Your favorite experience or hidden corners of Sicily?
Mar 13th, 2004, 01:30 PM
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Your favorite experience or hidden corners of Sicily?
There are often little hidden places, shops, experiences, etc., that we just stumble across in our travels. Some actually become the highlight of an entire trip. Does anyone have a special memory of Sicily ... an unplanned detour in your itinerary ... a place you would like to return to or a hidden gem that made your trip special?
May 1st, 2004, 06:57 AM
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We spent 2 weeks traveling through Sicily. We stayed 5 days in Taormina at Hotel Timeo. We did day trips from there. It was a wonderful hotel. The town is very charming and is great for walking a night.Agrigento is a must for one night to see the Valley of the Temples we stayed at Hotel Villa Athena only because of the location.
We also stayed 5 days in Palermo at the Hotel Igiea.The best thing you can do is get a book on Sicily and use it to plan your trip. It is beautiful driving and also very easy. I will say don't plan on driving in Palermo it is awful. At our hotel they had a shuttle into the city every half hour. If you are going in the summer look into staying also at a beach area. We were there this past Nov. so we did not do the beaches.
Good luck with your trip.
We also stayed 5 days in Palermo at the Hotel Igiea.The best thing you can do is get a book on Sicily and use it to plan your trip. It is beautiful driving and also very easy. I will say don't plan on driving in Palermo it is awful. At our hotel they had a shuttle into the city every half hour. If you are going in the summer look into staying also at a beach area. We were there this past Nov. so we did not do the beaches.
Good luck with your trip.
May 1st, 2004, 06:29 PM
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A few of our favorite stops: San Stephano where we bought the most wonderful ceramics at half the price of Taormina. Also had the BEST pastry here from a local corner store. We loved Tyndari - the basilica perched up high on a bluff overlooking the sea on the north coast. The tiny gift shop along the road right outside the basilica was a real find. We bought boy and girl Capodimonte dolls in fabulous costumes for SIX dollars each! We have seen them here in Boston for $75 each - same dolls!
The best seafood we had was at Ganziri along the water's edge - fantastic!
The best seafood we had was at Ganziri along the water's edge - fantastic!
May 1st, 2004, 06:40 PM
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I cannot wait for my elderhostel cruise to Sicily and the Aeolian Islands in April 2005. I am really looking forward to seeing all the ruins!
While going with a group is different than going solo, the cruise is on a sailboat, not a big ocean liner. I hope it is as much fun as it sounds!
While going with a group is different than going solo, the cruise is on a sailboat, not a big ocean liner. I hope it is as much fun as it sounds!
May 1st, 2004, 07:19 PM
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My favorite "hidden" part of Italy is the Nebrodi Mountains area, especially the town of San Salvatore di Fitalia.
This town is in a part of Sicily that was populated by the ancient Siculi people, and then the Greeks, and then also came under Arab domination. But the strongest influence of the present-day town was the Norman domination. Much of the architecture in the area is Norman, and in some nearby towns the local dialect has a words that came from the Normans.
San Salvatore is a small tan hilltown with clean air and beautiful panoramic views of the surrounding mountains and of the neighboring towns, each on its own small mountain. This is not a parched, barren part of Sicily. It is a fresh green area covered with hazelnut and other nut trees.
It's surprising that such a tiny town actually has two tourist-worthy sights. There is a strange, but interesting little museum of regional religious customs. One of the most bizarre things there was a collection of wax sculptures of body parts. Apparently people would have these wax replicas made of ailing body parts, and would pray to be healed. There were lots and lots of legs, heads and a variety of digits, made with varying degrees of skill. One case held a pair of wax lungs, and another, two big wax breasts in front of a tiny wax infant.
There are several churches, one of which, Santissima Salvatore, has a structurally very beautiful simple interior. It was originally Byzantine, with layers of later history reflected in various architectural elements. The exterior looks mainly Norman. Another church is famous for its statue of the town's black patron saint.
There are some interesting, but not famous, places to visit very near San Salvatore, too. The town is near, but not actually within, the Nebrodi Mountains parklands, which are known for their unspoiled natural beauty. In San Fratello, there are the Sanfratello horses, a breed that developed only in this area. The town of Tortorici, which is very near San Salvatore, serves as a commercial center for surrounding towns. But it retains a very traditional character. It has a nice little museum of everyday material culture and folkways. Nearby Galiti Mamertino, one of the hilltowns that is easily seen from San Salvatore, has the ruins of a fortress on the high point of the town, and from there, there are great views of the Nebrodi parklands. Frazzano has the ruins of a convent. It is only partly restored, and doesn't get much attention. The restoration is very incomplete, partly because so much was stolen. The site was interesting to me because it had such a mixture of architectural and decorative elements from Arab, Byzantine, and Norman periods.
P.S. My visit to this area was not unplanned.
This town is in a part of Sicily that was populated by the ancient Siculi people, and then the Greeks, and then also came under Arab domination. But the strongest influence of the present-day town was the Norman domination. Much of the architecture in the area is Norman, and in some nearby towns the local dialect has a words that came from the Normans.
