Cefalu Sicily

Cefalu is small and can be visited in less than a day. Of course you can relax there for longer. There are trains and buses connecting to both Palermo and Messina. You can definitely visit Palermo by train and also by hydrofoil (in Summer). Don't drive into Palermo to visit it, it's a traffic nightmare most hours of the day. A car would be helpful to visit other areas of Sicily where the public transportation is limited or too slow to do in a day. There is an AVIS rent a car office in Cefalu for sure. You could rent a car for just two days to visit other places. From Cefalu, if you have a car, you can drive to anyplace in Sicily within 2-2.5 hours. To choose what to visit use a map (to get you an idea) and the website below:
www.bestofsicily.ocm

From Cefalu (one of my favorite places) you can take a train or bus to Palermo, Monreale, Segesta, or go in the other direction for Taormina (but you
may want to do an overnight). With a car, as Roberto said, you're within reach of a lot more.

Gina, Cefalú is an incredibly beautiful town and I'm sure you'll enjoy your stay. I was there last September and was wishing my stay had been longer. In addition to day trips, you could: > Tour the incredible Cefalu Cathedral (built by King Roger II). > Enjoy some beach time on the fantastic sandy beaches. > Hike up the mountain to the old fortress (I can't recall the details, but it's visible above the town). > Enjoy the local restaurants. There are lots of them and the food is excellent. Be sure to try Pasta alla Norma, a Sicilian specialty. You may get other ideas by having a look at http://www.cefaluonline.com/cefaluonline/ Congratulations on your "win" and Happy travels!

Cefalu has a a wonderful sand beach. In October, it should still be warm enough to enjoy walking, sitting, or swimming.

There is a footpath to the top of the rock behind the Cathedral, I haven't done it yet but people say it's not exactly a stroll in the park, but worth it. If you are in Cefalu on a Saturday you can compare weddi g parties, there will be some either getting married in the Cathedral or posing for photos in front of it - one Saturday in July I counted five! There's an e cellent retaurant on the side of the Cathedral's entrance,with a gazebo- type outdoor area.

Thank you all for the suggestions! We are thinking of going to Palermo for a day and Taormina for a day. We heard Agrigento was a good day trip - anyone know anything about that?

I was just in Palermo and Cefalu last week. Cefalu was very pretty. We were only there one afternoon. Next time I would like to stay overnight there. We stayed 4 nights in Palermo. I like visiting small towns. Look into a visit to Caccamo, a small town not too far from Cefalu. We also went to Segesta but did not get to Agrigento. I think Cefalu would be a good base. Go to Taormina and to Palermo, and a visit to Monreale. Best to avoid driving in Palermo, lots of traffic congestion, narrow streets. Check into bus and trains out of Cefalu to Palermo and Taormina/Messina. You should also look into hiring a driver to take you to the specific small town or archeological destinations you want to visit. Go to the Palermo forum on Trip Advisor and the Sicily experts can give you specific guidance on all your Sicily questions. I got lots of good information there.

I'll check it out - thank you!

I have traveled to Cefalu many times and it is a wonderful place to stay and relax. Things to do: 1. It is worth spending most of one day at the beach, you can rent an umbrella and chairs at several places...we like Poisiden...at least have lunch there...amazing choices of very nice pizzas and a wonderful ion of pastas. We had lunch for almost two hours there in our bathing suits and cover-ups and spent the rest of our time reading under our rented beach umbrella and then walking the beach. 2. Climb up "The Rock" or "La Rocca" which takes about an hour each direction, should be done in the morning before it gets warm. 3. The fishing trip (run by local fisherman)is fun...they drop a fishing net in the water and cook lunch for everyone while you can jump into the sea and swim, then climb on board and enjoy a rustic lunch of freshly caught fish by the local old fishermen - buy tickets through www.cefalutravel.com 4.) Visit the nearby Aeolian Islands...I haven't done this yet, but plan to on my next visit.
5.) Snorkel - I hear that there is a Dive Shop in Cefalu, am planning to try that too on my next trip. Also worth renting a car and driving to Taormina (spend the night)...it is very beautiful.

If you have a rental car Piazza Armerina is a great day trip from Cefalu. There are some wonderful Roman ruins that are worth the trip. It night be a good place to have a picnic too. The ancient city at Siracusa/Syracuse is a great experience too. I really liked walking to Isola Ortigia which is in the city. However it's a little far from Cefalu for a day trip and it would be a long day. Perhaps travel to Siracusa before/after your say in Cefalu.

Another vote for Taormina. They have a lovely Ancient Greek Theatre to see Where concerts are still held. The town is lovely and the view from the upper piazza of the city where the three churches is spectacular. This is why Taormina has weddings all day every day! I hope you can work in a night or two there. You can tour Mt. Etna also from there: magicofsicily.com