ekscrunchy

I've finally paused in my obsessive wading through what seems like hundreds of websites looking at hotels and B&Bs for Sicily. I don't think I've ever seen so many tempting looking places to stay in on one island!

I've tentatively decided on an itinerary for a trip which would stretch to about 3 weeks in May. I've been to the island before, so have left out some popular destinations for this trip (Palermo, Siracusa). We've rented a car on previous trips, but this time are thinking about hiring a private driver for a stretch of time. (Probably Trapani to Ragusa) Recommendations for a driver are welcome!!

Fly from NYC to Palermo via Rome: I had trouble booking open jaw tix on ITA for my last (aborted) trip; hope this will be easier.

Day 1 Arrive Palermo airport; taxi or bus to TRAPANI
Day 1,2,3......TRAPANI..3 nights @ LA GANCIA (??)
Trip to Bonagia one evening to eat at Sirena di Sansica
Tour to salt flats and salt museum; (skip Mozia Island)

Day 4..Pick-up by private driver. Visit salt pans if not visited before. Possible visit to ruined town of Poggioreale (earthquake).

Day 4,5,6....near AGRIGENTO. Possible stay @one of 2 B&Bs in area where dinner is served
Three nights might be too long since we have visited Agrigento site on previous trips. (??) Drive around area, possible visit to olive oil mill outside Agrigento city:
https://www.aziendaagricolafrenda.it/ or other...many farms in area of Agrigento. Look around Agrigento city (??) Coastal drive (??)
Drive to Scala dei Turchi for view. Other ideas?? Dinner at the B&B on 2 nights (?); another dinner at meat restaurant, Forchetta e Coltello di Sergio Stagno in Porto Empedocle. Maybe time to relax at pool area--both B&Bs have nice-looking outdoor areas.

Day 7....Depart Agrigento area and drive to AZIENDA MANDRANOVA in Palma di Montechiaro..visit mill and buy olive oil; high quality oil
https://www.mandranova.com/

Lunch @La Madia in Licata
Look around Licata

Day 7,8,9,10...RAGUSA Considering several B&Bs in Ragusa Ibla. Keep driver for 1-2 days in Ragusa, maybe.

Day 8, 9 or 10..visit NOTO for Infioriata (flower festival..(Day 9 or 10)
Walk around Ragusa..drive to coast for scenery and maybe seafood lunch. Which part of coast???
Visit Frantoi Cutrera or Azienda Spedalotto in Chiaramonte Gulfi to buy tins of DOP Tonda Iblea olive oil. Call ahead before driving...probably best on weekday..must check.
https://frantoicutrera.it/
Paterno di Spedalotto - home

.....Possible hospital visit due to carrying multiple tins of oil...

Day 11 ...hire driver/take bus to CATANIA
DAY 11,12...Stay in Catania (probably a Sunday and Monday night)...visit market at Piazza Carlo Alberto, possible visit to Museo di Sbarco (Allied landings..WW II in Sicily); tour of Teatro Bellini (Norma=favorite opera)..additional suggestions welcome. Have 2 great local dinners..

Day 13..Taxi to airport for bus to MILAZZO/or, driver to MILAZZO
Day 13..Hydrofoil to SALINA (weather dependent)

Day 13,14,15,16,17,18 SALINA...considering 2 hotels in Malfa (PRINCIPE DI SALINA or HOTEL RAVESI..comments welcome)

Day 19...Hydrofoil back to MILAZZO/taxi or driver to TAORMINA (stay in Taormina idea arose when I realized I had to buffer the time between SALINA and the flights back to USA, due to possible cancellations of ferries from Salina to Milazzo..do not want to plan on taking ferry and heading for CAT on same day.

Day 19, 20,21,22..TAORMINA Stay in town at hotel with good pool for swimming. Maybe visit beach but possibility of jellyfiish...water too cold for swimming in May (for me). Walk around, relax..look for good restaurant options.

Day 23...Bus to CAT (Catania airport). Fly back to NYC,via Rome (??) lugging multiple cans of olive oil, jars of marmelade, bags of capers, assorted other edibles.

All comments welcome!!! Please!

HappyTrvlr

ekscrunchy, we had an excellent experience with drivers from Sicily Life. They are based near Taormina but cover Sicily. Our hotel in Taormina recommended them to us. We used them for transfers but they also offer day tours.
sicilylife.com

ekscrunchy

Happy, thanks! Your comments and advice are always welcome!!

I ended up deciding to book separate transfers instead of using one driver for the entire trip. I did not want any actual tours, but in most cases, just the transfer with a stop for lunch, or a short stop at, for example, an olive oil producer. I've booked a few so far and will get busy on the rest soon... I don't have anyone for the drive from Milazzo to Taormina so will write to SicilyLife on your recommendation!!