San Salvatore is a small tan hilltown with clean air and beautiful panoramic views of the surrounding mountains and of the neighboring towns, each on its own small mountain. This is not a parched, barren part of Sicily. It is a fresh green area covered with hazelnut and other nut trees.
It's surprising that such a tiny town actually has two tourist-worthy sights. There is a strange, but interesting little museum of regional religious customs. One of the most bizarre things there was a collection of wax sculptures of body parts. Apparently people would have these wax replicas made of ailing body parts, and would pray to be healed. There were lots and lots of legs, heads and a variety of digits, made with varying degrees of skill. One case held a pair of wax lungs, and another, two big wax breasts in front of a tiny wax infant.
There are several churches, one of which, Santissima Salvatore, has a structurally very beautiful simple interior. It was originally Byzantine, with layers of later history reflected in various architectural elements. The exterior looks mainly Norman. Another church is famous for its statue of the town's black patron saint.
There are some interesting, but not famous, places to visit very near San Salvatore, too. The town is near, but not actually within, the Nebrodi Mountains parklands, which are known for their unspoiled natural beauty. In San Fratello, there are the Sanfratello horses, a breed that developed only in this area. The town of Tortorici, which is very near San Salvatore, serves as a commercial center for surrounding towns. But it retains a very traditional character. It has a nice little museum of everyday material culture and folkways. Nearby Galiti Mamertino, one of the hilltowns that is easily seen from San Salvatore, has the ruins of a fortress on the high point of the town, and from there, there are great views of the Nebrodi parklands. Frazzano has the ruins of a convent. It is only partly restored, and doesn't get much attention. The restoration is very incomplete, partly because so much was stolen. The site was interesting to me because it had such a mixture of architectural and decorative elements from Arab, Byzantine, and Norman periods.
P.S. My visit to this area was not unplanned.
May 2nd, 2004, 04:42 AM
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Dorgal: What else did you like about Santo Stefano di Camastra besides the ceramics shops? I never stopped there, but when I passed though on a bus (when the train couldn't run and everyone was switched to a s-l-o-w bus) it looked very dry and dusty and I saw so many ceramics shops and nothing but ceramics shops. I was surprised that Santo Stefano di Camastra is actually within the confines of the Nebrodi parklands, so I know it must have some natural feature that made it qualify.
Also Dorgal: I also enjoyed Tindari. I didn't even notice any shop. It was probably hidden by the hundreds of outdoor vendors. They were tacky, but I think that kind of scene is typical of a lot of religious pilgrimage sites and is not just some modern phenomenon. It was very crowded, but most of the people, including the people who took me there, seemed fairly local, not foreign tourists. I was impressed with the Greco-Roman archeological site there, which was far more extensive than I expected. The views down to the sea from that point were spectacular.
Sharoo: I was also in Sicily in November (2002). Wasn't that a pleasant time of year there? (It was pretty cold in the Nebrodi mountains, but mild every place else I went on that trip.) That's olive harvest time, too. An even worse place to drive than Palermo is Catania. I've never driven in Sicily, but I'm trying to get up the nerve to do so some day. I'm willing to struggle with public transportation routes and schedules to travel between major destinations in Sicily, but in any trip to Sicily I want to include a special visit to a somewhat remote area, which used to be very inaccessible on narrow unpaved mountain roads, but is now easily reached by a good fast modern road. I got rides the last two times, but next time, maybe I'll have the nerve to rent a car.
Was anyone able to pick up an automatic car in Sicily any place other than Palermo or Catania?
Also Dorgal: I also enjoyed Tindari. I didn't even notice any shop. It was probably hidden by the hundreds of outdoor vendors. They were tacky, but I think that kind of scene is typical of a lot of religious pilgrimage sites and is not just some modern phenomenon. It was very crowded, but most of the people, including the people who took me there, seemed fairly local, not foreign tourists. I was impressed with the Greco-Roman archeological site there, which was far more extensive than I expected. The views down to the sea from that point were spectacular.
Sharoo: I was also in Sicily in November (2002). Wasn't that a pleasant time of year there? (It was pretty cold in the Nebrodi mountains, but mild every place else I went on that trip.) That's olive harvest time, too. An even worse place to drive than Palermo is Catania. I've never driven in Sicily, but I'm trying to get up the nerve to do so some day. I'm willing to struggle with public transportation routes and schedules to travel between major destinations in Sicily, but in any trip to Sicily I want to include a special visit to a somewhat remote area, which used to be very inaccessible on narrow unpaved mountain roads, but is now easily reached by a good fast modern road. I got rides the last two times, but next time, maybe I'll have the nerve to rent a car.
Was anyone able to pick up an automatic car in Sicily any place other than Palermo or Catania?
May 2nd, 2004, 10:25 AM
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Siracusa: especially the area known as Ortigia a little spit off the main city, jutting into the sea that has wonderful twisting allies each one ening in a charming shop, cafe, bar or artists workshop.
