Gluten Free Travel in Sicily?

I wrote a pretty long trip report about this last summer, wish I knew how to find it.

You will be fine. PM me if you want specific restaurants, or post the cities you will visit. I had no problems anywhere. I did have a package of rice cakes on hand at breakfast just in case, but hotels and B&Bs were very accommodating as well as restaurants. Many display the gluten-free symbol on the menu.

Thank you so much Zoe. I am considering the following trip if you have hotel or restaurant suggestions:

Fly into Catania and get car. Stay in Taormina for 2 nights.

Drive to Siracusa for 1 night. [This drive looks not too bad because of major highway.]
Drive to Noto and Ragusa on way to Piazza Armerina overnight.
See Villa del Casale on way to Cefalu overnight.

Drop car off in Palermo and stay two nights.

Side trip by bus to Monreale. Fly back from Palermo.

I'm tempted to keep the car though and have one more night in Palermo to fit in a day trip to see Erice, Trapani, Scopello but know that would be hectic! I appreciate your expertise.

I'm not sure if this is the report you're talking about, but oddly enough, I was searching for it earlier today. I am going to Sicily in a couple of weeks with a friend who needed this advice also! Hoping this is what you were referring to, Zoe. https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/gluten-free-in-sicily

Andi, what a gift. And Zoe, the post was very informative and most of all reassuring. My first trip (CT, Tuscany, Venice and Como) was surprisingly easy with the senze glutine diet. All went extremely well. That experience made me want to return so Amalfi and Sicily are trip no. 2. For anyone else reading this, I recommend bringing with you a restaurant card in Italian that spells out your restrictions. Anyone I showed it to took it very seriously. Thanks again!

that's the post, thanks, Andi. Cris, I will check my notes for Taormina, Siracusa, and Palermo and get back to you.

Cris, your trip will be busy but certainly doable. It resembles the pace of my trip in April-May 2014; I wouldn't try to add more destinations, because after seeing a new place every day, you will need those two nights in Palermo.

A VERY detailed report of my trip is here: https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/sicily-palermo-caltanisetta-siracusa-taormina

A great article about gluten free in Italy (although since you've already been to other parts of the country, it may not have new information for you): http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/29/travel/gluten-free-dining-in-italy.html

There have been various other threads about gluten free in Italy; the consensus is that it's one of the easiest places in Europe to have your needs understood.

Grazie Harold. Very helpful. Thank you.

Hi, Cris.

In Palermo, I stayed at B&B Federico Secondo, inside the Duomo precinct. Gluten-free menu items available at most restaurants - posted menus have the gluten-free symbol. I had lunch one day at La Tavernetta del Vicoletto, it was very good. There is a gluten-free bakery somewhere, the B&B host went there for fresh pastries for breakfast every day.

In Piazza Armerina, I stayed at Dimora del Conte, a family-run B&B, they removed items containing gluten from the breakfast service. There are some parking lots in Piazza Armerina, best to ask. Several restaurants to choose from, one of my favorites was Amici Miei in a small piazza near one of the main streets.

I stayed in Selinunte for a couple of nights, at Terrazzo di Venere, which had lots of gluten-free options for breakfast, but let them know in advance if you require gluten-free bread items (or bring rice cakes). Great seafood restaurant , Fresco Mare, is in the middle of a parking lot. You will probably stay in Agrigento instead, I loved B&B Porta Atenea (has parking nearby), and the restaurant Sal8 (Salotto), has one of the most extensive gluten-free menus I saw in my travels.

My favorite B&B was in Siracusa, La Via della Giudecca (I stayed almost a week), on a small piazza. This is where Rita, who is also gluten-intolerant, sent out for gluten-free pizza for me for breakfast, in addition to all the regular breakfast menu items (fresh local cheeses are a specialty). In Piazza del Duomo are two restaurants, side by side, with gluten-free options. A bakery specializing in marzipan (gluten-free in most places but always ask), Caffe Marciante, has wonderful pastry choices that are gluten-free (but not all are, so ask).

I hope this helps. Sicilia has my heart, can't wait to go back next year.

Thank you everyone. Very helpful information.