Hello
Trip 25 to Italy yet 1st to Sicily. Meeting friends coming in at different dates for 12 days in Sicily and then onto more beautiful Italy. We are booked in and out of Catania and 2 hotels in Taormina- waterfront for the majority of time and an apartment at Hotel Villa Carlotta for 3 nights. Thinking day trip to Ortigia/Syracuse or long day ferry to Lipari and using Taormina as a base. No courage or interest in Mt Etna- seeing it from a distance is fine. Or. Will I be bored and regret not doing Cefalu? I do have a hotel booked for Cefalu and a driver. Coujd day trip to Palermo?? Thoughts?
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Washington DC
29280 posts
Sicily is a beautiful island with lots of points of interest well scattered. To be blunt, I would not want to spend essentially all my time in any one place--certainly not in Taormina. It is beautiful but extremely touristy. Some folks definitely do like it, but I was happy to leave after 2 or 3 hours.
I would want to spend several nights down in Ortygia so I had time to see that charming neighborhood of Siracusa as well as some of the Baroque villages down in that corner of the island. I would also want to spend multiple nights in Palermo to cover the sights there. It would waste time to stay in Cefalu and make multiple trips to Palermo.
Rick published his first guidebook to Sicily a few years ago (after my 2015 trip). Have you taken a look at it? For example, you haven't mentioned the Villa Romana with its fabulous mosaics, any of the classic Greek sites or Trapani/Erice.
I think you'll receive more comments from Sicily's fans here if you edit your original post to change the title to something more descriptive; definitely include "Sicily" in the title.
Please also tell us when you plan to take the trip.