Noto: south of Siracusa, a little Baroque jewel of a town with almond pasties to die for and seafood that is fresh and very inexepensive compared to the big cities
Noto Vecchi: the ruins of the original town: we came here to "kill" an hour one day and were blown away by the evocative atmosphere, spooky but beautiful
Noto: south of Siracusa, a little Baroque jewel of a town with almond pasties to die for and seafood that is fresh and very inexepensive compared to the big cities
Noto Vecchi: the ruins of the original town: we came here to "kill" an hour one day and were blown away by the evocative atmosphere, spooky but beautiful
May 3rd, 2004, 12:30 PM
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cmt - re: San Stephano - -no I guess now that you mention it - there was not a huge amount of natural beauty there - I think it may be regarded almost as a "factory" town becaue of all the ceramics shops.....but wow - so many beautiful ceramics at such cheap prices!
re: gift shops at TYndari - yes it was one of the little stalls right along the road outside the church on the way to the mosaics. We hunted thru every one of them and as usual - came out with a great "find".
Also - yes- I agree with a trip to Syracusa - fantastic mazes of OLD stone alleys and streets - another world - truly!
re: gift shops at TYndari - yes it was one of the little stalls right along the road outside the church on the way to the mosaics. We hunted thru every one of them and as usual - came out with a great "find".
Also - yes- I agree with a trip to Syracusa - fantastic mazes of OLD stone alleys and streets - another world - truly!
May 3rd, 2004, 09:03 PM
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Dorgal: There must be natural beauty somewhere within the comune of Santo Stefano, because I think it's in the Nebrodi Mountains Park, technically, and I find that odd. Maybe it was just politics.... Anyway, I've heard from others that it's a great place to shop for ceramics, but I don't think most first, second, or third-time visitors to Sicily go there.
I hope people post about more truly "hidden" places. Of course all the NON-hidden places are wonderful, but we know about them.
One more somewhat less famous place that I liked was Salina, one of the small Aeolian islands. I loved seeing caper flowers in bloom. A hike up to a high point of the island was beautiful and refreshing and not excessively strenous. It's also enjoyable to see a scenic spot where part of the movie Il Postino was filmed.
I hope people post about more truly "hidden" places. Of course all the NON-hidden places are wonderful, but we know about them.
One more somewhat less famous place that I liked was Salina, one of the small Aeolian islands. I loved seeing caper flowers in bloom. A hike up to a high point of the island was beautiful and refreshing and not excessively strenous. It's also enjoyable to see a scenic spot where part of the movie Il Postino was filmed.
May 4th, 2004, 08:15 AM
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I don't know if it qualifies as "hidden", but we visited Favignana, one of the Egadi Islands, last summer. It is a short ferry ride from Trapani and can be done as a day trip. You can rent bicycles or motorinos at the ferry landing and explore the island. It has some of the prettiest and least crowded beaches I've seen in Italy.
May 6th, 2004, 04:51 PM
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Ferries to Favignana leave from Trapani and Marsala. Here are the websites for the ferries from Trapani, as well as a website just about Favignana:
http://www.gruppotirrenia.it/
http://www.usticalines.it/orariegadi.htm
http://www.favignana.com/
Roger
http://www.gruppotirrenia.it/
http://www.usticalines.it/orariegadi.htm
http://www.favignana.com/
Roger
May 6th, 2004, 08:12 PM
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CMT, if you haven't already read it, then you'd probably enjoy The Stone Boudoir, by Theresa Maggio. Described as "Travels through the Hidden Villages of Sicily". I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
She also wrote Mattanza: Love and Death in the Sea of Sicily.
She also wrote Mattanza: Love and Death in the Sea of Sicily.
May 7th, 2004, 02:59 AM
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Princess: If it's Agrigento that you mean, that is NOT a village! It's one of the cities in Sicily, a provincial capital, in fact, and one of the most visited places in the region. You can find a lot of answers and personal experiences about Agrigento if you do a simple search for it here on Fodors. (I was there, but many years ago.) I haven't been to the other places, but I have been to the small town of my own ancestry in Sicily, and I highly recommend the experience, wherever yours might be.
Are you sure of the spellings of each of these towns or villages? Could it be Villabate or Villalba rather than Villaba, and Villadoro rather than Villadolma? If you're not sure of the spelling but are just trying to remember what you heard long ago and no one's alive to verify, then it would help if you knew the province or the general area of Sicily a town was in and then you can figure out which particular somewhat similarly spelled town it might be. Michelin orange map #432 is good. It has an index, and it even shows little villages.
Are you sure of the spellings of each of these towns or villages? Could it be Villabate or Villalba rather than Villaba, and Villadoro rather than Villadolma? If you're not sure of the spelling but are just trying to remember what you heard long ago and no one's alive to verify, then it would help if you knew the province or the general area of Sicily a town was in and then you can figure out which particular somewhat similarly spelled town it might be. Michelin orange map #432 is good. It has an index, and it even shows little villages.
