I was wondering if anyone had done this and how well they thought it worked--for example, how reliable are times listed on the Interbus website? There are tours, of course, but they are fairly pricey and I am not a member of the Godfather cult.
My husband is keen on visiting Mt Etna and I am not, having trudged through the volcanic soil at Mt. Vesuvius. I am looking for an alternative activity that can be done on public transportation.
Hi Beth, I haven’t been to Savoca but I have been to Taormina & Mt Etna. We were planning to revisit the area in 2020. Our plan was to spend a couple nights in Acireale. It is a coastal city and commune at the foot of Mount Etna. Bus- 55 min., Train- 30 min. See Priscilla’s trip report, in case you are looking for an alternative activity? https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/acireale-toarmina-and-back-to-milan
Have you considered taking a bus to the village above Taormina, named Castelmola? Rick describes it in his Sicily guidebook.. There is a beautiful view, several places to enjoy lunch, a church, etc...About a half day excursion. Enjoy Taormina - we loved it, and although it rained the whole time we were there (2 nights), we took the cable car to the beach, saw an opera performance, and enjoyed the sidewalk cafes and the amazing balconies etc. If you still need a place to stay, it was also the place with the most beautiful air bnb on our trip... Here's info on the day trip I mentioned: (we didn't have time to do this, plus the rain...)
https://www.sicily-visitor.com/places/castelmola.php
Janis--I have heard of Acireale but had not considered it ,so thank you. I think I heard of it from reading Prisciila's report actually! I enjoyed reading her account again now that I am in the planning stage.
Joan-We will be in Taormina the day before this "free day". I was thinking we could tour Taormina as well as go up and see Castelmola. But perhaps that is too ambitious? But certainly, if we do not get to Castelmola, it makes sense to visit it before venturing off further. We do have an air bnb booked here with the most amazing views--maybe it is the same one you enjoyed! Glad you did so much even with the rain but am hoping we are more fortunate and have sunny weather!
A Sicilian I bumped into at the Monreale bus stop recommended Acireale to me. At that point I had already been to the east coast, so I didn't get there. Photos look promising, though.
Hi Beth --
I have not been to Savoca so can't help there. I have been to Acireale and cannot recommend that. I know opinions can vary, but we found it to be a pretty dead place. Not easily accessible by train -- the station is a ways outside of town, although there is a bus stop in town. Our issue with Acireale was not just a lack of things to do or see, but the "vibe" was off. We happily spent four nights in Sougia so you know we don't get bored easily.
In Taormina, we took a private taxi tour to Mt Etna. We stopped at a little bakery along the way (and got a tour and free bag of cookies from the sweet little baker), visited a honey producer, walked a little ways up Mt Etna (it was cloudy & foggy so not the best day for views but still enjoyable), stopped at a winery for lunch on the way home and then at an orchard afterward where we picked some lemons. I suspect this is a common itinerary; it was not terribly pricey. I can try to find our driver's name if you like. I think you can choose to do more of a hike up Etna than we did.
On another day my husband walked up to Castelmola. It's quite a hike so I declined, but he enjoyed it. Maybe a 45 minute hike? We also took the funicular down to the beach at Mazzaro one day and walked over to Isola Bella. The public gardens are nice ... there are operas ... the amphitheater of course ... we found plenty to keep us entertained in Taormina.
Acraven-locals recommendations always count for a lot. Thank you for passing it on.
Charlene-we loved Sougia Crete as much as you so I certainly do understand what you mean by a vibe. And thanks for passing on the details about public transportation there.
I had thought about hiking up to Castelmola but haven’t been able to find anything about where to start the climb. Do you know or know where you can find out?
My husband I think wants real hiking at Mt et na (which I do not want) so probably will look for a tour for him like that. I would like your day better than the one he wants! I like hiking but not in volcanic soil! But I am okay with doing something else.
Hi Beth — Regarding the hike to Castelmona— someone at breakfast at our hotel pointed out the road up the hill, and gave Tom some vague directions to the starting point, and he easily found it. We were staying pretty close to the middle of Taormina, on the Main Street. Sorry that’s a little vague but he says you won’t have trouble finding it. He took some spectacular photos on the way up & from the top.
Thanks so much Charlene. Sounds like something can figure out once we arrive.
