Advice on extended stay in Southern Europe

Such a nice problem to have. I would be reluctant to travel Morrocco solo. How about daytrips there from s. Spain or take a guided tour of Morroco with a tour company? For the Greek is u could island hop by ferry. Not all islands have multi island hopping so that would need to be researched. There are many very interesting ones to visit.
Turkey has just restarted requiring visas for Americans. Not a gd place to visit now, sadly.
Sicily is great but to Italian island hop again u would have to research the islands that interest u. There are multi ports.

My first thought--after I realized that you specified ten weeks so we don't have to worry about the Schengen Zone time limit--is the heat. Most of the territory you propose to cover will range from hot to hellishly hot in the summertime. Are you sure you're up for that?

In 2015 I traveled around Sicily solo between June 17 and July 4. It was hot. I moved on to Puglia on the mainland, and (it now being solidly into July) Puglia was hotter. I visited Morocco very long ago in the month of June, and I well remember that the temperature one day in Marrakesh was 113F. To the extent that you are along a coastline somewhere, you'll probably benefit from some breezes, but hot is hot. I have good memories of the two trips I mentioned, but I also remember the enervating heat. When it's day after day, week after week, it really does get to you.

You don't mention plans to rent a car, and you're traveling alone, so I'm guessing you'll be depending on public transportation. You'll probably encounter some non-air-conditioned buses and even trains in those countries, and you will certainly be in a non-air-conditioned environment while you're waiting for the next bus or train. I don't know how recently you've made a mid-summer trip to a hot part of Europe. Are you aware that small bars, cafes and shops--and many museums that don't show paintings--are not air conditioned? You'll naturally be staying in air conditioned lodgings, but your hotel room may be about the only place you can get away from the heat. That doesn't work out so well when you're on a day-trip to a neighboring town.

OK, we've covered my concern about the weather.

You could keep yourself occupied in Sicily for about 4 weeks without any difficulty, just with the places I would like to have covered on my 18-day trip. Add extra time for Greek ruins, beaches and places I haven't heard of--so maybe up to 6 weeks. So, presuming you don't propose literally to stay in the same city for four weeks (too limiting on a large island like Sicily), this would be a great place to really burrow in. Possible base points are Siracusa, Catania or Taormina (latter very touristy), somewhere on the Aeolian Islands, Parlermo, Trapani/Erice, Agrigento, and somewhere in the interior (possibly Piazza Armerina). Traveling alone would not be an issue.

Morocco could keep you well occupied for an equivalent amount of time. I traveled there in the early 1990s with my mother. I don't think going alone would be physically dangerous (best not to wander off by yourself in the desert, though), but I'm guessing it could still be uncomfortable. I think tourists are still frequently bothered by very persistent young men wanting to be their guides. And in the more conservative parts of the country, I'm betting women still don't travel around without a father/brother/husband. Therefore, I suspect it would be smart to either take a tour or find a traveling companion. This might be a good topic to investigate on the Lonely Planet Thorn Tree Forum. One thing I know hasn't changed: Casablanca is a modern city with not a great deal to interest a tourist aside from (I assume) museums. Fes, Meknes, Marrakesh, Rabat, Ouarzazate, the desert--just about anywhere else will be more interesting.

There is some weather variation among the Greek islands. Verify this, but I think the Ionian islands like Corfu (Kerkyra) are cooler and wetter than the Aegean islands. Crete has some mountains, but I don't know whether they're high enough to offer much respite from the summer heat. Have you already traveled through mainland Greece, or have you only been to Athens and perhaps a few classical sites? I think there may be areas in the north that are not so brutally hot in the summer. Perhaps up around Ioannina? No problems traveling as a woman alone in Greece.

Can't address Turkey because I've only been to Istanbul, and that was perhaps 35 years ago.

From what I have seen the problem with Turkey, is not safety, but the convoluted process to get a visa. ( At this point, a US citizen must appear in person at a Turkish Embassy/Consulate to apply for the visa)

My first thought was the heat, but that subject has already been covered.

Tongue in cheek answers:
A) A cool cellar
B) air conditioned bar

One of the problems with posting late at night, as I often do, is that the brain may not be fully engaged. This morning it has registered with me that you referred to yourself as "young". Unless you lived overseas as a child, I'm thinking you may not have comprehensively covered these areas, which I think would be (weather-wise) far better destinations for a summer trip. Some of them I have used myself to escape the heat experienced elsewhere.

• The stretch of northern Spain between the Pyrenees and Galicia. Some very pretty scenery and some lovely cities.

• Normandy and Brittany

• All of the United Kingdom

• High-elevation areas in the various mountainous regions

• Far northern Germany and Scandinavia

Thank you so much to everyone for the responses! I really appreciate your thoughts.

When I said young, I meant young-ish. I'm 34 but my concern is that I'm 5 ' tall and have a real baby face, so when I've traveled alone internationally I've frequently been bothered and harassed by men in part, I think, because I look like such a vulnerable target. I'm kind of amused at myself now because I realize that 34 is actually not really that young . . .

I lived in Phoenix for years and would love for the weather to be 90 everyday year-round, so intense heat is not a problem for me.

I'd love any suggestions on what parts of the places I've mentioned I should stay. I like to be where there's a lot going on.

You should have no problems as a solo female traveller in Sicily and the Greek Islands, however Morocco and Turkey are a different situation. You may want to check the official U.S. State Department website for specific warnings on those two countries. Here are a few excerpts.....

• https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Morocco.html

"Women Travelers: Women walking alone in certain areas of cities and rural areas are particularly vulnerable to assault by men. They should exercise caution when in public spaces, including nightclubs or other social establishments. Women are advised to travel with a companion or in a group when possible and to ignore any harassment. See our tips for Women Travelers."

• https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Turkey.html

"Women Travelers: The Embassy is aware of 20 incidents of sexual assault against U.S. citizens in Turkey since 2014, including assaults against tourists traveling alone or in small groups, and at spas and hamams. Avoid isolated locations and traveling alone after dark. Local resources and assistance specifically addressing sexual assault are limited in Turkey. If you are sexually assaulted, please seek immediate help from the Turkish National Police, Turkish Health Services, or nearest hospital if you feel safe doing so."

Clicking on the above links will show lots more information on those countries.

Good luck!