I will add details to the other thread I began, on "drivers...."

Thanks again!!

zebec

We see Ekscrunchy arguing with the Italian Customs rep at the airport,
"But its emotional support marmalade!!"
I am done. the aranzia

ekscrunchy

Zebec, I love that comment! But I don't suppose it will work with the "emotional support salumi!!"
I suppose I could give it try, though!! I did schlep a few long strings of Senise peppers back from Basilicata one time, along with a few loaves of bread from Matera!!

bilboburgler

Catania has one awesome public gardens and nursery with some exotica from all over the world, maybe not your thing, but pretty impressive

thursdaysd

Have you been to Erice? If not, definitely take the time to visit from Trapani.

ekscrunchy

Thursday, I have 3 nights in Trapani, only 2 full days.(one morning I want to take a "salt tour." And I keep reading about how Erice during the day is filled with day trippers, etc etc. But if you are recommending a day trip (no time to overnight, I will give it a try....maybe attempt to get there in late-ish afternoon, because I do want to eat dinner at a restaurant in Valderice/Bonagia which is north of Trapani, 14 miles from Erice according to Google maps....I will check out if this is feasible. Did you overnight in Erice? Did you find the town "charming??" I could go by cable car, i think, from Trapani..will look into all this..

thursdaysd

Well, it has been a number of years since I visited Sicily (keep meaning to go back), and it was quite easy to avoid the day trippers in Erice then as they stuck to the main street. I did overnight, I did find it charming, and the views are wonderful. I also really liked Trapani, even though I didn't make it to the salt flats. See:

https://mytimetotravel.wordpress.com...hanting-erice/

https://mytimetotravel.wordpress.com/2023/02/25/4058/

Truffles

ekscrunchy (and anyone else with ideas!) - any suggestions for B&B's in Catania? I'm hoping to go at the end of April and am extremely delinquent in my planning/booking. Madly searching trip reports now for ideas and have probably followed in your footsteps more than once over the years...

HappyTrvlr

ekscrunchy, rereading your itinerary and noticed “Agrigento city? “Do not bother going up to the city. We have lived in major US cities
and can deal with a lot, but we felt very uncomfortable up in Agrigento city center. Lots of homeless , hard to get past them on the streets,etc.

ekscrunchy

Thanks, Happy!! I booked a B&B near Porto Ercole. Not even sure we will go to the temples cause we did a tour there a while back...interesting about Agrigento city--I wonder why?? Maybe many migrants go there (????)


Truffles, look at B&B Fera O'Luni in Catania...it is right at the big market and gets lots of great reports. I considered staying there but chose a hotel instead.

HappyTrvlr

I think you right about Agrigento Eks, migrants.

HappyTrvlr

Porto Ercole will be wonderful!

Truffles

Thanks ekscrunchy, much appreciated! I’ll check it out.

I booked my flights today 😁

rosetravels

EKS - in Agrigento we ate at Sal8 Ristorante and the pistachio crusted fish was delicious. My favorite meal of our two weeks in Sicily. We didn't otherwise spend time in the city but loved the meal.

ekscrunchy

We are leaving this week, for 3+ weeks in Sicily. I've planned most of the trip, but will have some questions as time goes on.

For example, we have 4 nights in Taormina at Hotel Belvedere. (I've stayed there before). So 3 full days. I think it will be too cool for swimming, so we might like to take a day trip from Taormina, for lunch at one of the towns along the SS 120 which runs north of Etna. The road is reported to be very scenic. I'm curious to hear comments from people who have done this..day trip for lunch along this route. There is a restaurant that looks interesting,
BORGO SANTO SPIRITO, before Randazzo. Linguaglossa would be an option, also Castiglione.

We could hire a driver (welcome recommendations for this) or we could rent a car for a day. Does anyone have an idea of the cost of a one-day (must be automatic) rental to and from Taormina? I've driven around there before and do not think the drive is difficult. But that was a long time ago.

Just looking for comments about where to eat and how to get there, if we decide on taking a day trip. (We've been to Etna so would not go there on this trip). Food of primary interest; wine/wineries not so much (except to drink!)

Thanks!!!

Leely2

I've never been to Taormina so no help there, but wanted to say buon viaggio. I head out this week too: Napoli and then on to Puglia.

ekscrunchy

And Buon Viaggio to you, too, my friend! Cannot wait to hear all the details!!!

HappyTrvlr

ekscrunchy, the driver service I gave you earlier is based in Taormina. Our hotel there( Hotel Villa Schuler) gave us their name, Sicily Life. Dependable. sicilylife.com
Have a wonderful adventure!