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Erice or Scopello and Agrigento or Piazza Armerina

Itinerary Help Please (again)
So far our trip is:
Arrive Sept 10 in Palermo for 3 nights
Day 4 pick up car and drive W to stay 2 nights in either Erice or Scopello
Day 6 leave to drive S/SE and stay 1 night in either Agrigento, Piazza Armerina or Ragusa.

Day 7 drive to Syracuse for 2 nights, then up to Taormina for 3 nights before heading back to U.S.A.
We enjoy ruins, architecture, museums, food, culture, shopping, beach for relaxing.
Too many choices and too little time. It is highly unlikely I will have an opportunity to return to Sicily therefore I want to see and do as much as I can. Several friends said Piazza Armerina is a Must see. It is a little out of the way if we are heading to Syracuse. We don't have any restrictions except time and oh yes, we don't have unlimited dollars either.

Another option is to reduce Palermo to 2 nights and add it on to the center of our trip.

As usual, the forum has been invaluable for planning our trips. Your continued help is greatly appreciated.
Grazie,
Lorieann

Posted by
28477 posts

Sorry-gotta say it: With limited time I wouldn't be spending 3 nights in Taormina. It's beautiful, but not very large. I know, there's a beach. (I am so not a beach person.)

I haven't been to Scopello or Agrigento, but I'd go with Ragusa over Piazza Armerina. I hope you plan to see the mosaics at the Villa Romana del Casale while in the Piazza Armerina area. If not, I wouldn't say P.A. is an absolute must.

Posted by
16238 posts

Scopello is a great base for western sicily. You can drive to Erice from there.
I wouldn't base in Erice. It's on top of a very high mountain and to get there it's a long curvy road. It's ok to do once to visit, but I wouldn't want to drive to it every night.

Spend the night in Piazza Armerina. You can visit Agrigento (valley of the temples) for a few hours on the way there from Western Sicily. After spending the night in Pzza Armerina, the next morning you can visit the Villa del Casale.

It's ok to spend 3 nights (2 full days) in Taormina, if you intend to have a hiking excursion on Mt. Etna, which will take a whole day by itself.

Posted by
3278 posts

My two cents!

I'd opt to stay in Scopello over Erice (but as suggested, you can day trip to Erice).

Stay in Ragusa but stop near Piazza Armerina to see Villa Romana del Casale (mosaics) on the way.

Spend 3 nights in Syracuse and 2 in Taormina.

Posted by
11613 posts

I love Piazza Armerina, it's a good base for Villa Romana del Casale and, if you have a car, Morgantina. Agrigento has a beach nearby, if you must have a beach day/afternoon (I wouldn't on a trip with limited time).

Posted by
247 posts

3 nights Palermo, 2 nights Scopello, see Agrigento on the way to 1 night in Piazza Armerina, 3 nights in Siracusa, and 2 nights in Taormina.