mile away. We found Agrigento to be too crowded and parking to be a real problem. Your call !

I would definitely not miss Selinunte if I were doing that trip. It was my favourite of the temple sites because it's right on the beach and less crowded and more isolated than Agrigento so you can get a better feel of the place.
Even if you don't stay there very long, I'd definitely say it's worth the stop.

Agree with the other posters. Stop and check it out. With a car its easy and even if you don't spend long I think it will be time well spent.

well it's settled then. i am going.
Bob the navigator- i read your trip report & it was great.
Isabel- i will read yours tonight when i have time.

THANK YOU ALL

Also see trip reports by RAR and AP6380.

Thanks cmt! Here's the link:

http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...p;tid=34412340

isabel- can you give me that link to your photos again. i am having trouble getting to your site. www.pbase.com/annforcier doesn't work.
:)

Here's a link to RAR's report: http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34416277

I remembered that both RAR and AP(+numerals) wrote about Selinunte in their useful reports.

isabel- i just got done reading your report...
ESCELLENT.
I have a room booked at Villa Amico too and was glad to hear you liked it. What is the www to the pictures again?
i will read the other 2 reports suggested buy cmt later.
Questions...
While staying in Taormina (3 nights) i was planning on getting a tour to Siracusa. Your report made me think i could drive it. Is it feasable to make a stop into Caltagirone on the way to Syracuse?
And is Syracuse easily drivable?
Could I park the car on Ortigia and walk around the island all day.
Would I be able to find my way home OK at night?

Hi Kimberlina01. The website address is correct - www.pbase.com/annforcier. I just tried it and the site is very very slow. Which is unusual since I've never had any trouble with it before. Maybe they are doing something to the site. Just keep trying.

To try to answer your questions. We drove from Siracus through Caltigorne to Taormina in a day with no problem, but we weren't going back the same day. So I don't think you'd want to do it all in one day. If you skipped Caltigorne then you could drive to Siracusa, spend the day and drive back and you'd have quite a few hours there. Driving in was quite easy, plenty of signs for Otygia. We found plenty of free, on street parking on the far side of the island. That's where our hotel was, but anyone could park there. And it only takes about 15 minutes to walk across the island. In terms of finding your way back to Taormina at night, I guess that would depend on where your hotel was. But since you wouldn't be driving to it for the first time I would think it wouldn't be too hard. Taormina is tiny, windy one way street, but it's small and even if you missed your hotel and had to go around again it wouldn't take very long. The drive from Siracusa to Taormina is pretty much all highway. I'd go for it.

thanx isabel...you're the best.
i had planned on doing only Syracuse in one day but the way you described Caltigorne it made me want to see it. Something about the ceramics and the tiles steps... that is sooo me. But, as my first time in Europe i will be sooo overwhelmed, what i won't see, i won't miss.
Actually you have saved me a buck too 'cause i was going to do a tour to Syracure. I think i have confindence to do it myself now.
I will try the site for the pix again...

isabel- those pictures are amazing.
you have a great eye...do you have an art background?
what type of camera do you have?