Fodor's Travel Talk Forums - summerin Sicily

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Is July and August unbearably hot in Sicily? Plan to spend a few days in Palermo and about 10 days in Taormina. Do not want to go if it is uncomfortable. Please let me know also if it is a nice place to visit.

Sue; We went to Sicily 3 years ago for 14 nights at the very end of June and the first part of July. The 1st 4 nights we stayed In Taormina, the weather was warm, the nights refreshingly cool, and the city just beautiful. We then stayed in Agrigento for 2 nights, Scopello for 4 nights, and the last 4 nights were spent at an agritourismo just outside Siracusa. Well, everyday the skies were practicaly cloudless and the sirroco winds got warmer and the weather just got progressively a little hotter, from the high 80's to the low 90's, to the high 90's, and finally on our last full day in Siracusa we saw a bank clock that read 40 Degrees Centigrade,that's about 104F. We ducked into the coolness of the Catacombs that day. Hey, it's Sicily. It's hot and beautiful. All days were bearable, except maybe our last day, just be prepared. Don't rent a car without A/C. Only one of the places we stayed in had air conditioning. Wasn't a problem, because it got much cooler at night. Drink lot's of water. Wear a hat. Pace yourself in dusty wonderful places like Agrigento, Selinute, and Tindari. It is a wonderful place to visit. The people are warm and friendly, the food is wonderful, the historic ruins are fascinating, and the weather, though hot, is sunny and beautiful.

Around the 22nd August 2000 the temperature in Taormina hit 43 degrees.It didn't actually feel that hot as there was a breeze off the sea but once you walked in the town the walls seemed to reflect the heat.It was beautiful and I would love to return but probably around May.It was hot at night and by mistake we didn't realise that our hotel room didn't have a/c.With hindsight I would have visited some other time of year if I had realised how hot it was going to be. The week prior to this we spent in Cefalu where we did have air conditioning. Writing this has made me realise how my impression of Taormina has been heavily influenced by my inability to sleep because of the heat Nevertheless I really enjoyed the whole trip and I'm glad I went!

Since I'm planning a trip to Taormina in March, I would love to know which hotels you are considering (for the previous posters: where did you stay?) I've done a search on this site but Taormina accommodations listings here have been rather slim and would like to hear some feedback from fellow travellers. Thanks in advance!

We stayed at the Hotel Villa Belvedere-highly recommended BUT make sure you book a room with a/c as they don't all have them. Fabulous location!

Just got back from a month excursion in Sicily. Favorite towns visited were Cefalu, Erice and of course Taormina. We had a home base in the Palermo district in a little town - Trabia. We had a wonderful time exporing the island by car but traveling with A/C is a MUST. We are glad we planned our trip during the month of June and not in July and August, as the temperature was starting to get unbearable for sightseeing, not to mention sleeping at night as it generally does not cool down during the night for relief and we did not have A/C. The locals in town would laugh at us and say "this is nothing, wait next month when it gets to 100 degrees +". Alot of the families flock to their country homes in the mountains for relief during the summer. There were a couple of days in mid-June after the shirrocco winds kicked in that were pretty bad. Everyone hid inside during the day so that it seemed like a ghost town. Taormina was a bit cooler and breezier than the Palermo district and did cool down at night, but I'm not sure about July and August. It is one of the most beautiful places I have ever visited and I highly recommend it. We only stayed for 2 days and wanted to stay longer. Good luck!

Sounds like this thread should have been called "simmerin' Sicily"!!!!!

We were there in July 2000 and it was so hot that we had to stay inside between 9:30 am and 7 pm and my dear mother who is 62 almost never left her room. Never again. July is not a time to go espaecially to Palermo. No Sue it is not a nice place to visit in July and I heard August is even worse

thinking of going to Sicily in 2 weeks' time. I hope the weather will be cooler by then. Any feedback about affordable hotels/agritourismos will be appreciated.

It will be hot. No doubt. Though it is beautiful there, expect to sweat if you are going to do the tourist scene. Most sicilians will be at the beach. July and August are the hottest months. Watch out for the scirocco. This is a hot wind that comes from Africa and picks up twice a day, these will be the hottest moments. Whether to say if it is uncomfortable, I can't say. I hate the heat and am a spoiled american that loves AC. Most people are not overly bothered by the heat. Its up to you. If you decide to go, you will have a great time, so many places to go and see.