Planning For Sicily Trip

Some comments:

Day 1, arrive Catania, I assume you'll get your car and drive to Taormina, so you'll be staying in Taormina that night. I think 2 nights total in Taormina is enough. Since you're short on time, I wouldn't spend a third night there. Add that day somewhere else.

If day 3 has good weather, you could drive to Mt. Etna on your way south.

You have 2 day 4's ...

Spend your Siracusa time in Ortigia, just over the bridge from Siracusa but much more charming. Since you're burned out on ruins, skip the archeological park in Siracusa.

However, do not skip the valley of the temples near Agrigento. Since you're right there, take an hour to walk through this amazing site. I've seen lots of Greek temples too but these are worth seeing. Read a little about the history of the Greeks on Sicily to make it more meaningful.

Consider switching your last two stops ... go to Cinisi-Cefalu from Agrigento, visit Palermo, then drive to San Vito lo Capo. The Palermo airport is west of Palermo, so it's only about an hour from SVLC. Look at a map and see what you think.

Either on your way to San Vito lo Capo or while you're staying there, if you have a clear, sunny day, you might want to make short visit to Erice.

Sicily is amazingly beautiful and bigger than you might expect. Great food. Be sure to try brioche con gelato ...

Hmm. You've obviously done your research, and have a great deal of beach time (which is not remotely an interest of mine), so my comments may not be helpful at all. I guess I would ask, given that you are staying in mostly places I have never even heard of despite doing a fair amount of research before my 18-day trip in 2015: Are you sure they are the best options for experiencing Sicily in addition to getting enough beach time? I've never even heard of any of your overnight stops except Catania and Taormina, so I certainly cannot compare their virtues to those of the places I visited.

The historic district of Catania is very nice; don't be turned off by some of the less charming parts of the city. It's a very pleasant area to wander around. The morning market is also worth visiting if you have time before moving up to Taormina. (But given the hassles entailed in changing hotels, I'd just head to Taormina on Day 1.)

Taormina is quite small and doesn't need all the time you've allotted to it unless it's all intended to be beach time. I'd use some of that time for Siracusa, which has quite a large historic district, a nice archaeological museum, and an archaeological park that I actually liked (and I have less interest in ruins than you do). Siracusa was my favorite stop in Sicily. I wouldn't be satisfied with part of a day for Siracusa.

In fact, I'd highly recommend staying in or just outside Siracusa for several nights, In addition to its own charms, it is a good base for Ragusa, Noto, Modica and Scicli, all worth visiting. Ragusa would be my top recommendation from among those towns, and I certainly wouldn't visit that corner of Sicily and skip it. I'd want at least 1-1/2 days for those interior towns alone.

If you're uninterested in ruins, why not skip Agrigento and go as fast you can from the southern coast to the north?

I stayed in and liked Trapani, but Erice is a more evocative/unusual place. I hope you'll have time for it, if not for Trapani, while you're in San Vito lo Capo.

Palermo is a large city with many interesting churches and oratorios. I'd want more than part of a day there. Cefalu is a small, picturesque, historic coastal village that's now popular with beach goers. I'm not sure how different it is from Cinisi since I'm unfamiliar with the latter. If Cinisi's just a beach resort, I'd prefer to stay in Cefalu and visit Palermo from there (and have more time for Palermo). I'd say the number one stop in Palermo is actually outside the city, at Monreale. Not missable.

Please give some thought to spending a day or two in Palermo. We've been there three times (twice on one trip - coming and going) and love it. On our first visit to Sicily I think we spent a total of about 7 or 8 days in Palermo. That included two nights on the RS tour, and a trip to Monreale. There's lots to see and do in Palermo: churches, markets, museums, the waterfront...

I totally agree with Acraven about both Ragusa and Trapani/Erice. Took a RS Sicily tour this April and they were among the best stops on our tour. Trapani is on the beautiful coast and Erice is nearby with the area's best bakery there. Ragusa is a great walking city and totally enjoyed staying there.

I totally agree with Acraven about both Ragusa and Trapani/Erice. Took a RS Sicily tour this April and they were among the best stops on our tour. Trapani is on the beautiful coast and Erice is nearby with the area's best bakery there. Ragusa is a great walking city and totally enjoyed staying there.

Here is a website that I used extensively in finding all kinds of info about Sicily.
You may have already seen it (if so I apologize)
Best of Sicily