Spending 15 nights in Sicily arriving in Palermo & renting a vehicle entire trip. I am not dead set on my bases, so should you have suggestions, comments I thank you for your help. I'd prefer not to rush through the island, so Im unsure if my itinerary is to ambitious? I wanted to see ruins, beaches, tiny villages, & anything spectacular.
Castellammare de Golfo 3 nights *it was either here or Erice / Eraclea 3 nights *should we stay in Selinunte / Taomina 3 nights / Cefalu 2 nights / Palermo 2 nights / Island of Ustica 2 nights
Posted by
US Pacific Northwest
10344 posts
Your itinerary is definitely not too ambitious, you're taking 15 nights to do what most do in 3 or 4 nights(not trying to talk you out of the 15 nights). Rick doesn't cover Sicily so get a guidebook that does. Very briefly, the "3-star" sights on Sicily are, from west to east: Erice, Segesta, Palermo, Monreale, Agrigento, Villa Imperiale del Casale, Siracusa, and Taormina. And for islands may I suggest one of the Eolian Islands instead of Ustica, although Ustica is also good, you've got time to do both. Sleep at Taormina (note correct spelling for finding it on websites), Erice, and Palermo; and offshore at Eolie. Sleeping at Cefalu not recommended, there are better choices. There is much more there than this brief overview--get a guidebook that covers Sicily in depth.
Posted by
OP
Chicago, Il, USA
126 posts
Thanks for your help Kent! I've read 2 books & I'm completely confused as to deciding on my bases. I'm unsure of Eraclea or Selinunte? You said may be better options than Cefalu.. I'm thinking the EG Island you suggested. Would you suggest staying in Taormina?
Posted by
US Pacific Northwest
10344 posts
Joey: You're doing your homework and you have a ton of time so you can basically see everything. Yes, Taormina is a good place to sleep, I'd recommend either Villa Regina B&B or Andromaco Palace Hotel. Cefalu is recommended as a place to see, but not necessarily the best choice for sleeping, not a great choice of places to sleep. You have time to see everything, I'm just trying to give you an idea of ranking, most worthwhile first. I would rate Cefalu and Selinunte as ** (2-star, recommended) whereas the other places I listed in my 1st post I would rank as *** (highly recommended). But of course ** is worth doing. BTW, I recommended Isole Eolie, not Isole Egadi (*** vs *), you can do both but if you have to prioritize go to Eolie first.
Posted by
Wodonga, Australia
440 posts
Joey, since you will have a car, can I suggest (from Siracusa) driving to Noto and Modica for the fabulous baroque architecture. I drove from Siracusa to Agrigento via Caltagirone - spring flowers everywhere in the fields. Trapani is not a bad base for Erice and Segesta. Cefalu I just adore and a few days there is never enough. Just to chill out. In Siracusa and Cefalu I stayed in tiny apartments; B&b's elsewhere. Lipari is also gorgeous, allowing for visits to other islands, or just hooning around on a scooter. Except for the one day with a car, I used buses and trains to get from A to B. Never a hassle, nothing pre-booked. Good luck if you are driving in Palermo!!