Myself and 3 other women friends will be traveling to Sicily next fall, probably mid-September, for about 10 days total time. Our goal is NOT to try to cover the whole island while we are there and being in a constant state of motion. We are not interested in staying around the hustle of touristy cities or sites and really want to relax by water and stay in a smaller town where we have access to a few restaurants and bars and stores. We will rent a car and prefer to do daytrips (maybe 1-2 drive time). Markets, food/wine (I would not officially call us foodies) but we like to test our own cooking abilities with the local cuisine. Relax with a nice bottle of wine at night and take in the view and sounds of the water. So, any suggestions on where we might rent a villa or cottage big enough for the 4 of us where we can have water access and views?

ttt

Click on my name to find my report from 2005---15 days.

Here are the images:
http://www.slowphotos.com/photo/show...y.php?cat=3828

Cefalù on the north coast is a possibility. For a villa rental, check Think Sicily, http://www.thinksicily.com. No personal experience with either, just lots of research for a trip a couple of years ago.

I would pick one town for five days on the western side of the island and five for the other. There is much to see and do, the antiquities are spectacular. Cefalu is a beautiful town.

South of Syracuse is where many Italians go in the summer. Marina di Ragusa, Marina di Modica and Pozzallo are resort type places. We stopped in Pozzallo and thought it was quite pleasant. Here is another beach just south of Syracuse:

http://www.findmybeach.com/Europe/It...Beach-Siracusa

There are lots of places nearby to explore: Syracuse, Modica, Ragusa, the baroque towns, also Noto. There are some good restaurants in that area, as well as a wealth of fresh produce, including the famous pachino tomatoes.

I believe you would need a car to get there, though, or maybe bus.

Just a suggestion....